Jars of clay

The apostle Paul talked about bruised reeds and smoldering wicks in a different metaphor. He used jars of clay.

2 Cor 4:7-127 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 10 We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 11 For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. 12 So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you. NIV

He was always realistic about the struggles of life, but not defeated. I heard a radio personality saying, "Just repeat positive things to yourself and you'll change your attitude." There is some truth to that. I know that I'm often the cause of my miserableness by my own bad attitude, but, there are also very real things that happen to us.

Please forgive my stream of consciousness writing early on. Since I started this five days ago, I have awakened with twenty or thirty thoughts running through my head that I just must write on this blog. I promise to become more disciplined as I get some of the urgent thoughts down.