O Lord...our father; we are the
clay, and thou our potter; and
we are all the work of thy hand. 

     A man, wanting to honor his father, hired a sculptor to make a clay bust in his father's likeness. After furnishing the sculptor with photographs depicting his father's features, he excitedly watched the artist as he shaped the clay. But, to the sculptor's dismay, the man was constantly trying to “help” -- adding a bit of clay here and removing a bit there. After a long day in the studio, the result was nothing more than a distorted image.
     Likewise, if we desire our Heavenly Father to conform us into His likeness, we must not try to "help" Him. As clay in the sculptor's hands we must completely surrender ourselves unto the Lord and allow Him to have His way with us Anything less on our part will result in nothing more than a distorted image.