The Dash - 28 Jan 2008

The length of our days is seventy years – or eighty if we have the strength;
Yet their span is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away. Psalm 90:10


Today I’m going to share a poem that I came across recently:

The Dash
I heard of a man who stood to speak at the funeral of a friend –
He referred to the dates on her tombstone from the beginning to the end.
He noted first her date of birth, and he spoke that date with tears,
But said what mattered most of all was the dash between the years.

For that dash represented all the time that she had been on earth
And now only those who knew her, know what that dash is worth.
For it matters not how much we own – the cars, the house, the cash -
The only thing that matters, is how we live our dash.

So think about this long and hard: are there things you’d like to change?
For you never know what time is left that can be re-arranged.
If we could just slow down enough to consider what’s true and real
And always try to understand how other people feel.

If we treat each other with respect, and more often rear a smile,
Remembering that the special dash may only last a while.
So when your eulogy’s being read, with your life’s actions to rehash,
Will you be proud of what they say about how you lived your dash?


I don’t particularly do “morbid”, but I share this poem so that we may re-examine our lives. Is 2008 to be a dash, a blur, where we’re stuck on a treadmill? Or is it going to be a period of time when our walk with God and service for Him take on a new dimension?

January is not my favourite month of the year; it’s wet, dark and cold.
Yet it’s so necessary as a time for reflection on the past and planning for the future.
Through this week I’m going to share some thoughts to help us in this.