Wait A Second Time by Stephen Douglas
W – A – I - T
While others may come and go,
A bit longer for you doesn’t mean ‘No.’
It’s important for you to know,
Timing is the essence of all great achievements.
So, your Master simply asks you to …
Wait A second time
When the potter chooses to glaze a vessel,
Its clay must be of a special kind.
For the kiln is required, and it’s very hot!
When the potter has painted the raw minerals,
It needs to be put into the while-hot kiln.
A second time
For the glass and the fire to fuse as one.
When the chemical storm in the kilnis done,
The potter keeps it sealed to slowly cool
Lest the sudden cold should crack the clay.
When the deep blues and rich crimsons bloom,
The potter opens the door to gather it
A second time
For the transformation is now complete!
When the potter has safely wrapped it,
The servant is called to come
For the Master has asked for this vessel,
The waiting is nearly over
A second time
For the Master now commissions its service.
When the new vessel is serving as designed,
The whole household is blessed,
For the vessels in the Master’s service know:
When the vessel’s gifts are given for service,
The Master will see everything as “very good”
A second time.
The potter — the Father — oversees all happenings
Within His universe and mine!
© stephen c douglas•kiwi.poet•23 Nov 2015/ review 26 Sept 2026 •art AI (ChatGPT)
The Making of a Precious Vessel
There may be experiences in life that sometimes feel like waiting — we wonder — Why the need to wait? Why a second time? Yet what feels like “wasting time” or setbacks we don’t understand, can be to fulfil His purpose in the making of one’s life. So too, in the making of highly glazed pottery, there can be the process of placing the clay vessel in the kiln a ‘second time’ to imbue the colours, and then the patience part of cooling. The poem uses the imagery of a vessel in the hands of the potter. The Master of the house has asked for this precious vessel, for service within His household — You are this precious vessel. The poem follows the vessel through its making, its waiting, its preparation, for the service in the Master’s house — until, at the end, surrounded by the other vessels, there is an echo of the words spoken at creation, when Father says, “Very good.” A Precious Vessel Like a lump of clay the Father wants to transform you into His precious vessel.
Four things to “be”: by Scott Pauley Whole • Clean • Available • Open
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