What About Your Dash!
July 29, 2017
Dale & Jeannie Daly
The book of Deuteronomy records the covenant between God and Israel. It calls each new generation of Israel to remember who God is and what He did for them. Moses urged the Israelites to remain faithful and obedient and called them to dedicate their lives to the task God had given them. Then Moses led the people in worship before appointing his successor, Joshua, and went off to a mountain by himself to view the Promised Land from a distance before he died.
Deut. 2:1 reads, “This book records the words Moses spoke to all the people of Israel while they were in the wilderness...” Verse 2, “It is eleven day’s journey from Horeb by way of Mount Sier to Kadesh Barnea,” and yet they still had not arrived until forty years later.
A number of years ago, while serving as Chaplain for the Goodguys Rod & Custom organization, just short of twenty-five years, I was also privileged to write a monthly article for their magazine that I titled, “The Good News!” As I considered the title of this week’s CRA Moment, my mind went back to those early years when I wrote an article I called, “What About Your Dash?” As for me, I was born in 1940…and as of the eighteenth of next month…my driver’s license shows me being seventy-seven years of age. I’m thankful to the Lord that my life continues to move forward, not only in age, but also in ministry to the motorsport world and beyond, and for that I am truly grateful to the Lord…He is Good! To make my point, the headstone of the grave awaiting my arrival (should Jesus not return before) reads like this: Born, 1940 – Died (& the date is presently blank). The real question to be asked is not so much as what is or was the year of death, but rather, what was accomplished where the dash is represented? Was there anything during that ‘dash’ that left a lasting impact on another person’s life? Was there someone whose life was changed from a life shattered by drugs or alcohol? Was there a young person, boy or girl, who felt abandoned, or perhaps even thrown away as little more than a worthless piece of trash that received help? Was there a forty, fifty, or even sixty-year old who had never felt anyone cared for them their entire life; and were they brought to a place of understanding the truth of Jeremiah 29:11, that God had and has a good plan and purpose for their life? He’s never gone back on His word to do them good and never do them harm if they will just turn to Him and let Him have the control of their life? I can only hope and pray that in all cases there was help.
Jewish tradition teaches that after a person passes away, he will look back on his life and see both how he lived and how he could have lived. A person will behold the choices made and the choices they could have made. They say that the righteous will look back on their lives and see that what they thought was a small hill to climb was actually a huge, gigantic mountain, and will see that what they accomplished in life was monumental. The wicked, however, will have the opposite experience. They will see that what they thought was a massive mountain was actually a small hill, and that they easily could have reached their goal if not for a bad habit or attitude that held them back.
This week a friend and partner in the work of the Lord, Dr. Gary Wood, went to be with Jesus. Gary was born on March 1, 1949, and after completing the ‘dash’ in his life, went to be with the Lord on July 26, 2017. The interesting part of Gary’s life is that Gary had been in heaven before! Back in 1966 Gary was in a horrible accident and went to heaven for approximately 20 minutes. His sister prayed for him and he was literally raised from the dead. In his interview files and TV interviews Gary talked about meeting his best friend at the gates of Heaven who had died years earlier, as well as all the glories of Heaven. Author of his book, “A Place Called Heaven,” today Gary is retracing his steps from his 1966 trip to that glorious, eternal place. What about Gary’s dash? Here’s just a sampling of responses that came shortly after his departure. “Gary’s mansion is completed & he has moved in.” “What an exceptional ambassador for Jesus!” Gary Wood was a man of love and understanding.” “A mighty man of God has gone to his reward!”
As for me, I can learn a lot from Gary Wood when it comes to considering my own personal dash that lies between my date of birth and the date of my departure to an eternal world beyond the little I presently know. Consider this with me! The whole 40-year journey for Moses and the children of Israel could have taken 11 days! But the people had a bad attitude and saw the entry in as impossible, the goal unattainable, and they got stuck in their limitation, and so their growth and potential were limited as well.
Like Gary, you and I should be fascinated with thoughts of the wonders & splendors of heaven. You don’t want to miss going to heaven when you die! And since you’re still breathing, that means you have the opportunity to make sure you’re right with God today. How about it? What about your dash?
Blessings,
Psalm 20:7
Dale & Jeannie
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