Jeremiah 18:5 Then the word of the Lord came to me: 6 Can I not do with you, O house of Israel, just as this potter has done? says the Lord. Just like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel.

I always like to share a little culture whenever I can. A little something from the world of art, literature, or film. In the 1991 movie “City Slickers,” the protagonist Mitch tries to encourage his friend Phil. Phil has lost his wife, his children, and his job. He’s nearing 40 and feels as if his life is at a dead end.

Mitch reminds Phil of the times when they played kickball as children. If the ball went up in a tree and out of bounds, they would always yell, “Do over!” Mitch says to Phil, “Your life is a do-over Phil. You’ve got a clean slate.”

God allows “do-overs.” It’s the central message of the Gospel. It’s called grace.

Not that it’s always easy. Most of us are familiar with the image of God, the potter, shaping us, the clay. Remember the old hymn? “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.”

Do we dare allow God to shape us and mold us; to turn us upside down and inside out? What would that mean What would that look like? Do we dare take our place on the potter’s wheel? Dare we wait, yielded and still, before the shaping hands of God?