There is power in the pause.
A pause can cause people to think. A pause can make people uncomfortable. A pause might give someone courage to actually talk in a group.
A pause is powerful.
Sometimes in life memorable things happen after a pause, after an unexpected silence.
Last week my youngest son and daughter were part of a pirate play at their school. My son is pictured on the left. He is 14 years old. My daughter is 13.
For weeks, they and a few other students (plus a teacher) practiced faithfully preparing for their one night performance. The day before the performance they had performed the play for the school student body and staff during the school day. It was well-received.
The night of the performance began with a pancake and sausage supper for a school organization. And then the play began.
And then the power went out.
It went out all over town.
We were stuck in the dark. But the cast (along with the help of a few people) were resourceful. They did the first two scenes by flash light. And despite the obvious problems they did okay. They rose to the occasion.
Each scene got a few laughs.
The memorable moment came in the second half of the show. The scene was called, "It's Mermaids!"
All the boys of the cast sat at the end of the stage with their feet hanging over like they were sitting on the edge of the ship. The two female cast members stood behind the boys.
And no one said anything.
No one could remember their lines.
None of us in the audience understood why no one was being cued (I've been told someone was trying to cue them but for some reason it didn't work). There was a very big pause if you will.
My son Pete decided to act. He pointed and said, "Hey, look at that sexy mermaid."
And for good or bad, that is the line that everyone remembers -- the one right after the pause, the one that wasn't written in the script.
Are we afraid of pauses in our lives? In our conversations with others?
Are we afraid of silence?
Or can we allow them in and let that silence do its work?
"My soul, wait in silence for God only, For my hope is from Him." Psalm 62:5
"And when He broke the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour." Revelation 8:1