The story is told of a couple who went to England to celebrate their 25th
wedding anniversary and shopped at a beautiful antique store.
They both liked antiques and pottery,and especially tea-cups,and so spotting
an exceptional cup,they asked "May we see that? We've never seen a cup
quite so beautiful."
As the lady handed it to them, suddenly the tea-cup spoke...
"You don't understand." It said, "I have not always been a tea-cup.There
was a time when I was just a lump of red clay. My master took me and rolled
me pounded and patted me over and over and I yelled out, Don't do that. I
don't like it! "Let me alone," but he only smiled, and gently said; "Not yet!!"
"Then, WHAM!
I was placed on a spinning wheel and suddenly I was spun
around and around and around. 'Stop it! I'm getting so dizzy! I'm going to
be sick!, I screamed.
But the master only nodded and said, quietly; 'Not yet.'
He spun me and poked and prodded and bent me out of shape to suit
himself and then.....he put me in the oven. I never felt such heat. I yelled
and knocked and pounded at the door. "Help! Get me out of here!"
'Not yet.'
When I thought I couldn't bear it another minute, the door opened. He
carefully took me out and put me on the shelf, and I began to cool.
Oh, that felt so good! "Ah, this is much better," I thought. But,after I
cooled he picked me up and he brushed and painted me all over. The fumes
were horrible.. 'Oh, please, Stop it! Stop it!' I cried.
He only shook his head and said. 'Not yet...'
Then suddenly he put me back into the oven. Only it was not like the first
time. This time it was twice as hot and I just knew I would suffocate.
I begged... I pleaded... I screamed...I cried... I was convinced I would never
make it.
I was ready to give up and just then the door opened and he took me out
and again placed me on the shelf, where I cooled and waited and waited,
wondering ' what's he going to do to me next?'
An hour later he handed me a mirror and said 'Look at yourself.'
And I did....I said, 'That's not me, that couldn't be me.
It's beautiful. I'm beautiful!'
Quietly he spoke: "I want you to remember, then,' he said, 'I know it hurt to
be rolled and pounded and patted, but had I just left you alone, you'd have
dried up.
I know it made you dizzy to spin around on the wheel, but if I had stopped,
you would have crumbled.
I know it hurt and it was hot and disagreeable in the oven, but if I hadn't put
you there, you would have cracked.
I know the fumes were bad when I brushed and painted you all over, but if I
hadn't done that, you never would have hardened. You would not have had
any color in your life.
And if I hadn't put you back in that second oven, you wouldn't have
survived for long because the hardness would not have held.
Now you are a finished product. Now you are what I had in mind when I
first began with you."