LIVE IN YOUR DASH!

Over the past week, I have become more & more aware of the reality of our mortality or as my Grandma used to say, “we all gotta go ‘way from here someday”. My neighbor died instantly of a heart attack (he was in his 40s), someone I know lost their son, a high school classmate lost her husband on their 1 year wedding anniversary (he was only 31 years old), and one of my nearest and dearest friend’s husband was severely injured in a motor cycle accident but by the grace of God, did not lose his life – all in one week. So forgive me if this “thought for the week” seems a bit morbid but this is what I’m lead to write…

Itisha Morgan (April 22, 1979- ) -- God gave me this beautiful life on April 22nd, 1979 and someday He will in fact call me home. Thankfully, at this present moment I’m living in my “dash” and there is not yet a date to follow it. Many of us think that death comes for the old or the sick but the fact of the matter is that we never know who, how or when. As it is easier said than done to accept, we know that God makes no mistakes.

But my question is… while we are still in the land of the living, what are we doing in our dash? While we are still breathing and able… what are we doing in our dash? Are we taking advantage of the opportunities that God has presented to us? Are we giving back to our community? Are we showing and telling our loved ones how much we love them? Are we investing in our children? Are we honoring God in our every day living? Do we in fact have a relationship with God? How can we make the most of our life/time in the dash?

I say all of that to say that tomorrow is not promised to any of us. We can’t wait to mend that broken relationship/friendship tomorrow because we may not in fact have that opportunity. We can’t wait until a later date to make positive changes in our lives because that date may not come. We can’t wait to enjoy the ones we love and tell them we love them because they may not get to hear it or we may not get to say it. We can’t wait to give back because the person who needs our helping hand or with whom we need to share our testimony may not be there to receive it or we may not be there to share it. There is no time like the present to do God’s work… we must live on purpose. There are so many of us, who were not fortunate to see this date and their dash has been completed with July 18, 2010. But if you are reading this, you are in fact still living in your dash. So again, what are you doing in your dash? When the appointed hour arrives for God to call you home, will you die or will you transition? When that dash is complete, will it be said, as in Matthew 25:23 “Well done, thy good and faithful servant”? Are you able to say, "May the work I've done, speak for me"?

Let not a day, an hour, a minute or a second go by without appreciating the very gift of life. Let us not take for granted the fact we are not guaranteed tomorrow. Please take this opportunity of life to truly LIVE IN YOUR DASH -