THE DASH FUNERAL CLOSING

FUNERAL CLOSING

1. Opening Prayer - Verse – Joe – ROMANS 8:38-39

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

There is a poem by Linda Ellis called The Dash that I would like to read -

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 that 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?

James 4:14 says “yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes”

Life is short, your Dash, whether it be 18, 36, 72, 48 years, is short time – how are you going to live your dash.

So as we conclude – let us remember Genesis 3:19 – For you were made from dust and to dust you will return.

Sara is no longer here – but we remember Jesus’ words on the cross Luke 23:43 – Jesus replied to the criminal on the cross – “I assure you – today you will be with me in paradise.” Paul tells us in

2 Corinthians 5 - For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands.

6 So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord. 7 For we live by believing and not by seeing. 8 Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord. 9 So whether we are here in this body or away from this body, our goal is to please him.

We celebrate the life Sara lived, and now as we leave – celebrate and be thankful for the time with family and friends and to remember to not take for granted any time to tell them how much they are loved by us and by Jesus.

Faith – Hope – Love

Go in the peace and love of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen