If you like music, here is a question I would like to ask you. Do you have a favorite song? Well, I do, and it’s a song that I have not known for very long. The title is “Till the Storm Passes By.” The words are terrific but the thing that makes it so special to me is that the message the song conveys is so appropriate for today.
The Lord knows we have been in a “storm” in more ways than one. First, the rancor and discord in Washington over the election, than comes COVID -19 with over a half million lives lost, and then most recently the terrible record-breaking cold that stretched all the way to the Gulf and included snow and ice that covered a big part of our country. As I write this I have no way of knowing if there is more to come, but I am safe in saying we have been in a real storm.
However, with the development of the vaccines and the snow and ice melted, and most of our plumbing problems fixed, we can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I just hope it’s not the headlights of an oncoming train. But the message of the song “Till the Storm Passes By” is wonderful. I would like to share the words, and hopefully they will bless you. Here are the words:
“In the dark of the midnight have I oft hid my face. While the storm howls above me, and there’s no hiding place, ‘mid the crash of the thunder. Precious Lord, hear my cry, keep me safe till the storm passes by.
“Till the storm passes over, till the thunder sounds no more, till the clouds roll forever from the sky. Hold me fast, let me stand in the hollow of Thy hand. Keep me safe till the storm passes by.
“Many times Satan whispered, ‘There is no need to try, for there is no end of sorrow, there is no hope by and by.’ But I know Thou art with me and tomorrow I will rise, where the storms never darken the skies.
“Till the storm passes over, till the thunder sounds no more, till the clouds roll forever from the sky. Hold me fast, let me stand in the hollow of Thy hand. Keep me safe till the storm passes by.
“When the long night has ended and the storms come no more, let me stand in Thy presence on the bright peaceful shore. In that land where the tempest, never comes, Lord, may I Dwell with Thee when the storm passes by.”
The words to this song were written in 1958 by Thomas Mosie Lister, an American singer and Baptist minister. A number of singers and groups have recorded this song, but the one I like best was recorded by Bill Gaither and friends. Because of the message, I could listen to it over and over again.
But going back to my earlier thoughts about the snow and ice storm, a lot of people, especially those on the Gulf coast, were not prepared for this kind of weather because it so rarely comes to them. After the storm had passed and pipes began to thaw, it was heart wrenching to see the effects of broken pipes and water pouring from the ceilings, sometimes down several floors, to destroy everything in its path.
It is right here that I don’t want to miss a real opportunity to heap a great deal of praise on the wonderful woman I married several years ago. Janis was in the real estate business for almost two decades and she had seen it all. The thing we worried about more than anything was losing power as our home is all electric. She insisted we purchase a butane heater, and a couple of extra tanks to provide heat, in the event we did lose power. Thankfully, we didn’t but she gets a big shout-out from me. Love you, Babe!!
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(Editor’s Note: Jim Davidson’s new book, “Your Future Begins Today” is destined to become a New York Times Best Seller. Get your copy at www.jimdavidsonnsc.com. He is giving a good portion of book sales to begin Bookcase Literacy Projects in other communities all across the nation.)