I am going to be brutally honest, I had to look this one up. As I read more and more about it, it seemed familiar to me, but in a long-forgotten, past memory. Like a long-lost friend. Then, I remembered where I had seen the word.

One of my favorite books, The Red Tent, by Anita Diamant, ends with that word. “Selah.”

The last page of the novel is as beautiful as the story. The way Diamant describes the setting, how she grabs the reader and brings you into the life of Dinah, the daughter of Jacob, is fascinating. The story is told in Dinah’s voice as she winds through her life revealing the strength, wisdom, and love found in the women of the Red Tent. It’s an incredible story.

I read this book in the early 2000s, and I distinctly recall the way the story drew me in. I didn’t want it to end. I hung on every word as the pictures of biblical times were painted on each page.

What does the end mean? Selah.

The word Selah is a Hebrew word that occurs 71 times in the book of Psalms and 3 times in Habakkuk. The 71 appearances in Psalms happen within 39 of the Psalms, as the word Selah is often repeated within the same Psalm.  Based on the context, it is generally believed that Selah was a musical term of some sort, and was there to provide musical direction. 

Other researchers and historians believe that Selah is likely to mean “to praise” or “pause and reflect upon what has just been said.”  Selah.

Regardless, the word Selah itself causes us to pause and consider what God may be saying even when we don’t fully understand. Selah gives us an opportunity to take a moment away from this crazy, busy, non-stop life we all tend to live and consider the immense mysteries and wonders of God.

With that I started to reflect on photos on my computer hard drive, on my Instagram account, on my Facebook page, and I wrestled with what Selah would look like.

Then it dawned on me. It’s not what Selah looks like…it’s a feeling of reflection, of consideration, of contemplation. I see it as peacefulness, calmness, and placidness. The photos I started to scroll through were the same ones I reflected on a few weeks ago – places I find refuge.

Selah to me is where I find the quiet to talk with God. It’s the when I find time to listen to God. Selah is the how I talk to God and how God talks to me. It can also be the why I talk to God or listen for God. It all comes back to listening with your heart.

So, please take the time to pause, to breathe, and to listen.

Selah.