Lyrical Friday - Next Time

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This was not like any Friday...
The Environmental students were given an all day passes to skip other classes in order to spend that school day working outside. I spent all day with my fourth period class pulling weeds, planting, trimming, watering, moving many things around, among other garden work. Being teenagers we didn't just work hard outside, we killed time too. We talked, we laughed, we enjoyed each others company and at the end of the day we all said good-bye and went our merry way.

The weekend faithfully rolled in and with it much excitement. Saturday morning arrived with Prom preparations: hair, nails, makeup, dress, drive, arrive and party on. Sunday was more of a day of rest. And so the weekend had come and gone.

Monday Morning is a day I will never forget, along with the days leading up to it. We were greeted at school with the tragic news that three students had passed away during the weekend: two Senior boys right after Prom in a freak car accident and one teenage girl committed suicide. Horrible way to start the week. I didn't ask to many questions as too the who's and what, I just minded my own business. That is, until my first period class when someone asked me how I was coping with Susy's death.

It was as if they were talking about another Susy.
This couldn't be real. Susy. Susy!? But I had spent all Friday with her. We were talking, laughing and having a good time... suicide? All sorts of thoughts kept crossing my mind, nothing making sense. Still the fact remained, Susy had committed suicide Friday evening after school.

Susy was dead and I was left alive with questions, doubts, fears, guilt, regret and many days ahead of no sleep. She had spent all day with me, and I was too consumed with myself to see her need. I had spent all week and all day with her yet was too self-conscious to speak up and share with her what God had been prompting me to tell her. I spent all day with her and I was too self absorbed to offer her the only solution to her problems: Jesus.

It wasn't too long after that I vowed before the Lord that I would never be ashamed of the Gospel or hide it from anyone. With blood on my hands, tears in my eyes and after many years still heartbroken, I owe it to God (who has restored me) and Susy to speak up for the sake of the cross. Jesus died for you, for me, for that coworker of yours that seems fine, for the student that sits next to you in class, for the guy who you cross paths with on random days, He died for all... you may never have a next time to share Christ with those around you. I beg you, do not be to afraid to intrude with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Next Time, The Arrows Band


I never get tired of believing You
I never get tired of trying to breakthrough
I just get tired of myself sometimes
Cus' you know that it's so easy to be human
It's so easy to make excuses
But the simple truth is I was too scared of intruding

These are peoples lives you're playing with He said
Every time you get a little bit scared
You let another one slip through the net He said
They need Me more than you need to be comfortable
I said stop listening to your head

Oh and Listen to Me
Your mind doesn't understand the things that I see
Next time next time next time listen to Me
Because my voice should be louder than your reasoning, your reasoning
Those human things

Cus' if I don't go when you say go
If I don't speak when you say so
We might find that we run out of pace to see the world around us changed
If I don't move when you say move
Cus' I don't trust what you told me to do
It might never come around again
Heeeeey, next time I'll do it your way

You never know where the Spirit has been whispering at night
You never know where the angels have been putting up a fight
We cannot see with our own eyes
Everything is organised
We can only view when it’s our turn to go
Switch on the lights!


But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? Romans 10:14