This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: “Go down to the potter’s house, and there I will give you my message.” So I went down to the potter’s house, and I saw him working at the wheel. Jeremiah 18:1-3
“The potter was working at the wheel. He was working on the pot. The potter controls the wheel, using it to shape the vessel. God uses trials and circumstances to mold and shape us. God is working. Your life will be transformed as you serve Him. He is transforming not only the lives of the Treasures but also the lives of the staff, volunteers, and supporters who serve them on His behalf.
Most of the time, when seeking guidance, we do not look down, we look up. We look up to someone—someone successful, with more experience—to advise us. We look for the best of the best. How surprised would you be to learn that your adviser was a scavenger who works in the garbage dump? In Proverbs 6:6, we learn that guidance can come even from an insect: “Go to the ant, you sluggard. Consider its ways and be wise.”
Please do not misunderstand me. I am not saying that you should not try to find the best help you can. I am advising you to open your heart and mind so you can hear God’s voice and be willing to learn from others. I met God in a very unexpected place, and you can too.”
Gladys Acuña Güitz in Hidden Treasure: Finding God in Unexpected Places with Betsy Ahl (Guatemala City: Potter’s House, 2021) 112.
It was my privilege to speak at the Hidden Treasures book launch celebration last night. To view the recording, click here. I hope you take the time to watch it. Why?
If you join me in looking down at the destitute Treasures scavenging in the dump you just might meet Jesus in a powerful way and go away transformed.
Gladys is keen to point out that the ant can be out advisor! But we only learn when we are willing to look down. Are you? Read the book. Will you? I hope so.
My passion for serving the poor has been nurtured over more than a decade by Gladys and her husband Edgar, and I am so grateful. They are not friends to me, they are family!