Eternal Ink

 I dreamed I was in heaven
 Where an angel kept God's book.
 He was writing so intently
 I just had to take a look.

 It was not, at first, his writing
 That made me stop and think
 But the fluid in the bottle
 That was marked eternal ink.

 This ink was most amazing,
 Dark black upon his blotter
 But as it touched the parchment
 It became as clear as water.

 The angel kept on writing,
 But as quickly as a wink
 The words were disappearing
 With that strange eternal ink.

 The angel took no notice,
 But kept writing on and on.
 He turned each page and filled it
Till all its space was gone.
 I thought he wrote to no avail,
 His efforts were so vain
 For he wrote a thousand pages
 That he'd never read again.

 And as I watched and wondered that
 This awesome sight was mine,
 I actually saw a word stay black
 As it dried upon the line.

 The angel wrote and I thought
I saw A look of satisfaction.
 At last he had some print to show
For all his earnest action.
 A line or two dried dark and stayed
As black as black can be,
But  strangely
 the next paragraph Became invisible to see.
 The book was getting fuller,
 The angel's records true,
 But most of it was blank, with
 Just a few words coming through.

 I knew there was some reason,
 But as hard as I could think,
 I couldn't grasp the significance
 Of that eternal ink.

 The mystery burned within me,
 And I finally dared to ask
 The angel to explain to me
 Of his amazing task.

 And what I heard was frightful
 As the angel turned his head.
 He looked directly at me,
 And this is what he said...

 I know you stand and wonder
 At what my writing's worth
 But God has told me to record
 The lives of those on earth.

 The book that I am filling
 Is an accurate account
 Of every word and action
 And to what they do amount.

 And since you have been watching
 I must tell you what is true;
 The details of my journal
 Are the strict accounts of YOU.

 The Lord asked me to watch you
As each day you worked and played.
I saw  you  as you went to church,
I saw you as you prayed.
 But I was told to document
 Your life through all the week.
 I wrote when you were proud and bold,
I wrote when you were meek.
 I recorded all your attitudes
Whether they were good or bad.
 I was sorry that I had to write
 The things that make God sad.

 So now I'll tell the wonder
 Of this eternal ink,
 For the reason for its mystery
 Should make you stop and think.

 This ink that God created
 To help me keep my journal
 Will only keep a record of
 Things that are eternal.

 So much of life is wasted
 On things that matter not
 So instead of my erasing,
 Smudging ink and ugly blot.

 I just keep writing faithfully and
 Let the ink do all the rest
 For it is able to decide
 What's useless and what's best.

 And God ordained that as I write
Of all you do and say
Your deeds that  count
 for nothing Will just disappear away.
 When books are opened someday,
As sure as heaven is true;
 The Lord's eternal ink will tell
 What mattered most to you.

 If you just lived to please yourself
 The pages will be bare,
 And God will issue no reward
 For you when you get there.

 In fact, you'll be embarrassed,
You will hang your head in shame
Because  you  did not give yourself
In love to Jesus' Name.
 Yet maybe there will be a few
 Recorded lines that stayed
 That showed the times you truly cared,
Sincerely loved and prayed.
 But you will always wonder
 As you enter heaven's door
 How much more glad you would have been
If only you'd done more.
 For I record as God sees,
 I don't stop to even think
 Because the truth is written
 With God's eternal ink.

 When I heard the angel's story
 I fell down and wept and cried
 For as yet I still was dreaming
 I hadn't really died.

 And I said:  O angel tell the Lord
 That soon as I awake
 I'll live my life for Jesus-
 I'll do all for His dear sake.

 I'll give in full surrender;
 I'll do all He wants me to;
 I'll turn my back on self and sin
 And whatever isn't true.

 And though the way seems long and rough
I promise to endure.
 I'm determined to pursue the things
That are holy, clean and pure.
 With Jesus as my helper,
 I will win lost souls to Thee,
 For I know that they will live with Christ
For all eternity.
 And that's what really matters
 When my life on earth is gone
 That I will stand before the Lord
 And hear Him say, well done.

 For is it really worth it
 As my life lies at the brink?
 And I realize that God keeps books
With His eternal ink.
 Should all my life be focused
 On things that turn to dust?
  From this point on I'll serve the Lord;
 I can, I will, I must!
 I will NOT send blank pages
 Up to God's majestic throne
 For where that record's going now
Is my eternal home.
 I'm giving all to Jesus
 I now have seen the link
 For I saw an angel write my life
 With God's eternal ink.

Author Rev. Craig F. Pitts