Hey y'all! I haven't been on here in a while. Sorry about that!
This blog post isn't that same as I usually post. How? Glad you asked. Well incase you don't know, I am a self-published author of three books. They're listed in the following: When The Pressure Is On: Dating, You're One And Lonely and The Journey: Short Stories & Poems.
I love writing and it's a strong passion of mine. Matter of fact, I have three surprises coming up soon and can't wait to share them with you all. Stay tuned....
Any hoot, I wanted to give you all a special treat. My book, The Journey, is a collection of my short stories and poems I wrote within the past 10 years. I have a couple favorite ones I'd like to share with you. For now, I will be giving you an exclusive look into one in this blog post. It is called The Dash.
Enjoy!
The Dash
Everyone was to their markers. We all were waiting for three words to be spoken to run the race. A race we didn’t know we needed to run. It was life or death. No one knew how long this race would take, but we were willing to run. It was dark all around us, and most of us were tired of this darkness. We were told there’s a light ahead for those who were willing to run the race. We could only run this race until these words were spoken first. A Man who smiled at us all, who chose to run the race and finish it for us, stood above us runners in a tall white building. His arm stretched wide and high with a red flag. He held the flag up, gesturing to inform the runners to get set. Sweat was already running down my face as I stood in my lane, shaking with nerves. What if I fall and get hurt? What if there isn’t any light on the other side? Wouldn’t it be better if I stay here, where its comfortable? To what I am used to? I shook those negative thoughts aside. Focus. You need to focus! You must trust that Man. He said He is The Way, and we can call on His name for help. I looked straight ahead, waiting for the Man with the sweet smile to signal our departure. He began waving the flag, and with the three words, He sounded our departure. “It. Is. Finished.” We all took off. Within seconds, about a third got ahead of the rest of the runners. They’d look over their shoulders and scoff at us who took a slower pace in the race. I looked over my shoulder, saw those who I was in darkness with as they stayed in their darkness. I invited them to come run the race with me, but they said they’re fine where they’re at. My heart fell in pain for those I had to leave behind, but I had to run this race. The way that Man spoke to me, gave me hope, joy and a new perspective. I couldn’t pass Him up on this race that I needed to run.
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It’s been some years now since we all were still running the race. Well, I shouldn’t say all. The third that turned to mock us slower racers, gave up the minute it got too hard. They didn’t expect us to run up hills and cross through valleys. Instead of pressing towards the goal and running the race, they all gave up in the valley. They were worse off than before. Some of us have changed during this race. I noticed a growth in our bodies. Some stronger in endurance. Others learning to trust and sharpen others. I even saw growth in myself that I didn’t expect. I developed some friendships and encouraged a few bystanders to participate in the race, and they did!
Even though we were going downhill, growth wise, it was going up from here.
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Few years came and went, and so did more runners, including the friendships I made and some of the bystanders I encouraged to run the race. The runners were scattered. Some couldn’t make it through the rivers we had to cross, the mountains we had to climb or the tunnels we had to go through. Not going to lie, I almost didn’t make it myself. As we were going through the dark tunnel, after the rivers and mountains we faced, I got weak. I started listening to those lies again. “You’re not going to make. You can’t finish this race. Look at you. You’re all by yourself. You might as well quit like the rest of your friends did? Sad that you’re family isn’t here with you either. You could go back and forget this race.” I was struggling…bad. I then realized that the Man in the beginning of the race told us we could call upon His name and He will answer. But I didn’t quite remember the name at the moment. Calling on His name in the middle of my mess, with all the dirt and stench I accumulated through this race, why and how could He answer me? Then, it hit me. It was by faith that I trusted Him. He saved me from that darkness and led me to run this race. Perhaps, He will come and help me. Then, I remembered His name. I cleared my dry throat and simply called on His name: Jesus. Immediately, I was out of the tunnel and there He was sitting at a bench with a cup of water in His hand. I ran straight over to Him. I sat at the far end of the bench and reached for the cup of water. His eyes studied me. “Why are you sitting so far yet reaching for this cup of water.” I didn’t want Him to see and smell the dirtiness on me. I was embarrassed of it. “I stink. I faced all those hard obstacles and came out stinking and dirtied up. I…I’m embarrassed for you to see me like this.” That same warming smile ascended upon His face. “Oh child, do you not remember where you came from? Even then, I still loved you and came after you, didn’t I? When you called on my name, I came, didn’t I? The race isn’t meant to be a pretty or an easy race. It’s a race to strengthen, revive and encourage your faith in Me. In this race you will face great trials, but child, take heart. I have overcome this for you! All you have to do is run, and when you face more trials, more weaknesses or heartaches, just call on My name. I am with you always.” I scooted over and hugged Him. I never experienced such love like this. He won’t leave me. His word alone was filled with guarantee. He promised and He is faithful to His promises. He handed me the cup, but it wasn’t this water I needed. I needed His water. The Living Water. He was happy to see I understood and said, “Now, press on.” I took off running again but wanted to look over my shoulder. Before I followed the curve ahead, I saw His loving smile once more.
