What is a Pause?
Pause. A simple word comprised of 5 letters. On the surface, “pause” implies a soft stop, a short break, but this word is anything but simple.
What comes to mind when you hear the word “pause”? Is it a word you welcome, a concept you embrace? Or is it a concept you flee? Whatever “pause” means to you, have you ever thought of it as a gift?
Pause, Panic, and Fear of Failure
There were times when I was in full-time ministry that the very word “pause” invoked sheer panic and the perceived loss of control. I was on auto-pilot, running a rat race I wasn’t even aware of. How on earth can I get done what I need to do before tomorrow? Or before worship on Sunday? How can I stop and take a pause when “there’s not enough time in a day…”
The practice of “pause” was foreign to my life. I was spinning out of control with unrealistic expectations and tasks that seemed to never end, and I did not even know it! I remember complaining to my dad that there was not enough time in a day to get it all done, so how could I take a pause, a rest? He replied with these words of wisdom: “One of the greatest gifts we have been given is that there are only 24 hours in a day.”
Without knowing it, I had lived into the myth that my self-worth was equated with what I did. I was deceived to think that I could get done whatever was on my “to-do” list “if only I had more time!” Perhaps you can relate.
Benefits of Pause for Productivity
There are all kinds of research and data out there that proves one’s work productivity decreases when breaks to catch our breath are not a part of our routines. Cedar Barstow, MEd, CHT, reminds us that taking a pause “activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which helps us become calm” as brief pauses “throughout the day reduces tension… (and) “we can then work harder while being happier and more relaxed.” Why else would breaks and vacations be required by employers in workplaces?
I certainly benefit from time off periodically and pause my rat race. But all too often, it is short lived as I gear back up within hours of returning and my commitment to taking “pauses” get pushed aside for other perceived priorities. Truth be told, I go “full steam ahead” and forget how much I need to take pauses and make them a part of my daily routine.
The Power of Pause: Embracing My Humanity
Have you considered that a “pause” is a gift, a gift that keeps on giving? I am growing in appreciation of this powerful gift as I journey this season of retirement and reflection.
It is a gift of perspective, for now when I hear the word “pause,” I am grateful for it reminds of the Psalmist’s words in Psalm 46:10 (NIV) “He says,’Be still, and know that I am God;’”
A pause is a gift that tells me to stop and remember that I am a human being, not a human do-er. Taking on the discipline of intentional pauses “is all about surrendering” The Power of the Pause: Why You Should Just Be. It reminds me that I am human. That I have limitations and that is good. That I am measured in God’s eyes not by what I do, but who I am and whose I am. What a gift! I am not a failure; I am human and God is God The Power of Taking A Pause: Why Slowing Down Is Far from Failure. Praise be to God! For a pause re-calibrates me to the great truth and power that God’s got this. That I do not have to have all the answers. That I do not need all the answers. That I do not need to do it all. That I can and am given the privilege of being fully human and fully dependent on God. It’s not up to me, but it is up to me to take the pause and remember. A “pause” aligns me to my identity and full dependence on God. What a relief. What a comfort.
The gift of pause gives me freedom to be who God has fully created me to be: Human! What greater gift can I give myself? And what a beautiful gift I am privileged to extend to another.
Rebecca L Smith 2/1/24
Sierra Vista, AZ
Retired clergy
