in the waiting

                                           be ready and wait

                                              the paradox
                                           the contradiction
                                      for does not being ready
                                   imply the waiting to be over?

                                     and how can one be ready
                               when that for which one is to be
                          ready is in actuality unknown?

                                and how can one wait without
                                    knowledge of that for which
                                          one is waiting?

                                     in the realm of humanness
                                     in the strength of self
                                     difficult at best
                               for human hearts love to know
                                                         love to plan
                                              love to control
                                              love to understand
                                    yet nowhere in
                                  be ready and wait
                              can this heart so human
                          find knowing
                                planning
                                controlling
                                understanding

                            oh so hard to open fists clenched
                                 to bend low
                                      with hands empty
                                            with arms raised
                                                  in surrender sweet
                                               to a plan
                                               to a purpose
                                      to His plan
                                      to His purpose
                                 yet is this not where true faith
                              is born and grown and matured?
                          and in all reality
                      that very place of
                  be ready and wait
              is a place of beauty indescribable
                for when one truly sits in that place
                   one is sitting in the presence of the One
                     who created and orchestrated that
                        plan and purpose so perfect         

                            He pours Himself into the one
                               willing to be ready and wait
                                  He refines
                                  He renews
                                  He refreshes
                                      in the waiting

                         the LORD gave another message to
                       Jeremiah...He said "go down to the
                     potter's shop and I will speak to you
                   there" so I did as He told me and
                 found the potter working at his wheel
               but the jar he was making did not 
                 turn out as he had hoped so he 
                   crushed it into a lump of clay and
                     started over...then the LORD gave me
                       this message..."O Israel can I not do
                         to you as this potter has done to his
                           clay? as the clay is in the potter's
                             hand so are you in My hand"
                                       Jeremiah 18:1-6