How do you live?

A very interesting message was delivered as we celebrated the youth anniversary in church today. The speaker spoke, reminded and made us reflect on how we are living our very short time on earth. Are we using it to do meaningful things that will help us to leave a legacy or are we living a wasted life? What is important to us? Have we invested enough time, energy and effort on people around us or are so self-absorbed that we couldn't care less? I think what is important here is we ask ourselves, what is God's purpose in our life? Surely, he couldn't have put you on earth to become a good for nothing. Neither would he make us drifters. In the bible, God says he makes man in his likeness. And if God is great, we have to be great too. But how we get there is very much our responsibility. I always believe that ultimately, we are responsible for our lives, for what we are to become, with God there to help us and guide us.

The speaker also shared a very meaningful poem with the congregation, for which I am going to share here. I am sure it resonates with those participating actively in the rat race. Sometimes, we just have to slow down, smell the roses a little and evaluate our life.

The Dash

A poem by Linda Ellis

I read of a man who stood to speak, at the

funeral of a friend.

He referred to the dates of the tombstone

from beginning...to the end.

He noted that first came his date of birth

and spoke the following with tears. But he

said what mattered most of all, was the

dash in between those years.

For the dash represents, all the time he

spent alive on earth.

And how only those who loved him know

what that little line is worth.

For it matters not, how much time we own; the

cars, the house, the cash, what matters

most 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 things can still be rearranged. If we could just

slow down enough, to consider what is 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 and how you 

spent your dash?