In 1902, a woman in her forties sat heartbroken in a prayer meeting. Throughout her adult life, she faithfully served the Lord in various capacities, always nurturing a deep desire to bring the gospel to Africa. Just when it seemed like her plans were falling into place, a lack of financial support abruptly halted her dreams.
Lost in her thoughts and barely aware of her surroundings, she overheard the prayer of an older woman nearby, “Lord, it doesn’t matter what You do with us; just have Your way in our lives.” The words lingered in her mind as she later sat meditating on Jeremiah 18:1-4, the story of the potter molding the clay. Before falling asleep, Adelaide Pollard composed all four stanzas of the beloved hymn, “Have Thine Own Way, Lord.” You may be familiar with its opening verse:
Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Thou art the Potter; I am the clay.
Mold me and make me after Thy will,
While I am waiting, yielded and still.
Was God purposefully delaying Adelaide’s journey to Africa to shape her character, to refine her for His service? She did not have the answer, but she was willing to surrender to the hands of the Potter. Eventually, in God’s perfect timing, she did become a missionary in Africa.
Two crucial elements come into play on the Potter’s wheel: the pressure of the Potter’s hands and the wheel’s speed. Both are under His control. Let’s invite God to have His own way in our lives as He transforms us into His wonderful image. Placing our trust in Him, we can echo the prayer of Isaiah: “But now, O Lord, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.” (Isaiah 64:8).
