The first time I saw this, I had mixed thoughts. As a child, I would have been excited to have an extra piece of paper for my paper drawer so that I would always have something to write on. As an adult, I thought of the waste of paper and of course, wondered why--a placeholder for the future, perhaps? I am sure there is a good reason.
This made me think (the rabbit trails of my mind) of how often should I leave a page blank? Not physical paper, but words not said. The husband criticizing a wife's wardrobe choice, perhaps should be words not said. The wife instead of praising her husband for putting a dish in the dishwasher, criticizing the wrong placement--should be words not said. When easily falling into the gossip trap, those should be words not said. When an innocent child takes a marker to the wall, our first words should not be hurtful. Road rage never comes from a blank page.
On the other hand, silence can speak volumes. Lack of communication can kill relationships. Perhaps for us, the blank page doesn't have to stay blank, but sometimes we need to stop and think before we use it. A blank page in our speech, also promotes listening. Be still and hear what others are saying.
Help me to remember the page intentionally left blank and help me to leave some blank pages today.
"then listen to me; be silent, and I will teach you wisdom."
Job 33:33
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