White Space

At the beginning of the year I decided to slowly read through the book of Psalms. Yesterday I arrived at Psalm 46. I was struck by how fitting this Psalm was for the day.

It was only hours before that I had stood in the kitchen and stared at the white dry erase board calendar. Every month I wipe it clean and start again. New appointments, new responsibilities, more meetings. I thought about the constant battle to keep some days clear.

The fight for white space.

The board squeaked under my finger as I wiped off everything for next week. Everything. So strange.

It seems this week we all find ourselves in a white space. Although it is what most of us would have loved any other time, the seriousness of our current situation hovers close. We really don’t know what the next week will look like. How long before we get to resume those appointments, responsibilities, and meetings?

When I read Psalm 46 I read an invitation to mediate on how God has everything under control. An invitation to peace. It’s also an invitation to stillness. Actually, to be accurate, it’s a command for stillness.

Every stanza ends with the word “Selah.” You won’t find anywhere what that word means—no one knows for sure. This is a list of scholars’ best guesses:

Pause.

Stop.

Linger

Listen

Reflect.

Hang.

Interlude.

Weigh.

Forever.

Break.

Think.

Amen.

God knows what we’re facing here—better than we do. He’s got it all under control and He’s asking us to trust Him. Better yet, rest in Him. Don’t use your white space to worry. Pause, stop, linger, listen. He’s calling. Selah in your white space.