I learned something new tonight.
During a concert of the Touring Choir from my high school, the famous (in my circle) Mr. Hartzler, choir director extraordinaire, mentioned that the song "Precious Lord, Take My Hand" was written after the death of the author's wife and baby (the story is here). I had never heard that before, but that knowledge makes the words even more poignant.
As I sit here tonight and wind down at the end of a busy, full day, I can say with that powerful hymn, "I am tired, I am weak, I am worn," but now I know that my fatigue and emptiness are nothing compared with what Thomas A. Dorsey was enduring when he wrote that song.
Still, I'm so very grateful that my precious Lord leans down to wrap my hand in His strong one.
2 comments:
i just love backstorys... :)
Thanks for sharing this. It brought tears to my eyes to read the story on the link you posted. It breaks my heart every time I learn of the terrible grief it seems so many of our best-loved hymns were written out of. Maybe it's not so many, maybe it's just that those are the ones I remember the stories behind them.
This also gives me great pause in dealing with my own children. Here I am, blessed with health and happiness and 3 healthy, happy children. Yet, when they get tired and cranky, or get in the habit of being disobedient, I run out of patience oh so quickly! Somehow, this story makes me stop and think, "How will my children remember me?" Even if I live to be 100, I don't want them to remember a crabby, barking, harsh mother. I must pray more for patience with them, especially during these hot days of summer.
Anyway, thanks for the post. It's been a good one for me to read.
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