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I lost track of the years, but great things were happening until a sudden stop in the race. I gained more friends in the race. Those, like me, who struggled and also had to call on Jesus. We shared struggles, laughs and encouragement to help each other to keep running the race. I heard a familiar voice behind me. A family member of mine came running up and said “Hey! I’m so glad I caught up to you. I accepted His offer! He saw me in my darkness that I wouldn’t leave from and, well, He wouldn’t leave either. He promised me a beautiful future with Him. I was thrilled to see my family member excited as my friends and I were in this race. A more years went by, and I noticed my family member not doing too well. I tried running behind her to give her that extra push, but something was going wrong. We, my friends and I, called on Jesus to help her. He came and gave us peace and told us to keep running the race, but we saw no changes in her weak body. My family member had a peace we all didn’t have. I didn’t understand how she held onto peace in the midst of her trial, but she repeatedly told me, “I trust His plans.” A week came and gone, and so did my family member. I grew angry. Why would Jesus not help my family member? Why didn’t He do what we needed? Instead, He wanted us focused on this race! What’s the point! Hurting with me, my friends listened to my rant. We paused ourselves in the race, and they said we need to call on Jesus. Anger was all I felt inside. I didn’t want to talk to Jesus, but then again, I knew I needed Him. We called on Him, and there He came. We all took a seat in a beautiful green pasture with peaceful streams flowing beside the wide field. Jesus was staring at me as He began to speak to us all. He knew I was angry. I couldn’t quite look at Him because my feelings were racing within me. Without noticing, my friends had gotten up and Jesus was sitting beside me. “What’s wrong? Talk to me.” All I could do was ask one question. One question that I needed an answer to. “Why,” I whispered with my head hung low in anger and grief. Jesus laid His hand on my shoulder and said, “Do you remember what your family member told you when she caught up with you in the race?” I shook my head, still in the fuzziness of emotions. “She told you, ‘He promised me a beautiful future with Him.’” I didn’t respond. “Sometimes in this race, not all runners we’ll get to the same finish line. Some of them will have a shorter finish line to cross. That’s the way my Father designed it. But didn’t I promise her a beautiful future with Me? She is with Me, and she is free. She is no longer in darkness, in pain, suffering or running a race. She’s in a place of rest and peace with Me. I need you to keep running this race. I’m not done using you. There are more things ahead I have for you. Don’t give up. Remember, take heart.” His words were exactly all I needed to comfort my weary soul. I was still grieving but, like He said, “Don’t give up.” I trust Him at His word that there are better things ahead.
The race felt like it was just beginning. That same rush. That same power in my weakness. That fresh of breath in dry bones. I felt like a new me. My friends were with me and there to keep me encouraged. Up ahead were some more bystanders. I remembered in the past I stopped and talked to some bystanders to run this race, yet they quit. I was unsure if I should stop. But I thought about what my family member said. She couldn’t leave her darkness, so neither did Jesus leave her in her darkness. He continued to invite her to accept His offer and she finally accepted. If Jesus can reach those in darkness out of love, so will I. I ran over to the bystanders and told them about Jesus and this race with Him. I mentioned that this race won’t be easy, but it will be worth it. Some continued in their darkness, but a few decided to run with my friends and me. Now, I began to see what Jesus saw ahead of me.
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My race became slower, or shall I say I did. I have gotten a lot less younger and quite slower in my race but I continued to run it. All my friends passed and the few bystanders I invited to run the race multiplied to hundreds and thousands. I was amazed to see so many runners running ahead of me. I wanted them to run ahead of me so I could keep them from turning back. Before I could reach the curve like the others, I saw Jesus. He was smiling at me. I walked over to Him, since my running had turned into walking a few years ago. We sat at a table with a white piece of clothing laid beside Jesus. “How have you been,” He asked as if He hasn’t noticed. “I’m getting younger and muscular every day.” Jesus and I shared our laugh for a moment. When it got silent, I looked over at the white clothing. He looked down at it too. I had a feeling of what it was for. “My child. Oh, my sweet child. You ran this race with faith, hope and love, but the greatest of these were love. I saw how you loved the bystanders, your friends and your family member. Even in your old age, you continued to love and share My love with them. I am very well pleased with you.” Jesus reached for the white clothing and stood up. “It’s time for you to finish your race and receive your reward.” Joy. Overwhelming joy overcame my heart. I couldn’t believe I made it this far. All to Jesus I surrendered. All to Him I owe. I stood up and let Him place the lovely white robe on me. He turned me by my shoulders and said, “Well done good and faithful servant. You have finished the race.”
“I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.”
-Philippians 3:12-14
The Dash has two meanings that relate. You’re to run the race like what Paul said in Philippians 3:12-14. And, it is between our being born again, in the spirit, and our end. When someone passes, they have two dates. One is of their birth, and one is of the day they leave this earth. When we got saved, we were given a new birthdate, a born-again birthdate, but we must take precious care of our dash before our end date draws near.
This question is: What are you doing within your dash? How are you spending your time in your dash? Are you running the race, or have you given up and are wasting precious time before the end date?
It’s up to you on how you will run your race.
It’s up to you on how you live your dash.
I really hope you enjoyed this short story from my book called The Journey. If you'd like to read more of my short stories and poems, go to the shop tab above. On that page, you will see the book and there will be a link to lead you to the book. Hope you're having a wonderful week! God bless.
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