When a potter bakes a pot, he checks its solidity by pulling it out of the oven and thumping it. If it ‘sings,’ it’s ready. If it ‘thuds,’ it’s placed back in the oven. The character of a person is also checked by thumping.
Been thumped lately?
“Late-night phone calls. Grouchy teacher. Grumpy moms. Burnt meals. Flat tires. ‘You’ve got to be kidding’ deadlines. Those are thumps. Thumps are those irritating inconveniences that trigger the worst in us. They catch us off guard. Flat footed. They aren’t big enough to be crises, but if you get enough of them, watch out! Traffic jams. Long lines. Empty mailboxes. Dirty clothes on the floor…Thump. Thump. Thump.
How do I respond? Do I sing? Or do I thud?
Jesus said that out of the nature of the heart a man speaks (Luke 6:56). There’s nothing like a good thump to reveal the nature of a heart. The true character of a person is seen not in momentary heroics, but in the thump-packed humdrum of day-to-day living.
Source: Max Lucado – “On the Anvil”
Tyndale House Publishers