On Tuesday night, my 25 year old grandson Jason, had just left his apartment in Columbus Ohio and was walking to the corner store for snacks. He was shot in his chest by a pair of thugs, who just kept walking after they shot him. His friend heard the shot and ran out to help him. 911 was called and he was taken to the hospital.

The bullet entered the right side of his chest. He had a collapsed lung and a few broken ribs, but thank God for prayers he will survive. He was released from the hospital last night and is on recovery leave from his job for a month.

This very easily could have turned out really badly with his death. Tell your family you love them every day. We live in a dangerous world where every day might be your last. When all is said and done our entire lives are reduced to two dates and one little dash. What are you doing with your dash? You only get one dash. Nobody gets two dashes. God describes your dash and God describes your life in the BIBLE. (Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth.)

Between the time we are born and the time we die, lies a dash of events that sum up our life. This dash represents our whole life. You don’t get to decide when you are born and when you will die but you do get to decide how you’re going to live your dash.

Remember this little poem by Linda Ellis: I am praying it touches someone on this forum today.

I read of a man who stood to speak
At the funeral of a friend
He referred to the dates on the tombstone
From the beginning...to the end

He noted that first came the date of birth
And spoke the following date with tears,
But he said what mattered most of all
Was the dash between those years

For that dash represents all the time
That they spent alive on earth.
And now only those who loved them
Know what that little line is worth

For it matters not, how much we own,
The cars...the house...the cash.
What matters is how we live and love
And how we spend our dash.

So, think about this long and hard.
Are there things you'd like to change?
For you never know how much time is left
That can still be rearranged.

If we could just slow down enough
To consider what's true and real
And always try to understand
The way other people feel.

And be less quick to anger
And show appreciation more
And love the people in our lives
Like we've never loved before.

If we treat each other with respect
And more often wear a smile,
Remembering this special dash
Might only last a little while

So, when your eulogy is being read
With your life's actions to rehash...
Would you be proud of the things they say
About how you spent YOUR dash?