What are you going to do with your dash?

It's time of year again.
When you expect everything to be renewed and ready to go.

I have always struggled with resolutions and January 1st. Why is it that the world always hypes up that "new" with January 1st. Can't we start things in the middle of a week vs. Mondays, or in April vs. January? Biblically God says, "they are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness." (Lamentations 3:23) So every morning could be January 1st.

But... I get it. I really do.

A fresh new calendar. No previous marks seen of the days past where we didn't do as we hoped. A fresh new look. A remodel if you will. I get it.

Trip Lee this week said it this way...

This weekend at church I was reminded that each of these "new days" and all the days in-between are apart of our dashes. I've always loved that but the reminder was perfect! The moments in our life that really count are between our dates on our headstones... our dashes.

What are we doing with our dashes in this day of "new?" Are we planning to be more of a servant? Will we really seek out where to serve? Will we be digging deeper with Christ? Will we be working on dying to self more? Will we finally be accepting our roles as disciple making disciples and start changing the world right around us, today?

The calendar doesn't have to be on the first to start living your dash. You are already living your dash. It doesn't matter what marks are on your calendar behind this day; the day when more thought goes into living that dash because it's the beginning of a new month in a new year. All of your days are apart of the story God has inked in your life. It's all apart of your testimony. Those days show His mercy, grace, love, hope, redemption. Those days don't need to be erased or forgotten. They just need to be looked at through His eyes and you need to remember they aren't what defines you. You are defined by what God calls you. The son or daughter of The One True King. An heir to the throne. Just don't forget where He has brought you from and where He is leading you to as you live each of these moments of your dashes. Remember his faithfulness through it all and shout His praises in each moment of your dashes.

As the calendar is moving and a new day is dawning... What are you doing with your dash today? And remember if today's dash marks don't go quite as planned God isn't leaving your side or waiting for January 1st to start over again. Live your dash to His fullest... He's already walked and knows whats coming and where stumbling may take place so don't lost heart if your dash today isn't how you hoped. The important thing is to always come to him, renew yourself, learn from the missed beat and set the pen down again and try not to lift it again.

I pray that as we all are walking this new year, new day, new hour that we hold fast and remember to encourage each other. Not to judge each other's dash or envy each other but to simply love, encourage, and walk our dashes together for the Kingdom!

"that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith." - Romans 1:12 

I'm praying for your moments in your dashes!