Our journey through life

Is like a lump of clay

We are squeezed, rolled and punched,

And we don’t always have a say

Each experience, another pull

From right to left, side to side –

We’re yanked in every direction;

We’re traveling on a bumpy ride

As we move through life,

Unsure of where we will land,

We must remember – we are being molded

By Hashem’s loving hand

For we are like clay –

כי הנה כחומר”

ביד היוצר

In the hands of our Creator

Each pinch and squeeze

Makes us who we are meant to be.

When we’re banged up and rolled,

We discover our capabilities

Sometimes, the clay must be softened,

Before it can be shaped.

Sometimes, it must be stretched and pulled

Before it can take its place.

The hands that knead and mold it

May leave their marks behind,

But every crease and every line

Is part of the design.

Sometimes, the clay goes through the fire

And the heat is hard to bear,

But the One who placed it in the flame

Has a purpose waiting there.

We may not see the masterpiece

When we are just a piece of clay,

But Hashem knows what we can become,

And molds us every day.

A lump of clay

Is not a pretty sight –

It must be molded and formed

Until it looks just right.

And each lump turns out different –

No two are the same;

You think you know how it should turn out,

But that is not your game.

And the process might be hard,

But it’s steps you need to take

To complete the masterpiece

That was set out to make.

Each step leaves an imprint

That impacts the end;

The final product is the result

Of every weave and bend.

So, keep in mind,

That each squeeze, twist and turn

Comes from the Master Artist,

With a merit for us to earn.

Though each struggle

Is difficult for us to endure,

Remember – they’re gifted to us with love;

They’re shaping us, for sure.