You may have heard the poem “The Dash” by Linda Ellis, about the dash that comes between two dates in an obituary or biographic sketch. The poem is about the importance of making the most of life.
What would that dash say about us if our lives ended today? It might be filled with a list of educational accolades or an extensive summary of professional and community accomplishments. It might include hours of volunteer service at numerous non-profit or religious organizations. And church attendance ought to count for something. But these are not really the important details about our lives.
What is most important is how we treat people, both our friends and strangers. How are you making a difference in your community? Do you contribute something in your daily life that makes someone else’s life a little better?
That little dash is a simple punctuation mark, but it conveys much more about us than we realize. Let’s make it meaningful and make that dash count for something.
This message was written by Susan Harris, past president of the North Carolina Synodical Women’s Organization and a member of Salem Lutheran Church, Lincolnton, N.C.
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