The Cracked Water Pot

I have always loved this story. The beauty and perfection of "imperfection." This bearer believes it bears repeating...

The Cracked Water Pot

A water bearer had two large pots. Each
hung on either end of a pole which he carried
across his neck.

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. The cracked pot
always 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 in his master's house.

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.

After two years of what it perceived to be a
bitter failure, it 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
beautiful flowers along the path."

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

The bearer said to the pot, "Did you notice that
there were flowers only on your side of your path,
but not on the other pot's side? 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."

(Author Unknown)