The Cracked Pot
A water bearer in India had two large pots, one hung on each end of a
pole which he carried across his neck.
One of the pots had a crack in it, and while the other pot was perfect
and always delivered a full portion of water at the end of the long
walk from the stream to the master's house, the cracked pot arrived
only half full.
For a full two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering
only one and a half pots full of water to his master's house.
Of course, theperfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, perfect to
the end for which it was made. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of
its own imperfection, and miserable that it was able to accomplish only
half of what it had been made to do.
After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke
to the water bearer one day by the stream. "I am ashamed of myself, and
I want to apologize to you.
"Why?" asked the bearer. "What are you ashamed of?"
"I have been able, for these past two years, to deliver only half my
load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way
back to your master's house.
Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work, and you don't get
full value from your efforts," the pot said.
The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and in his
compassionhe said, "As we return to the master's house, I want you to
notice the beautiful flowers along the path."
Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot took notice of
the sun warming the beautiful wild
flowers on the side of the path, and this cheered it somewhat.
But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because it had leaked
out half its load, and so again it apologized to the bearer for its
failure.
The bearer said to the pot, "Did you notice that there were flowers
only on your side of your path, but not on the other pot's side?
That's because I have always known about your flaw, and I took
advantage of it.
I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we
walk back from the stream, you've watered them.
For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to
decorate my master's table.
Without you being just the way you are, he would not have this beauty
to grace his house."
The moral of this story- Each of us has our own unique flaws. We're all
cracked pots.
In this world, nothing goes to waste.
You may think like the cracked pot that you are inefficient or useless
in certain areas of
your life, but somehow these flaws can turn out to be a blessing in
disguise."
Sent by T.
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