A couple of weeks ago, John came across a video about how Ethel Waters came to sing "His Eye is on the Sparrow" in a play from 'The Member of The Wedding' by Carson McCullers which opened on January 5, 1950.
We watched the video and the clip from the movie based on this play.
We watched the video and the clip from the movie based on this play.
"'I went to New York and in Bob Whitehead's home, a scene took place I'll never forget. When I saw they wanted me enough to let me tone down the part from the way Carson had written it, I brought up the matter of the second act song.'
"'The song was originally supposed to be a Russian lullaby. I had never heard tell of a colored woman, especially from Georgia, who had ever sung a Russian ditty to a child! At first I thought Carson would stick in her heels on this.
"'But finally – and she was sitting across the room from me in a big chair – she looked at me a long time with her big, sad eyes, then asked, '"What song would you sing?"'
"'I told her I had just the song. That I'd sung it all my life. She asked if I'd sing it right then.
"'I said, '"Yes, I'd sing it, but that they might as well be ready for the mention of one Name that set some people's teeth on edge. The name of Jesus."'
"'I let them know that if I sang the verse to the song I wanted to do, I'd pronounce His name with all the love and tenderness I possessed. I did add that if they'd compromise – meet me halfway – and let me sing my song, I'd even be willing to omit that verse and sing only the chorus.
"'Carson McCullers looked at me again for a long time, rubbed out a cigarette in an ash tray, and said, '"will you sing it all – now, please?"'
"'I started to sing, right there where I was sitting, and went all the way through, 'His Eye is on the Sparrow'.
"'When I finished, including the verse with the name of Jesus in it, there was a long silence in that room, except that Carson McCullers had crossed the room and was in my lap, crying.'"
Every time I watch Ethel Waters sing this, I love her. I am looking forward to seeing her when I come home. For now, I'll read her autobiography, "To Me, It's Wonderful."
Not long after watching this video and the accompanying clip, I awoke in my normal morning routine, rather bleary eyed and somewhat depressed. I sat down to start writing in my prayer journal and read my Bible verses for the day.
That day one of my Bible verses was John 13:13, "Jesus knew the Father had put all things under His power, and that He had come from God, and was returning to God."
As I contemplated the meaning of what John was trying to convey, a light broke in and changed my despondency to great joy:
Jesus knew who He was.
Because He knew who He was, I can know who I am – a much loved daughter of God's.
Jesus knew God put all things under His power.
Because all things are under Him and I seek to do God's will, and have His desires for me, I cannot fail (in the human definition).
Jesus knew He was returning to the Father.
I know Jesus sits at God's right hand. Because I know this, I can do all things through Jesus who strengthens me.
Wow!
And the other verse further encouraged me:
"So My Word which goes out from My mouth will not return to Me empty. It will do what I want it to do, and will carry out My plan well." Isaiah 55:11
I was so encouraged by those verses that my mind came back to that beautiful old hymn and I wrote it in my prayer journal.
During my prayer time, I listen to music. That day, the music was a bit annoying, so I skipped that CD to track 15 (there are 19 tracks on this CD). By the time I'd read my verses for the day, that particular CD ended and the next one began. By the time I finished quoting "His Eye is On the Sparrow" in my prayer journal, that song began playing on the CD!
God is so good! To say that isn't expressing enough of what I feel when I say,
"God is so good!" there are no words to describe this amazing knowledge that Almighty God cares enough to speak to me and prepare to speak to me on a day I needed His voice!
And the amazing thing, too, is that He doesn't want to do it for just me. He wants to do for each and every individual what each and every individual needs. His love is so overwhelmingly generous that we can never comprehend all He wants to do for us through Jesus Name.
Ethel Waters knew it.
Now I know it.
I hope everyone who reads this gets to experience it.
Jesus. The Constant Friend is He.
Not long after watching this video and the accompanying clip, I awoke in my normal morning routine, rather bleary eyed and somewhat depressed. I sat down to start writing in my prayer journal and read my Bible verses for the day.
That day one of my Bible verses was John 13:13, "Jesus knew the Father had put all things under His power, and that He had come from God, and was returning to God."
As I contemplated the meaning of what John was trying to convey, a light broke in and changed my despondency to great joy:
Jesus knew who He was.
Because He knew who He was, I can know who I am – a much loved daughter of God's.
Jesus knew God put all things under His power.
Because all things are under Him and I seek to do God's will, and have His desires for me, I cannot fail (in the human definition).
Jesus knew He was returning to the Father.
I know Jesus sits at God's right hand. Because I know this, I can do all things through Jesus who strengthens me.
Wow!
And the other verse further encouraged me:
"So My Word which goes out from My mouth will not return to Me empty. It will do what I want it to do, and will carry out My plan well." Isaiah 55:11
I was so encouraged by those verses that my mind came back to that beautiful old hymn and I wrote it in my prayer journal.
During my prayer time, I listen to music. That day, the music was a bit annoying, so I skipped that CD to track 15 (there are 19 tracks on this CD). By the time I'd read my verses for the day, that particular CD ended and the next one began. By the time I finished quoting "His Eye is On the Sparrow" in my prayer journal, that song began playing on the CD!
God is so good! To say that isn't expressing enough of what I feel when I say,
"God is so good!" there are no words to describe this amazing knowledge that Almighty God cares enough to speak to me and prepare to speak to me on a day I needed His voice!
And the amazing thing, too, is that He doesn't want to do it for just me. He wants to do for each and every individual what each and every individual needs. His love is so overwhelmingly generous that we can never comprehend all He wants to do for us through Jesus Name.
Ethel Waters knew it.
Now I know it.
I hope everyone who reads this gets to experience it.
Jesus. The Constant Friend is He.