Tag Archives: Christianity

All We Have is the En Dash

Leave a reply

I grew up a quarter mile from a small rural cemetery. I often walked up the hill to wander through or play hide-and-seek amongst the gravestones. Though childhood friends frequently asked me if I was scared to live so close to a cemetery, I was never nervous or afraid. The gravestones were just markers of history, representations of real people who lived and died in my little part of the world. Most stones had more than one name etched in the granite, some whole families, with birth and death dates going back many decades.

Have you noticed how a gravestone’s birthdate and death date are always separated by a little line? That’s called an “en dash.” The en dash is used particularly between figures to show a range, like 1939–1945. It’s just a short dash with a very important job.

The en dash on a gravestone represents a whole life—everything that happens to a person between the time they are born and the time they die. As I grow older, I’ve meditated on my own en dash. Though I’m in no hurry to reach the end of life, it is closer than my birth date. And I believe we should all periodically think about how we live our everyday lives.

I love my life. I try to make intentional decisions to stay healthy in every aspect so I can fully appreciate the wonderful gifts God has given to me. My husband, children, grandchildren, friends, and extended family are all blessings. I enjoy my work, my church, my neighborhood, and my little home.

But am I living a fully flourishing life? Are there areas where I can do better, be better, grow stronger and wiser? Here are a few questions I’ve pondered as I live my en dash life:

  • How’s my physical health? Am I getting enough sleep? Do I try to move daily and maintain a healthy diet?
  • What brings me joy? Do I choose activities that challenge my mind? Do I talk to myself as a close friend or my worst enemy? What am I grateful for?
  • Are my relationships healthy and supportive? Where do I invest my time and talents? Do I have a community of friends and family with whom I can really connect?
  • Are my activities energizing and meaningful? What am I most proud of? Is it time to make a change in my career or commitments?
  • How do I spend my money? Am I in control of my finances? Am I prepared for any unexpected expenses?
  • How do I reflect the love of Christ in my sphere of influence? Am I pursuing a growing relationship with God? How about my spiritual disciplines?
  • Looking back on my life, do I have old habits and beliefs I can now let go of? Are there any dreams I’d like to pursue? What would I do if I didn’t fear failure?

As I enjoy each moment with my grandchildren, I’m so grateful for the life God has given me, but I also know I have a responsibility to live it with joy, grace, and wisdom.

And I want my en dash to represent a life lived fully flourishing for God and others.

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing.

2 Timothy 4:7-8

My 2020 Chapter

Leave a reply

Couldn’t sleep last night. Not totally unusual but instead of heading out to the couch, I stayed in bed and tried to power through it. Like you can ever make your mind be quiet when it wants to talk. And spin. And rehash the day. And worry about tomorrow. But toward the end, as I felt myself slowly head toward slumber, I heard God whisper. Truly. I’ve heard Him before so I recognized His voice. And I unmistakably heard Him say: “Romans 12.” And then I slept.

This morning I vividly recalled it all. And I rushed (sorry, God) through my regular Bible reading so I would not have to rush through reading Romans 12. I was not disappointed. I mentioned to my husband what I’d heard from the Lord and he said, “That’s the discipleship chapter.” (Hey, I do enjoy a few perks being married to a very smart Bible teacher.) After reading the chapter in the Message, I knew God had given me a whole Bible chapter for this year. I’m not even going to talk about it right now – I have all year to take little bites, research words and motives, and slowly savor what God will speak to me through those 21 verses. save-image

Yes, I have a 2020 word (focus), and a few 2020 habits to grow into goals, but I’ve never had a chapter from the Bible for the year. I’m excited to FOCUS on Romans 12 this year. Take a look yourself.

Romans 12 in The Message version.

 

 

Be a Barnabas

1 Reply

Be_A_Barnabas

There is a man in the book of Acts who has fascinated me for years. If you’ve never read Acts, you won’t get it, but this guy’s life is very compelling. Acts is the book written by Dr. Luke, detailing the lives of the disciples (now apostles) following the ascension of Jesus. Full of adventure and intrigue, good guys and bad guys, shipwrecks, beatings, miracles, signs & wonders, court room drama, and more protesters than at any Donald Trump rally. The story begins with Jesus telling his followers that He needs to go away for awhile but He’s going to send Someone to help them. So, in Acts 2, the Holy Spirit shows up…pretty dramatically…and the world has never been the same.

In chapter 4, a certain man is mentioned for the first time…Joseph, from Cyprus. He is a believer and I assume, because of evidence in his life, the apostles call him Barnabas, which means “Son of Encouragement.” At that time the believers were meeting together, living together and sharing in everything. Barnabas owned a field, sold it and gave all the money to the apostles…and this begins the story of the man responsible for the spread of Christianity around the world.

You thought that was Paul, didn’t you? Well, Paul usually gets the credit. We talk about Paul’s missionary journeys and Paul’s letters to the churches (which make up most of the New Testament) but in reality, this little known man called Barnabas is the real hero. And here’s why:

If it wasn’t for Barnabas, the world would never have known Paul. Before Paul (then known as Saul) had his roadside conversion, he was a very nasty guy. He was the original persecutor of anyone who followed the teachings of Jesus. Just the name “Saul” would strike terror in the hearts of believers in Jerusalem. But after his conversion, he was filled with the Holy Spirit and started preaching about Jesus being the Son of God. Needless to say, some were a little skeptical. It would be like a high-ranking ISIS official trying to join your church, claiming to be a Christian. But Barnabas shows up, takes Saul to the apostles in Jerusalem, and vouches for him…puts his own “son of encouragement” reputation on the line for Saul.

Not only is Barnabas known for being an encourager…and a man who champions those who are looked down on, but he was also satisfied with stepping out of the limelight to allow God’s plan for the world to move forward. When the church in Antioch sends out their first missionaries, it’s Barnabas who is the senior member of the team. But it soon becomes apparent that God is moving powerfully through Saul (now known as Paul), and Barnabas is the “other guy.” But he seems fine with it…he continues to travel, preaching and teaching about Jesus, working as a team with Paul to spread the gospel to Jews and Gentiles.

Our last real encounter with Barnabas may seem as though he has fallen out of favor, but I look at it differently. In the end of Acts chapter 15, Paul and Barnabas have a strong disagreement over the future involvement in their ministry of Barnabas’ cousin John Mark. Young J.M. had travelled with them in their first journey, but had quit for some unknown reason. Maybe the journey was tougher than he thought, maybe he was ill, maybe he was just homesick or immature in his faith – but for whatever reason, he went home. Now, in preparing for their second trip, Paul doesn’t want John Mark to join them, and Barnabas, once again, stands up for the little guy. (Remember, Paul? When he did this for you?) So Paul and Barnabas part ways and we really don’t know what happened to Mr. Encouragement after this. What we do know, from some of Paul’s letters, is that John Mark ends up back with Paul at some point. Barnabas has once again brought an immature young man to maturity and future ministry. And not just any future ministry, but a companion to both the Apostle Paul and Peter, as well as the author of the book of Mark, the second gospel. Pretty good mentoring job, Barnabas.

So, now you see why I find Barnabas to be one of the crucial men in the New Testament? If he hadn’t stood up for both Paul and later, John Mark, we may not have had the gospel preached, or the New Testament written. Obviously God would have found another way, but He used a little known Levite from Cyprus. Barnabas was an encourager to everyone, he stood up for the little guy, and he was willing to put his pride away and allow others to get the spotlight. I want to be a Barnabas.