The Perfect Segue

This evening at Praise Team practice, we sang "Amazing Grace". That hymn always gets to me ---especially when I get to verse five..."When we've been there ten thousand years, bright shining as the sun, we've no less days to sing God's praise than when we'd first begun." I mean, can our meager minds even grasp the concept of FOREVER?!

Years ago in Girl Scouts, I used to play this song on the guitar:

The Land of Oden

In the land of Oden,
there stands a mountain,
Ten thousand miles, in the air

From edge to edge
This mountain measures,
Ten thousand miles square

Once every million years
A little bird comes winging
Sharpens its beak
and quickly disappears

And when this mountain
has worn away
that in eternity will be
But one single day.

In the land of Oden,
There stands a mountain
Ten thousand miles in the air
In the air
In the air.

I don't know about you --but that thought just boggles my brain. Once every million years a bird comes and sharpens it's beak on a mountain that's ten thousand miles square and when the mountain FINALLY wears away---it will be as if only ONE day has passed in eternity.

FOREVER. It's a long time.
A long time to be rejoicing with Jesus.
An even longet time if one is separated from Him.

Earlier today, we had a computer repair guy come to the house to replace the mother board on a company computer which was still under warranty. This computer guy was here quite a while. He sat in the living room and worked while Olivia commenced entertaining him. She drew him a picture, offered him some applesauce and the use of her very own calculator "just so he could finish his taxes". It was even okay with her if he took it home and used it, just as long as he promised to bring it back the next time. Then she started singing. She loves to sing --and will sing for anyone who will listen and even those who won't.

She broke out into a song which is on our friend, Dawna's CD ---

"Jesus...Oh-oooo---Jesus...
Do you know Him today?
Please don't turn Him away...
Oh --Ohhhhh Jesus....My Je-ee-ee--sus...
without Him how lost I would be..."

I sat there and prayed while she was singing --for the computer guy. Of course, not knowing if he was a Christian or not. Assuming he was not ---as he never commented on any of the dozen or so Christian songs she chose as part of today's concert....

Then this evening, at Praise Team practice...as we sang Amazing Grace and I shared with my fellow praise team members about how mind boggled I always am when I try to wrap my mind around the concept of ETERNITY....and how it's going also be an eternity for those who don't know the Lord ---spending it apart from Him....and I immediately was convicted for NOT speaking up and saying something to the computer guy after Olivia sang. The perfect seque. And I missed it.

My prayer is that I will be more diligent in remembering eternity....and sharing God's saving grace ---with EVERYONE. It's my job as a Christian. Why do I not jump at every chance? This chance today passed me by. I didn't even recognize it --other than to pray. Perhaps that's all the Lord wanted me to do --perhaps Olivia's song was all the Lord wanted our computer guy to hear.

Or perhaps not.

"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." - Matthew 28:19,20