Eternity

I, Carey, was wandering in the world, working a job, enjoying life. It was 1977. Life was good, but I was not. I mean, I was doing ok. I made a few choices that turned out to be counterproductive. I was legally connected to another person for awhile but that didn’t work out; it ended. I was wandering around. I wrote some songs and sang them around town in Asheville. I went to Nashville and somehow managed, with a little help from me friends, to make a record album: Something for Everyone;Songs of Rowland.; it presented the songs that I had written up to that time. I drove to Texas with the intention to start a new chapter of life in Austin. I stopped in Waco to visit my grandmother. On a certain Wednesday, my aunt Francis invited me to a church gathering. When I walked in, I saw two women kneeling; they were singing, as the charismatics say, “in the spirit.” I thought I was hearing angels in heaven. Don’t believe it? I understand, But listen up. When the meeting started, a blind man went up to the pulpit and began speaking. He said, “Nowadays, the devil is stalking around dragging people down; if you’re not careful, he’ll drag you down.” Or something like that. The devil? Are you kidding me? Well, no, the preacher was not kidding me. I realized that he was right. I had been wandering around without a plan, without a direction, fulfilling my own desires and ambitions and. . . and, look where it got me. So there’s this question about the devil. Does he really exist? Uh, are you kidding me? Take a look at humanity and history. . . a long parade of men fighting and killing and deceiving each other and stealing things and stealing wives and even mounting vast campaigns, as in nazi Germany, to wipe out an entire race of people from the face of the earth: to incinerate those people who had written, since the beginning of time, the greatest story ever told. So, yes, Virginia, there is a devil, and it could be true. . . maybe this Bible legacy which gives an account of the devil’s contention with the Creator of Universe is a scenario that should be considered when deciding what is true, or not true, about life on this planet. And it could indeed be true that the Creator of the Universe separated a part of Himself—that part which we call the Son, Jesus— and he came down to this lost planet called earth, and then He allowed the enemy to execute Him on a cross, so that. . . wait for it (three days) he could demonstrate to us that Life does, indeed, go on after death. And if you believe that, I’ve got some real estate in heaven I’ll tell you about. I’m not kidding. Moving right along. . . Jesus showed us that death and our own f****-up can be redeemed by joining Him, the Risen One in eternity in heaven. When Mary Magdalene went to the tomb on Sunday morning. . . what she saw looked something like this:

Sp there you have it. Either believe it or not: the empty grave. I. do not believe any man or woman could outdo that. I do believe it did happen, and I will join Him in heaven when my time is up. So instead of continuing to follow the rebel dark angel who thinks he can control the world. . .I recommend turning to the One who created the Universe, the Lord who initiated life itself. . . yes, even DNA and the genetic code and all of that—everything. Yep. I’m going with Him. So I did. I saw the Light, as brother Bob, and many others. . . Lonnie Frisbee. . . also did at about that same time, the’70’s, and we got . . . “Saved.” Read ‘em in weep, all you unbelievers. But hey, perhaps some day you’ll join us. And the world will be with the Son. By ’n by, I managed to make a second record album, Revelation 5:9 to clarify my Faith that Jesus is Lord, risen from the dead. . . and He is communicating, through His Word—what they call the Bible—and also through His people, the church, who believe in Him. We are now communicating the Truth about what this world is, what this Life is really all about, even—if you care do some deep reading—. . . how it got here and how to deal with it and how to get through life without all hell breaking loose inside of you. That’s why I sing this song, https://open.spotify.com/track/1zfGddC1N9WXbNxlOWTULB?si=84ef893eaa2e4a64. Now I understand that this is a lot to take in at one time. Not to worry. Just consider the whole thing, life itself, where it came from, your place, your role in it, who is in charge here and all those heavy questions. But do not fail to notice that, as the years roll by, every now and then someone you know kicks the bucket. They die. . . and it could happen to you. And there is only one way out of that inevitable end: Turn to Jesus. But the death/eternal life thing is not the whole picture. Life is just better when you’re walking with the One who conquered death. In the end, He will take you with Him. You just gotta believe! Smoke