One of the greatest eulogies I heard preached was by, Bishop Alfred E. Williams, and the title of his sermon was, “What are you going to do with your dash?” He reminded us that in this lifetime, between our birth and our death, we only get one dash. That dash represents our time spent here on earth, so what are we doing with it? The Holy Spirit recently bought that message back to my mind and since then I have been thinking about my life and all the things I have or have not done. It got me wondering, what more can I do in my life to make my dash count for something. Call me Mrs. Dash! I am now doing things to make my dash count for the Kingdom of God.
Remembering that message lit a fire in me and it has served as a reminder that despite my past, I still have a dash that I am working with. It is important to me to seek God and ask Him, what should I be doing with my dash? I am now at a point in my life where I realize just how much of impact my dash can have on not only myself, but others. I am living my dash out loud now and serving others not so I can secure a spot in heaven but it’s my dash and I don’t won’t that to just be a mark on my funeral program but I want it to stand for something. I want my dash to speak of the goodness of our Father.
My dash is giving to others, praying for this world, and showing compassion. My dash represents my love for my children and my family. My dash is giving clothing to the women’s shelter, preparing meals for the homeless, and providing resources to the domestically abused. My dash is getting involved at my children’s school and praying when I walk through the hallways. My dash is supporting the dreams of others all while living out my dreams. My dash is spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ and not being afraid to carry the Word of God to dark places. My dash is being unapologetically in love with God.
The dash that exist from 1973 to the end of my journey is not one of bragging and boasting, but it is one that will represent my legacy and hopefully inspire others to take charge of their dashes. I am Mrs. Dash, and I may not be the type of seasoning you can buy from the grocery store, but I am the salt of the earth, as in Matthew 5:13, “Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage.” (MSG)
I encourage you to make the most out of your dash. Be the salt of the earth so that everyone can experience the goodness of God. Let your dash be more than about your honors, what you have acquired, and the boards on which you served. Our dashes were designed to represent the Kingdom of God here on earth. It’s your dash and you only get one, so season the earth with your dash.
Deborah Woolard is a single mother of three from Raleigh, NC and she currently resides in Charlotte, NC. She is an ordained & licensed minister and she serves as the Youth Director at R5 Church. Her love for writing, especially poetry is one of the many ways God allows her to use her gifts for His glory. Her poetry can be viewed at https://m.facebook.com/gracefullydsignedbydeborah/.