Selah--Pronounced SEE-lah, this is a Hebrew name that means to praise or to pause and reflect upon what has been said.

I became intrigued by the title first. Angle of Repose, by Wallace Stegner. I didn't realize the concept is a geological term for the slope at which rocks cease to roll. The definition further fascinated me as I wondered how the author would use the phrase in the book. I've not gotten to that revelation yet. The book is long, 569 pages, and often authors don't provide the reader the meaning of the title until the very end. Keeps me reading. I couldn't quit asking myself, though, what the book title might hold for me.

The word "selah" came to mind--the word one frequently finds in the Psalms--an opportunity to reflect upon what one has read. To stop and soak in the text. Then a memory came to mind. My late father was an engineer for an airline company. He loved to fly on airplanes, and when we would fly together, he would always give me the window seat. I would lift the shade on the window, and my father would lean over my shoulder and point out different landmarks, his deep voice full of enthusiasm and wonder. To this day when I fly, I prefer the window seat, tucked up against the side of the airplane, my forehead pressed against the oval window, lost in thought and contemplation, people surrounding me, but no expectation to engage with them. There is something mesmerizing about viewing all that territory--rectangles of tan, green and pink parcels of land, geometric delight; neon-blue swimming pools dotting the landscape; the sun glinting on the silver wing of the airplane, then angling down to reveal the ocean, white foam silently encroaching upon a crystalline beach. I suppose in some way, that moment of seeing the big picture from above is like an angle of repose, a selah moment.

I continue to pause and think about this phrase as it regards my individual spirituality. Gretel Ehrlich says in her book, Unsolaced, Along The Way To All That Is, that territory is presence. This thought seems to correspond with my contemplation. God provides us the opportunity to ascend in our spirits where we have the long view, where we can stop and reflect upon the land He's given us. Perhaps God's presence is akin to my father at my shoulder pointing out and reminding us of all we have in Him--mercy, favor, wisdom, tenderness, protection and divine guidance. I believe He invites me, (and everyone) to pause and contemplate the territory He's provided. To stop and observe what we own, who we are in HIm, then act on gestures of possession, unafraid. Confident in His generosity, His enthusiasm for us, His beloved.

You broke open the way to bring me to freedom, into a beautiful, broad place. O, Lord help me again! Keep showing me such mercy!~Psalm 31: 8-9 (The Passion Translation)