I heard someone share recently about how short our time really is. They said no matter how long we live — fifty years, eighty, a hundred — it’s still just a blink beside eternity.
As they talked, I started thinking about the two dates that mark every life: the day we’re born and the day we die. Between them sits a single dash. One small line that carries everything — every joy, mistake, act of love, and moment of fear. Our whole story fits inside that tiny mark.
And while I was sitting there, it hit me how much of my own dash I’ve already wasted.
Not wasted in the way people mean when they talk about killing time, but wasted in worry, fear, self-pity, and control. I’ve spent years trying to rearrange life, replay the past, and rewrite what I can’t fix. I call it “thinking,” but most of the time it’s hiding — me trying to feel safe inside my own will instead of trusting God with what’s next.
In recovery we’re told we have a daily reprieve, not a lifetime guarantee. Every day is on loan, given back to me so I can live in God’s will, not my own. When I forget that, I drift. When I remember it, even for a moment, everything changes.
Because the truth is simple: this day isn’t mine. It’s His. The time I’m given is meant to be used — to grow, to serve, to love, to stay awake. The dash isn’t long, and I don’t want to spend it asleep.
Prayer
(For the Time I’m Given)
God, thank You for the gift of this day and the daily reprieve You’ve placed in my hands. Help me remember that this time isn’t mine to waste or control, but Yours to guide. When I fall into fear or distraction, bring me back to gratitude. Show me how to use this time wisely — to pause, to pray, to act with love. Let my choices honor the grace I’ve been given. This day is not mine, Lord; it’s Yours. Thank You for trusting me with it. Amen.
1% Challenge:
Write down one thing you wasted time on yesterday — then hand it back to God.
Pray, “Show me how to use this hour differently today.”
Then actually do it.
Still learning from the time I’ve wasted.
Still trying to make the dash mean something.
Still grateful for another blink.
In Gratitude and Love - DeeBo
“In recovery we’re told we have a daily reprieve, not a lifetime guarantee. Every day is on loan, given back to me so I can live in God’s will, not my own. When I forget that, I drift. When I remember it, even for a moment, everything changes.”
This. Without the surrender of our will we are sure to destroy everything in our path. 💟🙌