I so enjoy my devotional! So many times, I would love to share the whole thing but… So, here’s a small excerpt from Christ Alone from The Valley of Vision:
Thou hast helped me to see and know Christ, though obscurely…
…………………………….…to bless him in my heart, mouth, life.
I just love the thought of blessing Christ with my heart, mouth, and life!
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A few weeks ago, a friend shared pictures of some beautiful blooming thistles. I had forgotten about them until this week when I drove by a patch of thistles that were way past their blooming stage! They were beautiful in their own way but were no longer vibrant pink.
Some flowers last for quite a while. Others continue to bloom for quite a while. But most, like the thistle, bloom for a few days…and that is that. Death comes and they are nothing but a dry, empty shell of what they once were in all their glory.
We live much longer, by and large, but we have our glory days and then death comes upon us, as well. And for a vast majority of us, we have no choice in the matter…death just comes.
One of the psalms attributed to David states,
Our days on earth are like grass;
….like wildflowers, we bloom and die.
The wind blows, and we are gone—
….as though we had never been here. Psalm 103:15-16 NLT
What we have to ask ourselves is, what do we do with the time we are given?
I had read about some phrase involving the “dash” between our year of birth and year of death and quickly discovered this poem, The Dash, written by Linda Ellis. As you read it, make sure you factor God and your relationship with Him into it all.
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 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?
Sept 28th, 2022, Wed, 7:40 pm
