Selah

Pronounced a couple different ways (seelah, saylah), the word Selah, as indicated by Wikipedia, means several things. From "rock" or "like a rock" to "stop and listen" and "pause, think of that". It may also indicate a break in a song whose purpose is similar to that of Amen (Hebrew: "so be it"). The word 'Selah' also occurs 74 times in the Bible. The Bible is believed by many Christians to be the Word of God.

For me, Selah has become a meaningful practice in my life as I've applied the meaning of to stop, pause, and reflect much more than the other meanings given by Wikipedia. Often I will find a quiet place to reflect deeply about things and events in my life that have had an impact on who I am as a person and a woman. Some of the things I stop to think about and reflect on have been both positive and negative in nature. The negative reflective points have been a source of lessons learned along with wisdom in how to better navigate my way through negative or difficult times that I know will come.

Some of the things I've reflected on have been: my role as a sister, mother, and daughter; my conduct and character as a Christian; difficult times I've been through and challenges I've had to overcome (ie. the loss of my grandfather, the lack of a relationship with my son, opposition to my faith, a longing to know my purpose, and many more).

It's at times of reflection that I have gleaned insight, refreshment and peace. I know that even though I am a Christian and have chosen to follow Jesus, I am not perfect and need a lot of guidance and grace. I make mistakes all the time and that's why I need help. For me, my personal relationship with Jesus has been my greatest source of help. If it wasn't for finding Jesus, I know I wouldn't be here.

At the end of the day, I know it's by reflecting that I can come into an appreciation of where I've been and where I am going. That the mistakes I made in the past have no hold on me now and do not determine or define my future. I'm definitely not the same person today as I was years ago and that is a good thing. I don't believe we're meant to be complacent in thought or action but to go through the tough stuff, brush ourselves off and keep moving forward.

What do you reflect on? What do you discover about yourself in times of reflection? I'd really like to hear from you and have a conversation about this topic! I also welcome constructive feedback about my blog and ways I can improve it.