Ignorance The Waterpot
A water bearer in India had two large pots which
One day, a lady in a faded gingham dress & her hung on opposite ends of a pole which he carried
husband, dressed in a homespun threadbare suit, across his neck. One of the pots had a crack in it, so
stepped off the train in Boston and walked timidly while the perfect pot always delivered a full portion of
without an appointment into the Harvard President’s water at the end of the long walk from the stream to
outer office. The secretary could tell in a moment that the master’s house, the cracked pot arrived only half
such backwoods, country hicks had no business at full. For two years this went on daily, with the bearer
Harvard and probably didn’t even deserve to be in delivering only one and a half pots full of water in his
Cambridge. She frowned. “We want to see the master’s house. Of course, the perfect pot was proud of
President,” the man said softly. its accomplishments, but the poor cracked pot was
“He’ll be busy all day,” the secretary snapped. ashamed of its imperfection, and miserable that it was
“We’ll wait,” the lady replied. able to accomplish only half of what it had been made
For hours, the secretary ignored them, hoping that to do.
the couple would finally become discouraged and go After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter
away. They didn’t and the secretary grew frustrated failure, the pot spoke to the water bearer one day by
and finally decided to disturb the president, even the stream. “I am ashamed of myself, and I want to
though it was a chore she always regretted. “Maybe if apologize to you.”
they just see you for a few minutes, they’ll leave,” she “Why?” asked the bearer. “What are you ashamed
of?”
told him.
“I have been able, for these past two years, to
He sighed in exasperation and nodded. Someone of deliver only half my load because this crack in my side
his importance obviously didn’t have the time to spend causes water to leak out all the way back to your
with them, but he detested gingham dresses and master’s house. Because of my flaws, you have to do
homespun suits cluttering up his outer office. all of this work, and you don’t get full value from your
The president, stern-faced with dignity, strutted efforts,” the pot said. The water bearer felt sorry for
toward the couple. The lady told him, “We had a son the old cracked pot, and in his compassion he said, “As
that attended Harvard for one year. He loved Harvard. we return to the master’s house, I want you to notice
He was happy here. But about a year ago, he was the beautiful flowers along the path.”
accidentally killed. My husband and I would like to Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot
erect a memorial to him somewhere on campus.” took notice of the sun warming the beautiful wild
The president wasn’t touched; he was shocked. flowers on the side of the path, and this cheered it
“Madam,” he said gruffly, we can’t put up a statue for some. But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because
every person who attended Harvard and died. If we it had leaked out half its load, and so again it
did, this place would look like a cemetery.” apologized to the bearer for its failure.
“Oh, no,” the lady explained quickly, we don’t The bearer said to the pot, “Did you notice that
want to erect a statue. We thought we would like to there were flowers only on your side of your path, but
give a building to Harvard.” not on the other pot’s side? That’s because I have
The president rolled his eyes. He glanced at the always known about your flaw, and I took advantage
gingham dress and homespun suit, then exclaimed, “A of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path,
building! Do you have any earthly idea how much a and every day while we walk back from the stream,
building costs? We have over seven and a half million you’ve watered them. For two years I have been able
dollars in the physical plant at Harvard.” to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my master’s
For a moment the lady was silent. The president table. Without you being just the way you are, he
was pleased. He could get rid of them now. Then the would not have this beauty to grace his house.”
Each of us has our own unique flaws. We are all
lady turned to her husband and said quietly, “Is that all
cracked pots. But if we will allow it, the Lord will use our
it costs to start a university? Why don’t we just start flaws to grace His Father’s table. In God’s great economy,
our own?” Her husband nodded. nothing goes to waste. So as we seek ways to minister
The president’s face wilted in confusion and together, and as God calls you to the tasks He has appointed
bewilderment. And Mr. and Mrs. Leland Stanford for you, don’t be afraid of your flaws. Acknowledge them,
walked away, traveling to Palo Alto, California, where and allow Him to take advantage of them, and you too, can
they established the university that bears their name, a be the cause of beauty in His pathway. Go out boldly,
memorial to a son that Harvard no longer cared about. knowing that in our weakness we find His strength, and that
“In Him every one of God’s promises is a Yes.”