What does your dash look like? How would someone else describe your dash? I know that it is hard to think about, but one day we will have a dash with two anchors. Right now we only have one anchor, and eventually we will all have two. We hope that it is far away, but we really have no idea when it is going to come. So we have to be ready. We have to live every day as if it were our last day before we are called home to be with Jesus. We have to make the dash, our legacy, between the two dates something beneficial. Have you ever read Genesis 10?! It’s just a list of names. An entire chapter, one of many, dedicated to lineage. Clearly our legacy matters. The impact we have on others is great. The weight of my dash weighs heavily on me as I daily pour into my children. It’s hard! It’s hard to think about my legacy and eternity when I’m changing diapers, constantly cleaning, cooking, and character building. It’s hard to think about that stuff when the mundane swallows me. I came across this poem back in the fall and it has been rolling around my brain for the past few months reminding me to focus on my dash by pouring into my legacy with an eternal perspective. I wanted to share it with you, and to remind you to think about yout dash every now and then.
The Dash by Linda Ellis
I read of a man who stood to speak
at the funeral of a friend.
He referred to the dates on the tombstone
from the beginning…to the end.
He noted that first came the date of birth
and spoke the following date with tears,
but he said what mattered most of all
was the dash between those years.
For that dash represents all the time
that they spent alive on earth.
And now only those who loved them
know what that little line is worth.
For it matters not, how much we own,
the cars…the house…the cash.
What matters is how we live and love
and how we spend our dash.
So, think about this long and hard.
Are there things you’d like to change?
For you never know how much time is left
that can still be rearranged.
If we could just slow down enough
to consider what’s true and real
and always try to understand
the way other people feel.
And be less quick to anger
and show appreciation more
and love the people in our lives
like we’ve never loved before.
If we treat each other with respect
and more often wear a smile,
remembering that this special dash
might only last a little while.
So, when your eulogy is being read,
with your life’s actions to rehash…
would you be proud of the things they say
about how you spent YOUR dash?
