O for the wonderful love He has promised

(sorry for article delay. I had to fill in for vacationing employee today at my job and will do the same early tomorrow morning.)

Will L. Thompson (1847-1909), author of the all-time classic hymn, "Softly and Tenderly," wrote one of his most popular songs, “Gathering Shells from the Sea Shore,” in 10 minutes at the age of 26.  It sold 246,000 copies.

The last stanza goes, But now we are growing up in years, Maud, Our locks are silvered and gray;

Yet the vows that, we made on the shore, Maud,

Are fresh in our memories to-day.

There still is a charm in those bright shells

And the sound of the deep ocean's roar.

For they call back the days that we spent, Maud,

Gathering up the shells from the shore.

"It became such a hit that it swept the nation from shore to shore and gathered a fortune for its youthful composer who became known as the 'bard of Ohio,' " says an article on hymnstudiesblog. "However, after a very successful career writing secular and patriotic music, at age 40 Thompson turned to composing sacred songs and established the Will L. Thompson Co., a profitable music publishing firm with offices both in East Liverpool, Ohio and in Chicago, IL.

"In Chicago, he became a personal friend of revival evangelist Dwight Lyman Moody and his chief song director Ira David Sankey.  'Softly and Tenderly,' sometimes given the title of, 'For You and For Me,' was apparently produced and copyrighted in 1880 and was a favorite of Moody’s. It was soon widely used as an invitation song in the great evangelistic campaigns conducted by Moody and Sankey in both the United States and Great Britain."

When the famed evangelist lay dying, Thompson visited Moody to lend spiritual comfort. "The story is told that in 1899 Thompson made a visit to Northfield, MA, where Moody was lying on his deathbed.  Visitors were forbidden, but when Moody heard that Thompson was there, the dying evangelist ignored doctors’ orders and demanded that his old friend be admitted. 

"Though very ill, Moody greeted the songwriter most cordially, took him by the hand, and feebly whispered, 'Will, I would rather have written ‘Softly and Tenderly’ than anything I have been able to do in my whole life.' ”

“United Methodist Hymnal editor, the Rev. Carlton R. Young, notes: “This is a typical lullaby in the gospel hymn tradition that characterizes Jesus as a mother, gently rocking and comforting a child. This attribute contributes to the continuing popularity of this genre of religious song that presents Jesus as waiting, caring, and forgiving in intimate—and for many, compelling—metaphors.”

Other well-known hymns by Thompson include: “Jesus is All the World to Me,” "Lead Me Gently Home, Father" and "There’s A Great Day Coming."

 Another blog says, "Even though he became quite rich, Thompson continued to live a life of service.  He supported various civic and religious activities generously.  He was also aware of the fact that small-town people had very little exposure to good music, so he loaded a piano on a horse-drawn wagon and went through small Ohio towns giving concerts of his music."

Lyrics to "Jesus is All the World to Me":

1.    Jesus is all the world to me,
My life, my joy, my all;
He is my strength from day to day,
Without Him I would fall.
When I am sad, to Him I go,
No other one can cheer me so;
When I am sad, He makes me glad,
He’s my Friend.

2.    Jesus is all the world to me,
My Friend in trials sore;
I go to Him for blessings, and
He gives them o’er and o’er.
He sends the sunshine and the rain,
He sends the harvest’s golden grain;
Sunshine and rain, harvest of grain,
He’s my Friend.

3.    Jesus is all the world to me,
And true to Him I’ll be;
Oh, how could I this Friend deny,
When He’s so true to me?
Following Him I know I’m right,
He watches o’er me day and night;
Following Him by day and night,
He’s my Friend.

4.    Jesus is all the world to me,
I want no better Friend;
I trust Him now, I’ll trust Him when
Life’s fleeting days shall end.
Beautiful life with such a Friend,
Beautiful life that has no end;
Eternal life, eternal joy,
He’s my Friend.