Pauses

 A pause according to the Oxford Dictionary, means to interrupt action or speech briefly. An expected pause can be great. It gives us a chance to catch our breath and recalculate. It is that button on the DVR so we can take a bathroom break. God paused (rested) after 6 days of creation to just take it all in. It is what gives us our model of resting during the week. Pauses can help us focus on the next step. Unexpected pauses can seem terrible. For many years I helped my father-in-law work on cars in his garage. When you are expecting something to happen, a pause can cause great anxiety. It could be a starter that hesitates, a device that isn’t starting up, or a machine that stops for a second or two, that click of the solenoid and then nothing.  In the middle of a job, it can be downright scary.

Easter was last week. It is often called The Great Pause. It was a screeching halt to what the disciples thought was to be the Kingdom of God on Earth. Imagine the looks of fear and confusion, the sadness and despair. Now to be honest, they hadn’t been listening properly, but still, the silence must have been deafening. Even though the disciples wouldn’t have chosen it this way, I think it was necessary to give them time to process what Jesus really said. They had time to search the scriptures, to review His words in their minds. Soon they would be fully convinced and literally turn the world upside-down.

Be thankful for pauses. They give us time to reflect and enjoy life. Expected or unexpected, they are part of life’s rhythm. Just like in music, pauses can magnify the notes or events that follow. Without them, it would be a solid droning sound.

“The pause is as important as the note” — Truman Fische

 

"The Breath Between: A Poem on the Power of Pause"

I pause, I breathe, I come to rest,

A moment to reflect on what is best,

To gather my thoughts, to find my way,

Before I venture forth into the fray.

I signal the end, the finality,

Of a thought, a sentence, a reality,

I give it weight, I make it clear,

That this is it, the end is here.

I bring closure to the words we speak,

I give them shape, I make them complete,

I am the punctuation mark of pause,

The moment of silence, the gentle applause.

I'm a moment of calm, a moment of peace,

A chance to reflect, to ponder, to seize,

I help you to breathe, to take a break,

To find your center, to be awake.

So embrace me, use me, let me be,

The punctuation mark of your destiny,

For I am more than just a simple dot,

I am the full stop, the final thought.

 Camvickbee  

https://poetizer.com/poem/1991879238