In The Potter's Hands

I cannot sit and watch "The Karate Kid" without remembering Dr. Ngenge. 

He was the most interesting professor I'd ever had the opportunity to know & he truly made English 101 an experience that I know I'll never forget.

(For a time reference it was in the spring of 2011)

It was the first week of a brand new semester (I had to end up retaking English 101 with someone else because the previous semester was an absolute nightmare but that's another story for another time)

Everyone in my class was expecting some lady to walk through the door at any time (she was listed on all of our schedules) but ten minutes of waiting turned into twenty minutes before we collectively agreed that it was safe to assume that we probably weren't having class that day. 

Just as we got up from our desks, in walks the friendliest Nigerian man who introduces himself as Dr. Ngenge and tells us that he will be teaching our class instead.

He loved "The Karate Kid" and told us many times that it was his most favorite film & to this very day that is something that has stuck with me. 

(This doesn't have a thing to do with my message for tonight but on one particular day as he was unlocking the classroom door in Ferrell Hall, he told us that one student from the previous semester would always call him Dr. Nedge Nedge...that was so hilarious to me and still is to this day 🤣) 

I just wanted to make ya'll laugh 🩷

I had an incredibly rough first semester at State and at that point in time I was beginning to feel as though all of it was a waste. I will just say that I was not at all mature enough to live away from home but at eighteen/nineteen years old you couldn't tell me that. 

Thinking about the plot of the film, Mr. Miyagi quickly befriends Daniel and agrees to teach him the ins and outs of karate; however Daniel eventually becomes fed up after being asked to wax Mr. Miyagi's car & to paint his fence, failing to understand how that would ever teach him anything about karate. He really thought that it was a waste of time.

Have you ever stumbled and felt as though time was truly wasted? 

It's often said that time is our greatest teacher and that time is NEVER wasted with God. He often uses our greatest stumbles to teach us our greatest lessons, even if some of those are learned the hard way. 

I know I needed that time to grow up in Him.

If you're down and discouraged, and feeling as though you've royally messed up-- know you are always in the Potter's hands and remember that He never throws His clay away. 

"Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words."

"Then I went down to the potter's house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels."

"And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it."

"Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying,"

"O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the Lord. Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel." (Jeremiah 18:2-6 KJV)