For This I'm Thankful

As I was riding in the work truck to pick up some furniture this morning, I was listening to one of my Hymns cds and the song How Great Thou Art came on.  The song was originally a Swedish poem written by Carl Gustav Boberg (1859–1940) in Mönsterås, Sweden in 1885.  It was later translated in to English and rearranged by Stuart K. Hine in the early 1920’s.  As I began to listen and to sing along with the music, I was taken back to a simpler time in my life.

You see it was this song that was the anchor that God chose to lead me to Him through His son Jesus Christ 30 years ago.  It was late 1986 and my Aunt Jan had just passed away. 

I was really close to my Aunt Jan, since her and my mother were together so much.  My brothers, sisters and I grew up with her kids.  She was like my second mother.  She fought a brave battle with Cancer, but unfortunately lost that battle in October of 1986.

It was around this time that I began to question what happens to us after we leave this life.  I was 13 years old and this was the first death that I had experienced of someone so close to me.  I can remember laying on the couch late one night listening to my Sony Walkman.  My Uncle Wayne had recorded a song in a Nashville studio when he was on vacation there and had a copy made for all of his brothers and sisters.  I happened to have my mom’s copy and was playing it that night.  As I popped it in and began to listen, something about the song gripped me.  I at first thought that since it was the song that Uncle Wayne had sung at Aunt Jan’s funeral, that I was just feeling sadness over that.  But as I continued to listen, I kept feeling this tug at my heart.  I probably listened to that song 10 or more times that night.  Just laying there in the dark crying my eyes out.  Little did I know that God had used the thing that I loved the most at that time, Music, to lead me to Him.

My Aunt Alma and Uncle Oscar had started taking us to church not long after Aunt Jan’s funeral.  I wasn’t raised in church.  It was something new and different to me.  I admit that the thing that most interested me about church in the beginning, was the fact that I got to get out of the house on a Sunday.  We usually didn’t do much on Sundays except sit around and watch TV or a Bengals game when they were on.  I hated Sundays because for me they were boring and I knew that school was coming the next day.  So now we were going to church every Sunday morning.  I began to hear more of these songs that I heard in those headphones that night, laying on the couch.  I was drawn to this music.  Hymns at church, and then someone introduced me to Southern Gospel Music.  I was hooked.  I loved it.  I wasn’t sure why, but that same feeling came over me as I would hear the words to these Sacred songs.  I remember one Sunday morning in particular at church that we were singing one of these Hymns during the end of the service, and something happened.  My mom went to the altar and gave her heart back to the Lord.  At that time, I had no idea what that meant.  All that I know is that her life began to change.  She quit smoking and drinking and was excited about going to church each Sunday.  I can remember feeling that tugging feeling that morning also, but did not know how to respond to it.

Later in the summer of 1987, we went to Church Camp at Mt. Hope Nazarene Campground.  Me and my cousin Jason.  We had been in church for a short time.  But one night they had a Youth Minister up speaking, and to tell you the truth, I cannot remember what he spoke about that night.  As they began to give the altar call, the music began to play again, and there was that tugging at my heart stronger than I had ever felt it.  I just stood there not knowing why I was crying and not understanding what was happening to me.  About that time my Pastor at the time came over to me and asked me if I wanted to go to the altar and be saved.  I had no idea what being saved was about, but my heart made my mouth say yes, and I began to walk forward.  I knelt there in that tabernacle that night, June 18th, 1987, and gave my heart to the Lord.  I didn’t know much if anything about being “Born Again” but I know that Jesus Christ came into my heart that night.  The songs that had been tugging at me, now brought such joy as I learned them and sang them.  And they still do……… after all of these years.  To know the meaning and the history of some of the great hymns and even some of the Praise and Worship songs.  Where out of such sorrow and grief………….. can come such love and peace and joy.  Much like through my Aunt’s death,  I was brought to life everlasting in Christ Jesus.  And not only I, but many other family members either were saved or came back to the Lord because of Aunt Jan’s passing.  And now I know where she is and where I am heading by God’s help and Grace!

So from hearing that song again today, I am reminded of Just how Great God is!  I have included the lyrics to the song below.  I pray that they minister to you as they did to me almost 30 years ago.

For This I’m Thankful……………………………………………………………………..