Guest Devotions shared by Ryan, our Chief Administrative Officer.

This past weekend my family visited the gravesite of my Mother-in-Law, and we reflected on the dates on her tombstone. Her birthdate and the date of her death. We focused in on the dash between those dates and were reminded of how that dash represents her life and the amazing legacy of faith she passed on to the three generations present at her grave that beautiful Thanksgiving weekend. Today we reflect on the impact our dash can have on others and we can be encouraged to impact others as shared in The Dash Poem by Linda Ellis:

I read of a man who stood to speak at the funeral of a friend.

He referred to the dates on her tombstone from the beginning to the end.

He noted that first came the date of her birth and spoke the following date with tears,

But he said what mattered the most of all was the dash between those years.

For that dash represents all the time that she spent alive on earth.

And now only those who loved her know what that little line is worth.

For it matters not how much we own; the cars, the house, the cash,

What matters is how we live and love and how we spend our dash.

Another “Time in Between” can be seen as we look at scripture – the example of how we live between the time when Jesus came to earth and will later come again:

John 1:1-5 John is sharing that Jesus was there at the beginning, was part of creation, and is described as the Word.

John 1:14 John shares how the word became flesh and dwells among us, describing Jesus as a human who came to make himself knowable. He came to save us.

Revelation 22:12-13 John shares that our hope is not only in that he came and saved us, but that he is coming soon to judge the world, redeem those who believe in him and establish his everlasting perfect kingdom.

Revelation 22:20 Jesus is coming soon. Amen, Come Lord Jesus.

For those who believe in Jesus, our hope is in this future.

From a Christianity Today Advent Devotional: “Whatever we face, we know he is coming back. One of these days, the sky is going to crack, the angel is going to blow his horn, and all the world will see it together. All of creation will respond as our Lord steps down from the balcony of heaven to say, Now is the time I’ve come to redeem my church. Amen, Come, Lord Jesus.”

Photo by Forrest Smith on Unsplash