The Cracked Pot

The Cracked Pot

by unknown author

“A water bearer in India had two large pots, each hung on the end of a long 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, the perfect 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 compassion he 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.”

We are all imperfect "cracked pots" in some way. We all have our unique imperfections, strange habits, and ways. Here are some questions to consider:

In general, what have we learned more from in life - our easy successes or our painful losses and major mistakes?
Oftentimes, those people who have gone through life's darkest moments and yet somehow made it to the other side have become the greatest heroes, counselors, and teachers for other people going through similar struggles and situations today. How could we use our current challenges, limitations, or difficult life experiences from the past to in some way help or motivate other people right now?
Who would you rather like to make as a new friend - a perfect, flawless person or a unique individual who might be a little bit of a cracked pot, but kind, considerate, and interestingly strange?

Is being an imperfect, cracked pot really such a bad thing?

Perhaps what we might think of as "flaws" are actually blessings in disguise.