selah

The word "selah" is found over 70 times in the Old Testament. But most dictionaries will tell you that selah is "a word of uncertain meaning". The Amplified Bible, however, translates selah as "pause, and calmly think of that".

Most of my days go by in a blur of deadlines and to-do lists. How much better would life be if I took time to pause, and calmly focus on the task at hand?

Words can trigger my emotions quickly. How much better would life be if I took time to pause, and calmly think of what was said, why it stirred me up, and how I could best respond?

Life is a series of moments, most of which get missed or rushed. How much better would life be if I paused, prayed, thanked, and savored them?

Not having a word of the year has left me feeling unsettled. But what if that is part of the lesson? To remind me to pause, be calm, to think and reflect and pray. To not try and rush life, but to slow down, be calm. To simply be.

Selah (pause, and calmly think of that).