Probation’s End

By Larry Doyle Crenshaw

MeditationsInLight.Blogspot.com

There’s inescapable moment in my existence

When there’ll be no more time to repent of sin

The Book of Life will close despite my insistence

And time will cease at my Probation’s End

In the hustle and bustle of our daily life and strife, it often becomes easy, even necessary, to put off the things of today for a more promising tomorrow.   Indeed, the art of knowing how to prioritize and position our tasks into hours, days and weeks is a worthy skill.  But as Benjamin Franklin said, “You may delay, but time will not.”

Our own circadian rhythms tell us when to go to bed and when to rise while the cycle of life goes on in between.   Unfortunately, we don’t appear to have a similar biological clock to tell us when it is time to change certain behaviors – to put off unproductive, damning, even sinful behaviors that are unbecoming as children of God.  Notwithstanding, the light of Christ permeates both body and spirit to enlighten, to inspire, to motivate, to help us evolve spiritually as we repent.

Hence, the cycle of our spiritual life goes on and on.  There will come a time however, when time, as we know it – is no longer.  That day will come without fanfare, or notice, or appointment.  That moment is not death – though most religions would teach otherwise.  The moment will come when all the work – all the instruction – all the covenants and ordinances allocated to this earth and the world of spirits are adjudged complete.

Such a moment goes by many names (some misleading), “End of Time,”  “Judgement Day,” “The Tribunal of Penance,” “The Last Judgment,” and the rather negative term, “Doomsday.”

To this list we add our own term in the form of a meditative verse, along with a plea that we prepare ourselves for “Probation’s End.”

Oh! May I flee from my errant inclinations

And not procrastinate repentance from my sin

But readily account for my deeds and deviations

When I stand before my Maker at Probation’s End

Probation’s End

O that we had repented in the day that the word of the Lord came unto us; for behold the land is cursed, and all things are become slippery, and we cannot hold them. Behold, we are surrounded by demons, yea, we are encircled about by the angels of him who hath sought to destroy our souls. Behold, our iniquities are great. O Lord, canst thou not turn away thine anger from us? And this shall be your language in those days.  But behold, your days of probation are past; ye have procrastinated the day of your salvation until it is everlastingly too late, and your destruction is made sure; yea, for ye have sought all the days of your lives for that which ye could not obtain; and ye have sought for happiness in doing iniquity, which thing is contrary to the nature of that righteousness which is in our great and Eternal Head.

Book of Mormon   Helaman 13:36-38

There’s inescapable moment in my existence

When there’ll be no more time to repent of sin

The Book of Life will close despite my insistence

And time will cease at my Probation’s End

O that I had listened to God’s word when it came

But footholds were slippery and I was surrounded

By nether demons who sought to stake their claim

Whose wanton desires for my soul were unbounded

“God, canst Thou not turn away Thy anger?”

Such shall be the pleading at Probation’s End

When the wicked are consigned to languor

With those who deferred repentance from sin

For then will my destruction be sure

As I receive recompense for my labors

Empty wages for acceding to Lucifer’s allure

Sinful, damning employment that God abhors

Oh! May I flee from my errant inclinations

And not procrastinate repentance from my sin

But readily account for my deeds and deviations

When I stand before my Maker at Probation’s End

Larry Doyle Crenshaw