The Dash Between the Two Dates

I was watching a vlog on YouTube recently, where this father was giving an exhortation based on a sermon he heard at a funeral.

I don’t know if you’ve ever heard such a message, but I had not. I did not hear the sermon at all, but what the man said on the vlog as he gave the gist of it, was so deep, it gave me food for thought.

Think about it. There are two dates in our lives that we have no control over. The day we were born and the day we die. 

But have you ever thought about how good or bad we do in terms of controlling what happens between those two dates? Many of us just go about our daily lives trying to make ends meet, taking care of ourselves and families, right?

But today as we are called to think about the dash between these two dates, I ask the question, what are we doing in the moment? How are we living? 

Are we taking the days for granted? We don’t actually think it’s a given that we wake up, but we act like it. Because sometimes we are so busy with the world that we jump up out of bed and get right into the world of work, busyness, we go about doing our own thing and once WE are satisfied and fulfilled, life is good.

The dash between the two dates - when we were born and when we die.

Many of us here have been alive for close to 50, around 50 and well past 50 years. How are we living? 

Do we have it in the forefront of our minds everyday, that Jesus is coming soon and we don’t have time to waste or act the fool or dabble in sin for some temporary pleasure because we know God will forgive us? Does the fact that Jesus is coming soon guide your every thought, word and action?

How are we living Family? In spite of our busy schedules, do we find time to say a kind word to somebody we meet, hold the door or the elevator open for someone? Do we take the time to message or call someone whom we haven’t spoken to for a while or somebody who as we say our mind just ran on you and I’m calling to let you know I’m thinking of you and God loves you?

Family, every day we open our eyes is a blessing from God. And we must show Him how grateful we are for that first date, when we were born. Because before we know it, that second inevitable date will be upon us. 

So what do we do during the period of the dash?

#1 We must live to praise and worship God in everything that we do and say. 

Psalms 100:1-4 NLT “Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth! Worship the Lord with gladness. Come before him, singing with joy. Acknowledge that the Lord is God! He made us, and we are his. We are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name.”

#2 Talk to God often and always. P R A Y, pray

1 Thessalonians 5:17 says never stop praying. Romans 12:12 encourages us to be faithful in prayer. And when we do, we are reassured that God is near to us - Psalms 145:18, we are reassured that God listens - Jeremiah 29:12, and we are reassured that when we ask, seek and knock, He will give, we will find and doors will be opened for us.

#3 Obedience.

 

We are told in 1 Samuel 15:22 “But Samuel replied, “What is more pleasing to the Lord: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.”

#4 Be kind and generous and hospitable.

We go to 2 Corinthians 9:11 “Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will thank God.”

Remember now, these are activities we should be engaged in, during the dash between our two dates - when we were born and when we die.

Moving on to #5 - Live a life of thanksgiving.

Colossians chapter 3 speaks to us about how to live the new life we have been given in Christ Jesus. In verse 17 it says, “And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.”

#6 Take advantage of every opportunity to testify about the goodness of God.

Psalms 107:1-2 “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. Has the Lord redeemed you? Then speak out! Tell others he has redeemed you from your enemies.”

And #7 What can I do, what can you do to serve others?

Galatians 5:13, still in the New Living Translation of The Bible, “For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.”

These are some of the practices we can be involved with every day, to find and occupy our place in this world until Jesus returns. Making the most of the dash between the two dates, we live to please God and show Him how grateful we are for the gift of life and His Keeping Power.

So we are talking about the dash between the two dates on a tombstone, because that’s where one will see for example 9 November 1955 - 10 June 2024.

This dash represents the entirety of one's life—the span from birth to death. All of our experiences and choices.

The dash is small and can be easily overlooked, but it is very important. Between our two dates, during the dash, every thought, word and action is embodied, during the dash, our legacy is built, and during the dash is where we determine whether we want to live again.

James 4:14 speaks to what we say these days, truly, we’re here this minute and the next we are gone. “How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone.”

Again, the question is asked, how are we living? Are we living according to God’s plan for our lives, or are we just drifting through our days doing as we please? 

I am well aware, because I’m in the same boat, we go through many seasons in our lives. Some days we’re up and some days we’re down. Circumstances of life weigh us down. And we have to fight to stay on top of it all. 

No matter what we are going through though, the dash in our lives presents unique opportunities for us to grow, serve, and make a difference. The dash is a gift and we must make good use of the time we've been given.

Life is indeed fleeting. Time is short. But if you’re here today, we are living in our dash moment and we still have an opportunity to do right by God and man.

Ecclesiastes 9:10 “Whatever you do, do well. For when you go to the grave, there will be no work or planning or knowledge or wisdom.”

Ephesians 5:15-16 “So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days.”

At the end of the day, Family, before we come to the date after the dash, we should be able to say like the Apostle Paul in 2 Timothy 4:7-8 “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing.”

May your dash, my dash, be filled with love, service, and faithfulness. May we all sing and preach about the life Christ wants us to live and live the life we sing and preach about.

It’s a commitment we have to make - to ensure that our dash is meaningful and that when Jesus returns, our dash would have been worth it all when we see Him face to Face.

aub - 10 June 2024

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