Life Before the Dash -

I was looking at the copyright information in a book I was reading. I'm sure I've noticed before, but this time I looked at it more closely. When the authors name is listed, it states the year of their birth, then a -, then their year of death if they have passed on. This particular author is still here, so behind the dash was empty.

I have noticed this on headstones as well. This is true especially if the headstone is for a married couple. When one spouse dies, their life information is completed - the year is filled in after the dash. The other spouse may have the beginning date, but not the end date while they complete their life.

Sadly, sometimes the year before and after is the same. I have seen a baby's life touch many other lives even if he or she was here for a few days, months, or died the same day of birth. The time here does not make that life any less valuable.

^{Genesis 2:7} (NIV) the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.

In Genesis, I have noticed that during creation, many times it states "God said....". However, for man, God formed and breathed into him. Humans are made in God's image.

^{Genesis 1:27} So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

At funerals, we look back at a person's life and state their accomplishments. Living life is in and of itself an accomplishment! Making it from one day to the next is an accomplishment!

We touch many lives during that time of the dash. Too many times I look forward to the next thing, forgetting to live in the moment. Life before the dash is made up of millions of moments. Knowing that we are made in God's image should help us make it through each moment, good or bad.

Let's make our lives before the dash the best we can so that when the end does come, we have no regrets.

Blessed.....to be a Blessing

Often when we hear the Christmas story, we look in chapter 2 in the book of Luke and hear about the birth of Jesus. However, the story actually starts back in chapter 1 when some extraordinary events happen.

Let's say you're sitting alone some evening. You are scheduled to be married soon to a local carpenter. You've kept the purity ring and are looking forward to your wedding night. All of a sudden, from nowhere, an angel appears! Aside from being freaked out would you be able to stay and listen to what the angel came to say? Mary, the mother of Jesus had an experience with an angel:

Luke 1 (NLT) 28 Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!”

29 Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. 30 “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!”

38 Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her.

Mary is told she has found favor with God. She has been hand picked to carry out an amazing mission. She will become the mother of Jesus, he'll have a kingdom...she'll be the mother of a King! She must have felt very overwhelmed. She was young and now she would be pregnant. What would her soon-to-be husband say? What would other people say?

She did not seem to hesitate as she gives her response, I am the Lord's servant. She sings a song of praise.

The Magnificat: Mary’s Song of Praise
46 Mary responded, “Oh, how my soul praises the Lord.
47 How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!
48 For he took notice of his lowly servant girl,
and from now on all generations will call me blessed.
49 For the Mighty One is holy,
and he has done great things for me.
50 He shows mercy from generation to generation.....


She mentions being blessed. Because she is willing to accept being blessed, she becomes a blessing for generations to come. She is not the only one God has called.

In the Old Testament, when God called Abram to leave his family, God promises to make him a great nation. He did! By being willing to be blessed, he became a blessing.

Genesis 12:2 I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others.

Sometimes, it can be difficult to receive being blessed by someone. Consider this a little reminder that if we let someone bless us, we can become a blessing to someone else. That seemingly little act will ripple outward in a wave of blessings.

Have a blessed life and watch for those little opportunities to either be blessed OR be a blessing to someone else.