Richard Hollerman

Years ago, after I left my hometown, I went east and began to work as an orderly in a hospital (in Lancaster, Pa.). I suppose that it was a large one, with six floors and 600 beds. A year later in another state, I worked in a smaller place, with one floor and about 120 beds. Both gave me a look at the world and life.

Anyway, to return to my “story,” when I first left the house, I found a small church (that no longer exists) and there I began meeting. The “preacher” there was a new one who had come from Abilene, Texas. I remember him and his wife well (they were Elvis and Betty). Then there was also the previous preacher and his wife (Paul and Jean), and their two sons. I rode with them many times in the week since they only lived a mile or so from where I was residing). They are both gone now. Presently, I don’t remember if anyone else was there but these I do remember.

It was on a night of the Lord’s day and we had our song books there and opened. One of the men there said that he would recommend a song that probably is in your own song book for it is a relatively common one. It is entitled, “Have You Counted the Cost?” I don’t remember having sung this song before and it made a profound impression on me and I remember at this time and day. We all turned to the song and began to sing. This is the way it goes:

“There’s a line that is drawn by rejecting the Lord,

Where the call of His Spirit is lost,

And you hurry along with the pleasure mad throng,

Have You counted, have you counted the cost?”

Then the chorus goes:

“Have you counted the cost,

If your soul should be lost,

Though you gain the whole world for your own?

Even now it may be that the line you have crossed,

Have you counted, have you counted the cost?”

Consider those words.

We did on that dark and mystical night of long-ago. I know that some of this does sound somewhat Calvinistic, but they do have a meaning for us. This “line” is haunting isn’t it? If we “reject” the Lord and go our way without Him, we or God have placed a “line” (perhaps in the “sand”?) that tells the Lord on us. That night, as I sung those words, I was struck with the meaning of them and thus touched me deeply. Have I counted the cost? Have I allowed the Spirit to touch my soul and did I respond to Him in life?

Did I “barter my soul” and allowed the world to enter my own life and pull be away from eternal life? Did I allow the “joy” of this world and what it could offer to pull me away from God and His will? I had to think of the Lord and the “door of His mercy.” Had I “exhausted” his love or was I willing to “yield” to Him and find forgiveness in Him?

The refrain, touched me deeply. Have I been willing to “count the cost” and thus find full release through Him? In the light of Acts 20 and Philippians 3 and other similar passages, we wonder whether we have “counted the cost” and been willing to come to Jesus for His cleansing? With my “soul” in the balance, we must ask ourselves if we have been willing to come to Jesus and there find His sweet forgiveness.

That night, when the world around us went on its way, had I really been willing to come to God and find His sweet forgiveness? I know now and I knew then that life is short and forgiveness lies before me. The “line” spoken of in the song is before me and it is before us. What will we do with it?

Paul is gone. Jean is gone. I don’t know about the couple of others. But God is still here and we must find the “line” before us, the one that leads from earthly life to God’s presence. Now is the time to come to the “line” and cross the “line” and find forgiveness through Jesus. Regardless of how we answer the “Song,” we know that God knows and we must find refuge in Jesus alone.