The "Ready" Stance

In preparing my lesson "Preparing for Change" for the Young Women today - I came across this analogy in regard to change. It happens to all of us, it's just a matter of time when and where and how. But change happens. No matter what we do - so our only recourse is to be "Ready". If you have ever played tennis you can probably relate to this better but it really applies to everyone. Being ready both physically, emotionally, and spiritually is our job - by studying the scriptures, attending our meetings with the proper spirit, praying diligently, obeying the commandments, etc. You guys know the drill. You know, Dad was always up for a challenge - in fact, he liked his life the best when he was faced with a challenge of some sort. Some he wouldn't have chosen . . . but he always use to say that he just functioned better when he was "up against the wall". But I think he had so many hidden strengths . . . that he could draw upon when those challenges came around. He was a tennis player in his early years . . . and i can still picture him in the "ready" stance. He and I use to argue over the fact that I really felt that if he loved me at all . . . he would hit the ball to me instead of hitting it where i couldn't get to it in time! I'm a true tennis player don't ya think! It just wasn't that fun chasing the ball - and never being able to return it. It's such a mean game, tennis. Obviously, I was one of Dad's challenges in life!!


An Analogy: If you have ever had tennis instruction and/or play tennis, you will be familiar with something called the "ready stance". You're there with your racquet, facing the net, and you don't know what direction the shot will come from. So you're loose, mobile, knees bent, bouncing a little, just ready to go right, or left, or up, or down. If you knew where the shot would go, you'd already be set up for it. But the ready stance is for when you don't know. You're ready for anything.
I guess the key is knowing a shot is coming. Sometime, from somewhere, and staying loose & low. Not getting locked into one way of doing something, or one vision of how the future will turn out, not being complacent. Because stuff happens, things come, everything changes, and those who can't absorb or cope with change get really battered by life. So get ready to be ready, and trust that the Lord knows your life and what you can handle.

One of my favorite sayings is this: Two people can do anything if one is the Lord and the other one is willing.

Love that.