For the past few years I have chosen a word to frame my year instead of a resolution. Often it has been a one-time, half-hearted commitment to a word. In 2018 I chose “go,” and on January 2 I forgot about it. In 2019 I chose “joy,” and I spent my year filling notebooks with things that brought me joy each day, even when I was feeling less than joyful. In 2020 I chose a word that I had never heard before and barely understood. I didn’t know why, but I felt like “Selah” was going to be my 2020. And as the events of this year started barreling in, I knew it was the perfect fit.
One morning, while reading a Psalm that a friend shared with me, I saw “Selah” for the first time. It seemed odd that I had never seen the word before, but I moved past it. Then I started to see the word over and over again in my life. I was inundated with “Selah”: in a devotion, in an Instagram ad, in a Bible study, in a Kanye West song (that’s when I started to look around and feel like something weird was happening). So I looked it up, just like I always tell my students to do.
I am by no means a Biblical scholar, and when I dive into Hebrew words I am immediately reminded of that. Selah was different. It had multiple meanings and translations listed. I was still unclear on the meaning, so I dug deeper. Similar to the word “Hallelujah,” Selah is a transliteration, a phonetic spelling of a Hebrew word. Some of the many possible meanings of the word are intermission, pause, and interlude. It is most commonly found in the Psalms, so thinking of it as an actual musical interlude makes a lot of sense. For me, it meant a time to reflect, to absorb what I have learned and heard, to hear what God is telling me, to pause.
A few months into 2020 an opportunity for Selah and a need for Selah became abundantly clear. I was forced to pause and be still, giving me time to learn, read, and reflect on how I can be a better follower of Christ and a better teacher for my students. It’s a privilege to be able to pause and reflect, which isn’t the case for a lot of people’s professions and lives during 2020. But it seems fitting, that when the world slowed down and there was a need for growth and change, I was prepared to reflect and absorb in a way I haven't before. When the world became full of unknowns and a need for growth, I was a bit more open and ready to receive. I am constantly in awe of a God who paves the way for moments like this to happen and who opens hearts to go, find joy, and reflect on his promises.
“You are my hiding place; you shall preserve me from trouble; you shall surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah.” Psalm 32:7
Betsy Ladwig,
English Teacher