Eternal Ink

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.
 
by Craig F. Pitts