How Great ThouArt!

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One of my favorite hymns "How Great Thou Art". I am sure that there are generations of folks by now that have never heard of this song, but it is a staple for me when I need to declare His greatness over my life. This hymn actually derived from a poem written in the late 1800's by a Swedish gentleman, Carl Boberg; who was so inspired by the view from his window by the sea, after witnessing a thunderstorm with lightening and then seeing the aftermath of a beautiful clear sky.

 My sweet memories of singing this hymn goes back to my childhood and hearing the St. John Methodist Church choir sing it. My mom who was a in the choir would sometimes let me sit with her in the choir loft. So I had a ring side seat! That tiny choir loft with my sister sometimes playing on that antique (even then) piano, my Mom singing in her sweet soprano voice among the other not so perfect voices, and me sitting on the steps and following along in one of the old hymn books, is a treasured memory for me.

Back then, when the choir would sing "How Great Thou Art" , even as a child, I understood that God was not only bigger than I was, but He was more important and bigger than anyone and anything! 

Those Sundays in church were followed with a delicious Pot Roast or Chicken dinner with all the trimmings; then later we would eat our dessert while watching the "Ed Sullivan" show and cheering when a black person or group was featured, like the Supremes, Gladys Knight and the Pips or comedian Dick Gregory! You see we lived in a small town that was still holding on to segregation laws, so when we saw "us" on TV, it was a celebration! Amidst it all God kept our family, rather it was worshipping together at church or sitting around the TV eating our banana pudding. He is a Great Almighty God! He is the God that created the magnificent universe that inspired Carl Boberg many years ago to write the poem that resulted in the hymn; and He is the same God that created us, love us, and knows our every need.

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