“All the Way my Savior Leads Me”
I think Kelly got in her 10,000 steps today! We’d been away on a trip, and after a warm and wet welcome home, she was on my heels all day. This morning, unbelievably, Don and I spent three hours preparing for our housecleaner. And that was after unpacking, doing about six loads of laundry (not only from the trip, but from having our broken washer/dryer replaced while we were gone), and cleaning up yesterday.
So this morning I walked …
* from the bedroom to the den to put away some paperwork
* from the den to the kitchen
* from the laundry room to the bedroom to put away clean clothes.
Back and forth, forth and back. And every step of the way, she shadowed me.
I thought, this is what Jesus wants from me – that I delight in His presence, want to stay by his side, to remain close every step of the way He leads me.
There are differences, of course, major ones. Jesus is my Lord and Savior, infinite, all-knowing, loving, just, compassionate, wise. And He has promised never to leave me. He won’t take off for a couple of weeks to travel. He’s always available.
But do I stay close? Often I don’t. I get busy and allow life to box me in, stretch me, pull me this way and that and when there is distance between my Lord and me, I know it’s not Him who’s pulled away.
In 1875, Frances (“Fanny”) J. Crosby penned the words to the beautiful hymn, “All the way my Savior Leads Me” (beautifully sung by the Haven Quartet in the link below). Crosby played the piano, harp, guitar, and organ, and wrote over 8000 hymns, despite being blind from shortly after birth. Crosby once said: “It seemed intended by the blessed providence of God that I should be blind all my life, and I thank him for the dispensation. If perfect earthly sight were offered me tomorrow I would not accept it. I might not have sung hymns to the praise of God if I had been distracted by the beautiful and interesting things about me.”[33]
Despite my tendency to wander, I want to walk close to my Savior, to rely on Him moment by moment, to follow His leading, to trust Him as my little Kelly-shadow trusts me.
What’s a song that ministers to your soul and reminds you to lean in on Jesus? I’d love to hear about it.
Thank you, Carol. Such a warm-hearted post. I could picture dear little Kelly on your heels. She missed you! One of my favorite hymns is “Oh Thou Great Jevovah” by William Williams of Wales. I got to visit his home and stand near his writing desk while singing this hymn with others on our Hymn-Sing trip to England in 2013. My favorite line: “Pilgrim through this barren land; I am weak, but Thou art mighty, Hold me with Thy pow’rful hand.”
Thank you, Karen. Tears came to my eyes reading one of your favorites, and that precious line “Pilgrim through this barren land: I am weak, but Thou art might, Hold me with Thy powerful hand.” I appreciate your sharing that and am so thankful for our God’s faithfulness. Love you!
Dear Carol, thank you for posting such a dear illustration of following Jesus! Also the music video blessed my heart. Sometimes I grow weary of the race marked out for me, but this morning the LORD actually awakened me of His words, “Come to Me all you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest. . . learn from Me for I am gentle and humble in heart” Mt 11:28-29. Now your blog and this song added to God’s sweet message to me today. Love you, dear friend!
Oh MarJean, that’s precious. I’m so glad for God’s encouragement to you this morning, and grateful I could add to that in a small way. God is so faithful to show us His character, His heart, through music, others, creation, and even our loved little pets. Isn’t He amazing! I love you too!