“Show me, Lord, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is. You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you.  Everyone is but a breath, even those who seem secure”.

Psalm 39:4-5

     I was once asked the question, “What are you doing with your dash?”  My dash I thought….I had no clue what that meant.  I later learned that it’s a phrase used when someone is asking, “what are you doing with your life?”  We all know that a tombstone shows a person’s name, their birthdate, “a dash”, and when they died. Don’t you think it’s interesting that your whole life, from the time you’re born to the time you die, comes down to a dash?  It really made me think……

What AM I doing with my dash? 

Am I doing all that my heart desires? 

Am I making a difference in the world?

Am I loving people well?

Am I the wife my husband needs?

Am I a good example to my daughters whom God entrusted me with?

     Serious questions yes, but when I thought long and hard, I can’t honestly say I was happy with all my answers.  The following question I asked myself was, “So what’s holding you back from being the person you want to be, Deb”? 

Is it a lack of confidence? 

Is it a lack of trust in God? 

Or maybe it’s a matter of time, resources, or lack of talent. 

Whatever the reason, I needed to take inventory and evaluate what was holding me back and if it’s worth the effort to make changes in my life that will help achieve what I was designed to be. 

     So here’s a secret I learned from Psalm 37:4 - “Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart”.  To delight in someone means to experience great pleasure and joy in their presence.  This can only happen when we know that person well and when we have been a faithful friend.  So, to delight in the Lord, we must get to know Him better and be faithful in our relationship with Him.  The certainty of His great love for us will then give us delight.  

     I misunderstood the meaning of this scripture.  A self-centered way to misunderstand the meaning of Psalm 37:4 is……If I take delight in the Lord, He will give me everything “I” want, similar to a “genie in a bottle” approach - rub the bottle, ask what I want, and voila, IT’S MINE!

The more I studied this scripture, God showed me the true meaning.  The one who truly delights in the Lord will find their heart and desires changed,  aligning with God’s good and perfect desires for their life.  He will place His desires in our heart when we find delight and draw near to Him.  God showed me that finding delight in Him is the key to a happy, satisfied life……Or maybe I should say, finding delight in God is the key to a happy, satisfied DASH!