What Comes from Being Silent....

So my Pastor does this thing
where he'll ask you a question
and then after you answer
he'll sit there
silent
either soaking it all in
or waiting for you to say more
(I'm never quiet sure).

It drives me crazy...

And yet
Tonight
I found myself
doing the 
same 
exact 
thing.

You see, tonight
I met with my friend Laura
for coffee and God talk...
something we normally do
but haven't had a chance to do
for the past several weeks...
And as we were catching up
I asked her about church...
where she's been going
or even if she's been going.


Honestly I didn't say a lot.
Just asked a few questions like...
Why do you think that is?...
How come?...
and
What do you mean by that?

And then I listened...
even after she gave her
initial answer...
I just sat there...
soaking it in
and 
waiting to see
if she had more to say.

And what I discovered is that
It's pretty amazing what conclusions
people can come to for themselves
When you just let them think out loud
to you, but ultimately 
to themselves.

And so even though it will 
probably still bother me
the next time 
I'm asked a question
and am confronted 
by silence after
I give my answer...
In a way
I'll have to admit
I get it
and I'm thankful for it.