Backstory:

I have always loved the hymn, How Great Thou Art. So of course I had to look up the backstory behind the lyrics. It was originally from a poem by a Swedish preacher named Carl Boberg. He came from a visit to a beautiful country estate on the southeast coast of Sweden. He got caught in a midday thunderstorm with awe-inspiring moments of flashing violence, followed by a clear brilliant sun. Soon afterwards he heard the calm, sweet songs of the birds in nearby trees. The experience prompted Boberg to “fall to his knees in humble adoration of his mighty God.” A British minister named Stuart K. Hine contributed heavily to the version of How Great Thou Art that we are familiar with today.

Then Sings My Soul

Dear Father, you know that I have struggles that seem heavy at times,

And feeling the weight on my shoulders feels like a huge boulder I have to carry sometimes.

Some days I feel like a figurative thunderstorm is roaring inside of me,

With thunder, rain and lightning striking my soul and obstructing what I can see.

Then the sun comes out after the storm is over,

And I feel the sun’s rays on my shoulders as to You I draw closer.

Then my soul starts to sing as I look at the beauties of nature around me,

And inside my soul, I start to feel free.

I wish that I could feel like this every minute of every day,

Because the gratitude and the joy in my heart is more than I can adequately say.

But there is opposition in all things and the clouds come out inside me from time to time,

And sometimes I feel like my soul is so weak from all of the storm’s grime.

My soul sings again when I think that You sent down to earth Your Beloved Son,

And You sacrificed Him so that my burdens wouldn’t seem as heavy as a ton.

Your Son willingly sacrificed Himself so that I will never feel alone,

And because of this amazing sacrifice my mind is completely blown.

My Loving Father, I know that You are always there,

And that for me and all of Your children you do always care.

Please, help me to feel more joy in my soul,

So that my heart will feel whole.

The Takeaway: We all have hard times when we might feel like there is a storm inside of us. But there is always hope because we have a Loving Heavenly Father who knows and loves us very much. And He sent His Beloved Son to suffer so that we don’t have to suffer. He will help heal the broken parts of us. There is always something to be grateful for that can make our hearts sing for joy.