Just A Little Dash...

   I love watching the different stages my children go through as they grow.  I love seeing their eyes light up when they learn a new skill.  I enjoy hearing them try out new "big" words.  I love seeing their eyes shine with pleased surprise at the first taste of some new candy they've never had before.  It pleases my heart to watch Christian's face light up when I walk in the door and tell him that I got him a "prize" from the store. 
   I try hard not to "rush" through the growing process.  I want to catch and enjoy every moment of it.  Like when Audra learned to wave this past week.   The next time we were at church, during the song service, she was beside her with pleasure thinking the song leader was waving at her!  She started kicking her legs and squeeling in delight, waving back to him, trying hard to get his attention.  :) 

   I love seeing her little face tighten in concentration as she struggles to pull herself up.  When she accomplishes this great feat, she gives me the cutest little smile, as if to say, "See Mama?  I'm a big girl now!"  She's trying out new words now, too.  No, I don't want to rush through this stage.  It will be gone before you know it, and she'll be saying two more life changing words, "I do."  It goes by so fast! 
   Andy and I are approaching our 9th wedding anniversary!  Wow!  In just a couple more months!  I was thinking yesterday about how quickly time goes by!  I was just a kid not too long ago, and now I've been married for almost 9 years, and have had three children!  Where have the years gone? 
   I think about the verse, "Our life is even a vapor which appeareth for a little while, then vanishest away."  Our lives are so short!  We're here on this earth for just an instant when compared to eternity.  But its what we do in that instant that will last for eternity.  Someone once pointed out that when when you look at a tombstone, you notice there's simply a dash between the birth and the death.  How true!  Just one little dash that we call a lifetime, a few short years between babyhood and the hoary head.  Our dashes are quickly being used up. 

Are you living your dash for Christ?