On Ash Wednesday that is exactly what many of us heard - remember you are dust and to dust you will return. Not exactly an inspiring statement - or is it. What are they trying to tell us. Is life that short that we are insignificant - nothing more than a dust particle in the eye of God. I think not - I find it very difficult to think that God would create us - each of us - with out considering what we would become - who we would grow into - the potential in each of us. It reminds me of the story about the man at a funeral who asked what the dash between the date of birth and date of death meant. Was that dash merely a place holder - a character used only to separate dates from each other. As the story goes - that dash represents the story of our lives - what happened in between the date of our birth and death. That dash represents our birth into this world - into a family where we grew and were loved and educated - where we finished our education - found a spouse - for many - and started our own families - where we created a career - a career in which we made the world better for everyone - a time when we played sports - socialized with family - friends - where we did many marvelous - outstanding things - before our death. That dash is a badge of honor - that gives value to our lives - before we returned to the dust from which we sprang.
In God's eye - each one of us is as precious as gold - a feather in His cap - someone to be proud of - to be loved by Him without reservation. In Lent we pray and reflect on how much God loves us - why He sent His Son to die for us - on a cross - hung out to die like some common thief. We ponder His awesome love - wonder if we are really worth it - then when we realize it - cry like a baby - asking forgiveness - for the times when we allowed ourselves to be less than He created us to be. In Lent - we search - seek - to find the lost person inside us - to renew the gift given freely by God - to become more - better than we are now.
Deacon Dale
In God's eye - each one of us is as precious as gold - a feather in His cap - someone to be proud of - to be loved by Him without reservation. In Lent we pray and reflect on how much God loves us - why He sent His Son to die for us - on a cross - hung out to die like some common thief. We ponder His awesome love - wonder if we are really worth it - then when we realize it - cry like a baby - asking forgiveness - for the times when we allowed ourselves to be less than He created us to be. In Lent - we search - seek - to find the lost person inside us - to renew the gift given freely by God - to become more - better than we are now.
Deacon Dale
