I will follow Thee, my Savior,
Wheresoe’er my lot may be.
Where Thou goest I will follow;
Yes, my Lord, I’ll follow Thee.
Refrain:
I will follow Thee, my Savior;
Thou didst shed Thy blood for me;
And though all men should forsake Thee,
By Thy grace I’ll follow Thee.
Though the road be rough and thorny,
Trackless as the foaming sea;
Thou has trod this way before me,
And I’ll gladly follow Thee.
Though I meet with tribulations,
Sorely tempted though I be;
I remember Thou was tempted,
And rejoice to follow Thee.
Though Thou leadest me through affliction,
Poor, forsaken though I be;
Thou was destitute, afflicted,
And I only follow Thee.
Though to Jordan’s rolling billows,
Cold and deep, Thou leadest me,
Thou has crossed the waves before me,
And I still will follow Thee.
~by James L. Elginburg, 1886
Last Thursday, marked the sixth month anniversary of when my younger brother passed away. Time has gone so slow and so fast at the same time. I still want to pinch myself and see if I will wake up out of this nightmare. Today, I was contemplating some different issues that were troubling me and I was feeling a little grumbly, when I caught myself humming my brother’s favorite hymn, I Will Follow Thee, My Savior. It made me remember how my brother always said “I’m great!” to anybody who asked how he was doing, even five minutes before he was being intubated. I don’t need to feel grumbly. Others have had it a lot harder than I do, especially my Savior. He has paved the way before us, so that when we walk through those days that either seem overwhelming because of the number of pressures coming our way, or the disappointments coming our way, or the physical pain coming our way—no matter what is troubling us, He has already been there, done that. And He will give us the strength, the comfort, the courage to get through it all, as long as we choose to follow Him. That’s what I choose today.
A great memory~and i love that song too!
Rhonda, i’ve thought of you many times since you first posted your brother passed away and every time you write about him i always intend to pop over here and tell you but just simply haven’t. i can’t imagine the loss of a sibling! i know the Lord has carried you through these months and will continue to do so!! Your trust in Jesus has certainly shined through these difficult months! God bless you!!
AMEN, AMEN and AMEN to that Rhonda. I feel exactly the same. He was the best husband I could have ever asked for and he is still an inspiration to me. Just like you, whenever I feel like complaining, thinking of Benji inspires me to be thankful, no matter what. Even in the darkest moments there are blessings in disguise if we are willing to look for them. Benji was a good example but, even better, Jesus, our Savior.
This hymn is from now on my favorite hymn and motto for my life.
Powerful message in that hymn. “I will follow Thee, my Savior, whereso’er my lot may be…” especially spoke to my heart. Ben will never cease to be an amazing inspiration to me. “…A consistent, substantial, lovable Christian is a powerful argument for the truth….” (Christ Triumphant, 329)–Ben was such a one. Thanks for sharing. I needed it. It was an encouragement to me. Keep looking unto Jesus who is the Author and Finisher of our faith and whose strength is made perfect in our weakness. He is able and will carry us through even the darkest times of our lives. :)