Early In Eternity

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Last week as I was recuperating from the flu, I missed a funeral of a family member.  Somehow it seems that my cousins and I, and even my siblings for that matter, seems to gather more at these occasions than any other, and unfortunately they seem to be occurring more frequently.

As we grow older, we begin to see our loved ones pass on.  Grandparents, parents, aunts and uncles all seem to be slipping the bonds of this earth. Apart from the Lord, this can be very frightening.  I have to admit that sometimes I am tempted to  be frightened of the death of those I love...my husband, my children, my grandchildren, my siblings, my dear friends, even my sweet beagle Sparrow.

Whenever my husband and I --with tears in our eyes -- discuss the possibility of one of us continuing on without the other, we use this phrase to encourage each other, "It's early in eternity."

This life seems to pass so quickly and it can be tempting to believe the enemy's lie that "this is all there is."  The point is if we have believed in the Lord Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, this life is only a stepping stone, a fluttering of an eyelash, toward an everlasting and glorious lifetime ahead.  During that life, more life than anything we have ever known on this earth, it will always be "early in eternity."  A million years after we have begun we will still have only just begun.

A wonderful part of that is we will spend that long and glorious eternity with the people we love who are also believers.  Are there those in your life whose company you sincerely enjoy. . .if they are believers, you will enjoy them still.  I had this thought this past Tuesday night.

We had gone, along with a friend of ours, to provide the music at a Rescue Mission in our area before another mutual friend of ours preached.  As is our habit on these nights, the three of us stopped for coffee afterwards.  As we sat at the table chatting, I thought of wonderful it will be that friendships like these will continue on throughout eternity.  There is no telling what wonderful things the Lord will have for us to share together during our eons together.

So when these days slip past us "as sands through the hourglass," as the old soap-opera used to begin, let us quickly remind ourselves that it is and will always be, early in eternity.

Early in Eternity

Words & Music by Glen Davis

An old man sits by a dying fire,

Dreaming sweet, sad dreams of days gone by.

And he wonders how time slipped away.

Then he smiles as he hears the Spirit say,

That it’s early in eternity,

and his blessed Lord he soon will see.

And the woman that he loves so well,

Will stand him with so much to tell.

Well he lived a life so pure and fine,

For he kept his Lord always in mind.

Although his days on earth are soon to fail,

A quiet joy still in heart prevails.

Because it’s early in eternity,

and his blessed Lord he soon will see.

And the woman that he loves so well,

Will stand him with so much to tell.

The embers fade as his eyes grow tired,

And the day’s last prayer he gently sighs.

As he rises from his old soft chair,

He knows that very soon he will be there,

He’s glad that very soon he will be there,

He will be there.

Because it’s early in eternity,

and his blessed Lord he soon will see.

And the woman that he loves so well,

Will stand him with so much to tell.

Because it’s early in eternity,

and his blessed Lord he soon will see.

And the woman that he loves so well,

Will stand him with so much to tell.

Yes, it’s early in eternity,

and his blessed Lord he soon will see.

And the woman that he loves so well,

Will stand him with so much to tell, so much to tell.