By Freekidstories Publishing

The Cracked Pot

Long ago, a water bearer in India had two large pots. Each hung on one end of a pole, which he carried across his shoulders. One of the pots had a crack in it. 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, but 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 after each trip to the stream. 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. Perceiving itself to be a bitter failure, the cracked pot 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 flowers along the path."

Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot took notice of the beautiful flowers beside the path, and this cheered it some. But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because it had again leaked half its load, and so again it apologized to the bearer for its failure.

But the bearer said to the pot, "Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of the path? 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."

Each of us has our own unique "flaws." We're all cracked pots. But as God calls you to the tasks He has appointed for you, don't be afraid of your flaws. Acknowledge them, and allow Him to take advantage of them, and you, too, can be the cause of beauty along His pathway.

Down on Yourself?

Down on yourself? Raise your self-esteem with these tried and proven tips:

Be positive! Focus on the attributes you have, rather than on those you lack.

Be willing to venture out and make changes.

Look outward. Don't make yourself the focus of your life.

Learn from past mistakes, but move forward.

Don't measure yourself by other people.

Rest in God's love, realizing that you are His unique creation and that He loves you just the way you are!

The Girl and the Frog

Once upon a time there was a little girl who spent her days sitting beside a pond, watching a frog on a lily pad. The little girl knew that the frog was probably a prince, and the frog—who was indeed a prince—knew that the little girl could kiss his nose and break the magic spell that a wicked witch had cast on him. But the little girl on the bank of the pond was too shy to begin a conversation with the frog, and the frog simply could not bring himself to tell her how badly he wanted her to kiss him. So the little girl went on sitting there, watching the frog. And that is the end of the story.

Moral: No one wants to be met by a cold stare of rejection, but if you spend your life avoiding rejection, you will never get very far or accomplish much. Step out. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Points to Ponder: That Person in the Mirror

Each person is a V.S.P. (Very Special Person) because we are each created in the image of God.

—Desmond Tutu

Friendship with oneself is all important, because without it one cannot be friends with anyone else in the world.

—Eleanor Roosevelt

If God had wanted me otherwise, He would have created me otherwise.

—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Do not wish to be anything but what you are, and try to be that perfectly.

—Saint Francis DeSales

Always be a first-rate version of yourself instead of a second-rate version of someone else.—Judy Garland

Each of us is unique in God's eyes. Each of us is an individual, and He wants us to express our individuality. He's not trying to press us all into one mold, so that we all look the same and act the same, and do things exactly the same way.

—Maria Fontaine

Just imagine a world full of people who truly believe that anything is possible and reach out to claim it. Together we could do astounding things. Together we could work miracles.

— Peter Story

"Who Still Wants It?"

A motivational speaker started off his seminar by holding up a $20 bill. In the room of 200, he asked, "Who would like this $20 bill?" Hands started going up.

He said, "I am going to give this $20 to one of you, but first, let me do this." He proceeded to crumple the bill.

He then asked, "Who still wants it?" Still the hands were up in the air.

"Well," he replied, "what if I do this?" And he dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe. He picked it up, now crumpled and dirty. "Now who still wants it?" Still the hands went into the air.

"My friends, you have all learned a very valuable lesson. No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth $20.

"Many times in our lives, we are crumpled, dropped, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. We feel as though we are worthless. But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value in God's eyes. To Him, dirty or clean, crumpled or finely creased, you are still priceless."

You’re Special!

From Jesus with love

You are part of a magnificent, vast, overall plan. You can't see that plan, but I can. You can't see how beautifully you fit in with the overall panorama of life and the balance of the universe, but I can. Someday you will see it too, and you will marvel together with Me at how wonderfully it all came together and how perfect it all is.

You are unique. There has never been a person like you, nor will there ever be another just like you. Resist the temptation to look negatively at yourself and focus on what you think are your shortcomings—weaknesses and inabilities, a less-than-perfect body or personality or whatever. What you perceive as imperfections, I perceive as uniqueness. What is perfection, after all? It is fulfilling the purpose for which you were created, which is to love and be loved. I love you just the way you are, and I love you as though you were the only person in the world.

Free Books for Children: www.freekidstories.org

Text copyright Activated magazine, www.activated.org. Used by permission.

Image Credits:

Cover: Background image courtesy of xedos4 at FreeDigitalPhotos.net; teens in front designed by www.freepik.com

“Cracked Pot” image courtesy of Violscraper/Flickr. Used under CC-NC license.

“Down on Yourself” artwork copyright TFI. Used by permission.

“Girl and the Frog” image in public domain

“Points to Ponder” images: Image 1,4,6 and 7 designed by Pressphoto – freepik.com. Image 2 by Volha Kavalenkava/123rf.com; used under Free Image license guidelines. Other images in public domain.

“Who Still Wants It?”: Dollar image in public domain, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. Raised hands designed by Freepik.com

“You’re Special” image by vectorcharacters.net.