My mother once told me many years ago that it was during the 1st World War that some words of a hymn really did help her. She was walking up the hill from Manningtree Station after saying goodbye to my Dad who was in the army and had been on a weekend leave. My mum relates that she was in a very unhappy frame of mind as they had just been told that my Dad’s brother had been killed in France. She was also very worried as she was pregnant at the time and had gone to live with her parents in Lawford and the future looked so bleak.
As she was walking, she was singing some of the well-known hymns, and then into her mind came the hymn; God moves in a mysterious way his wonders to perform, he plants his footsteps in the sea, and rides upon the storm, and then she started to sing the verse; Come all you saints, fresh courage take, the clouds you so much dread are big with mercy, and shall break in blessings on your head.
My mum felt that these words were really speaking to her that Sunday evening.
Again, and again in my younger days when I have been anxious or worried about going somewhere my Mum would remind me of these words and it has been right that afterwards I did feel that I had been unduly worried.
During these days when there is much anxiety about the future, for instance when the children go back to school, then we too should remind ourselves of these words:-
COME ALL YOU SAINTS, FRESH COURAGE TAKE, THE CLOUDS YOU SO MUCH DREAD ARE BIG WITH MERCY.
How about reading the whole of the hymn which is StF 104.