PRAISE & PRAYER PROMPT ••• There’s a poem that talks about the dash on a tombstone… the dash that goes between the date of birth and the date of death. Written by Linda Ellis, “The Dash” ends with the thought-provoking question, “Would you be proud of the things they say about how you spent your dash?”
It’s a question I have considered many times in the last several years, as I get older, and specifically on the three occasions for which I wrote obituaries. But as I grow in my faith, I think Ms. Ellis’ question may need to be rephrased.
Because at the end of our lives, what “they” say doesn’t matter. It matters what He says.
In Psalm 90:12, Moses wrote, “Teach us to number our days carefully so that we may develop wisdom in our hearts” (CSB). We are given this one life and in the dash between start and finish, we have the opportunity to make a difference for Jesus. We have the privilege of surrendering our wills to God’s will and letting Him use us. In the epitome of the ultimate casting call, He wrote a part for each of us. But it’s up to us to accept the role He wrote for us. At some point, the stage lights go out and we don’t get another chance to say, “I changed my mind! I accept the role!”
With that in mind, we have to be ever-mindful of how precarious and precious life is… it’s not something we like to dwell on, but when we heed the words of Moses, being mindful of our limited days, we can let God teach us. And that dash, when filled with moments of godly wisdom, will give Him reason to nod and smile when the rephrased question is presented, “Would God be proud of how you spent your dash?”
Today, as you pray, thank God for the role He wrote just for you. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you embrace godly wisdom and to seek His will and council. Ask Him to fill your dash with moments that will be pleasing to God. And on a personal note, I ask you to pray for my husband, whose father died this morning. Please remember Wayne, his sister, and the family in your prayers.
