The Glass Artisan

Dorotheenhütte Glashütte Wolfach

I spent a couple of days with my good friend, Lidia Maier Serra, and her beautiful family at their home in Bad Rippoldsau – Schapbach in Germany. During my visit, she took me out for a walk around town, and we made a stop at the Dorotheenhütte Glashütte Wolfach Museum. The building is divided into a work area, a store, and a museum. It’s not a fancy place, but definitely gives the impression that it is Schwarzwald’s best kept secret.

While watching the artist create vases, and glass ornaments, I was reminded of the scripture about the potter in Jeremiah 18:2-4 (NLT): 2 “Go down to the potter’s shop, and I will speak to you there.” 3 So I did as he told me and found the potter working at his wheel. 4 But the jar he was making did not turn out as he had hoped, so he crushed it into a lump of clay again and started over.

Even though I was not at a potter’s house, I noticed the glass artisans work similarly to a potter. As many beautiful vases and ornaments as they produce daily, I saw a large bin full of broken and discarded pieces. These are not in that bin in order to be thrown out, they are there in order to be reused. They take the shattered pieces and melt them to create a new piece. I find it fascinating that neither artist sees a damaged piece as a hopeless case. Instead, they recycle them, to create a new, and flawless work of art. It’s truly a beautiful picture of how much value the artist places on its masterpieces, not looking to create mediocre work, but to present a final product that is not lacking in anything. He desires a perfectly unique product! One that is valuable, beautiful and desirable.

I don’t know about you, but when I think of our creator’s meticulous way of dealing with us, I can see why he takes such care to mold and shapes us, until our purpose is finally revealed in a beautiful display of his glorious workmanship. The Psalmist was right when he said, we are beautifully and wonderfully made. May we never forget that we are constantly being refined for a purpose far greater than our human understanding.