A man who had just lost his job went over to a shop and with the last of his money decided to buy a beautiful teacup for his wife. On the display shelf, he saw the perfect cup and told the sales person to take it down. Suddenly the cup spoke: “I have not always been a tea-cup,” it said, “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!” I could see him through the opening and I could read his lips as he shook his head from side to side, ‘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. I thought I would gag. ‘Oh, please stop it, Stop it!’ I cried. He only shook his head and said. ‘Not yet!’

“Then suddenly he put me back in to the oven. Only it was not like the first one. This 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, was ready to give up. 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 now you are a finished product. Now you are what I had in mind when I first began with you.”

The beautiful cup looked up at the man who had just lost his job, “So when life seems hard, and you are being pounded and patted and pushed almost beyond endurance, brew a cup of your favorite tea in your prettiest teacup, sit down and think of me and what the Potter is doing to you. He knows what He is doing and may just tell you: “Not yet..!”

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