The dash between the dates

“So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.” - Psalm 90:12

On every gravestone, there are two dates—birth and death. And between them, a simple dash. That small line represents an entire life: every joy, struggle, choice, and relationship.

The question isn’t just how long your dash will be. It’s mainly how you will live within it.

There is so much in life competing for our time and attention.

It’s so easy to live on autopilot, just doing what we have to do to survive each day. 

It’s also tempting to get distracted by what the world tells us is important, frittering away our time and resources, chasing the unimportant things that will ultimately fade away.

We forget that each day contains the content of our lives, what we’ll ultimately look back on, who we’ll become, and what we’ll be known for.

Closing the laptop to spend time with your kids. Helping out a friend instead of spending all of our time binge-watching another TV show. Giving generously instead of hoarding more for yourself. 

All of these things become the story of your dash.

Every day is a gift. A blessing that is giving us another opportunity to shape our dash. 

What are you doing with the gift of this day?

What are the things that matter most?

What story are you writing in your dash?