Musings of the Minstrel

As I looked at the graves of Joseph Scriven and his sweetheart and gazing down the hill to "Rice Lake", I could not help but think, "blessings come from the strangest places"! This little place is out in the middle of nowhere. This was just a common man who experienced a gut-wrenching heart-ache. Here I was standing at his grave over a 100 years later and singing the poem that he had written so long ago. This song has become one of the most sung songs around the world. In China over 23 million people sing it every year. Scriven could never have imagined that his struggle would produce such a song of blessing for so many.

You may be going through a hard time right now and you feel like everything has gone crazy. You may not write a great song but I can tell you that out of your struggle can come great blessing as time goes by. I have thought about my own life over the last few days and remembered how God carried my through some very trying times. As time has gone by the difficulties that I had to face have become a source of faith, because I know that if God brought me through that situation then he will carry me through whatever I face today.

Keep your head up! You may have tears running down your cheeks but look to the hills from whence cometh your help. Your gonna make it.

Who knows, you may write the next great hymn!

p.s. Thanks to Pastor Crawford for taking me to Scriven's grave.