It’s guest post Monday!!! This post is from Bernard Haynes is a blogger who blogs at Lead to Impact. Make sure to check out his blog and connect with him on Twitter and Facebook. If you would like to be featured on the Guest Post Monday please click here.
“Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.” James 4:14
Are you living the life God designed you to live? I’ve been doing a lot of reflection on my current life and what I want my legacy to be. I’ve been allowing myself to envision a better present and an even greater future without constraint. I know who God purposed me to be and what He has called me to do.
At the beginning of this year I asked myself, “What can I do to position myself to live the life God designed for me?”
A time of reflection
Recently, I have been reflecting on how quickly time passes. I couldn’t help but to think about the life of my father. A little over five years ago, I suddenly lost my father. I was reflecting on some of the good times we shared together as father and son. That moment of reflection brought tears to my eyes because I truly miss my father and it also reminded me how precious each moment of life is.
As I was thinking about the life of my father, I couldn’t help but smile. He impacted so many lives with his uncanny ability to never meet a stranger. It did not matter the color of your skin, how much money you had or didn’t have or what side of the tracks you came from, he would converse with anyone.
To this day, I have people tell me what a positive effect my father had on their lives. He lived life to the fullest. Even in times of struggle and challenges that had to frustrate and discourage him, I never saw him quit. He lived his life between the dates.
What is the dash?
The dash is the mark on a gravestone that separates a person’s beginning date from their ending date. The dash is small in size and looks somewhat insignificant, but in actuality it represents great significance because it indicates the life that was lived.
When I think about my father, I am proud to say that he lived between the dates. He did not have everything he wanted nor did he accomplish everything he desired, but he approached life with a vibrant attitude. He left a legacy of living life the best you can with the resources you have.
The choice is yours
Our life is bigger than what we do today, tomorrow or even twenty-five years from now. I don’t know about you, but I want my dash between the dates to represent a powerful legacy. I am talking about a powerful legacy that will leave an inheritance to my children’s children and future generations after them. Everything we do in this present life will be passed on to our future generations. So what are you leaving behind?
You choose how you live between your dates by the actions you take today, tomorrow and the years to come. Every day is a new canvas to paint the picture of how you want to be remembered in your dash. When you get to the end of your life what story will your dash tell?
You can start today by stepping out in faith and follow the vision that God has put in your heart. Every second, minute, hour and day that you live in your dash is an opportunity to sow seeds of hope for future generations.
Question: What will your dash say after you are gone?
