Rev. Don Campbell

2 Kings 15, 2 Chronicles 26

THOUGHT FOR TODAY, July 8, 2019

“THE DASH”

“And Azariah slept with his fathers, and they buried him with his fathers in the city of David, and Jotham his son reigned in his place” (2 Kings 15:7). The words “slept with his fathers” is used a total of 36 times in the Scriptures, and they are all found in Kings and Chronicles. Whether their reign was good or bad, long or short, they all went the way of all the earth. We are reminded: “It is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment” (Hebrews 9:27).

I’m reminded of the poem “The Dash.”

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 her tombstone
From the beginning to the end.

He noted that first came the date of her birth
And spoke of 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 she spent alive on earth
And now only those who loved her
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?
© 1996 Linda Ellis

CONNECTIONS

1. Some dashes are long, so are short. God has blessed us by not revealing to us the length of our dash. America ranks 43rd in life expectancy with a life expectancy or 76 for men and 81 for women. If you are average, are you “overdrawn”?

2. One characteristic of well-adjusted people is their ability to enjoy the journey, not just the destination. Believers look beyond the grave, to be sure; but are you still enjoying the journey or are you looking back in sadness and forward in fear?