Psalm 90:12-14
“So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Return, O Lord! How long? And have compassion on Your servants. Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days!”
A recent walk through the cemetery caused me to suddenly pause and reflect.
Under each name inscribed on the tomb stones are two dates separated by a dash. Some dashes span decades while others only mark a few short years.
I asked myself: “What am I doing with my dash?” What am I accomplishing with the years that will eventually makeup my dash? Am I doing all that I can for the Lord with my life?
The New Testament book of James tells us in the 4th chapter, verse 14: “……..Whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.”
Wow! That will put your life in perspective quickly, won’t it?
We are only here on earth for a short time. How can we make that time most effective? Haw can we make our “dash” productive and memorable?
For starters, we should be living a life free of selfish sin and filled with servant-hood to God and our fellow man. We were created to praise and worship Him. Not just on Sunday but every day of the week!
That was the main reason for our being! We were never meant to remain here on earth forever. After our work on earth is completed we are summoned home to glory to live throughout all eternity with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Any other purpose we consider important is just pointless.
Secondly, Jesus told us to “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.”
He never said to warm a pew each week after you gave your life to Christ. He never said to stay in our homes and do not communicate or socialize with anyone.
No! We are to work for His kingdom. That can be accomplished quite easily.
- Bring a friend to church each week with you.
- Be a brother or sister to someone who is going through a struggle in life.
- Mentor a new Christian. This may involve teaching a class in church.
- Visit those who are sick. Help them to get back to normal when they are released from the hospital.
- Help someone to reach the next level on their life walk by encouraging them.
- Use some of the bounty that God gives us to bless others.
These are all such simple gestures that only require a little time and in some cases, a few dollars.
This is what will prompt God to say to us when we get to the end of our dash, “Well done thou good and faithful servant.”
Think about your dash today. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you fill your “dash” with ways to make that span fruitful and blessed.
Joann Pasko
I really like Pastor Ron’s Dash Story. Reading it and putting it into todays life is a caring and loving person which we should also strive to be. But when we have such a Pandemic around us we need to do only what shows or tells us to do. I have a grandson who has come to live with me about a week now. He has gotten into so much in the last year and a half. Drugs being the main problem. A long story why he and his sister are with me but they are. I was hesitant about him because of the drugs. I Iove him and his dad my son passed 2 years ago but wasn’t sure about if i wsnted to deal with this
I prayed for an answet and he said he was going to get an apartment. I eas relieved. Only he came here so i believe GOD sent him to me. I pray each day that i can bring this child back to normal and get rid of the drug problem. So far we are fine. He is a good young man. I believe GOD has a healing for him but he is still grieving his dad and the home he had. His mother has gotten engaged to another man and is living with him. I feel he thinks he is alone. She is now selling the home they lived in so they are with me. I see the hurt in both of them but he is truly lost. I pray it goes well and please prey for GOD’S healing for the 3 of us but especially for him. Give me the wisdom and love to get through this time. He is 19 years old. Thank you and GOD bless all.