Audience of None

It’s 7:30 in the morning, and I am sitting alone in a library.

For somebody who loves to read, this shouldn’t concern me. But I’m not here to read. I’m here to chaperone a student-led Bible Study. I’m here to help guide student leaders as they engage in the lifelong practice of studying Scripture in community.

Except there isn’t a community. I’m alone with an audience of none. No students showed up today.

Leadership failure? Lack of communication? Loss of student interest?

All these thoughts and more rolled through my head as I sat there alone waiting for students to show up. The minutes rolled by and still I sat. Alone.

What do you do when your plans fail? How do you respond when something doesn’t go the way it was supposed to go?

It’s easy to wallow in doubt and pity. It’s easy to be frustrated and to put the blame on others. It’s easy to think changes need to be made. That leaders need to be mentored. That followers need to be motivated. That communication method needs to be modified.

When you sit alone in a moment of perceived failure, it’s easy to see the negatives. It’s a lot harder to see the positives.

As I sat with my mind wandering down all the negative paths, a sudden simple thought popped into my head.

“Chris…you don’t get many unplanned moments to sit & be still.”

I thought back to my pastor’s message from just a few days before when he reminded us that the Psalmist wrote “Be still and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10)

So as I sat there in an unplanned moment of silence & solitude I took time to pray. For the students. For their teachers & administrators. For their parents. For myself. For my church. For my community.

I said “Amen” and began putting all of the chairs away…and then a lone student walked in to inquire if we were still having Bible Study. Suddenly an audience of none transformed into a sacred space for one.

Never underestimate what could happen in your moment of “failure.”