Rev. Ray and Pat Amos
Psalm 8:3-4
DEVOTION FOR TODAY, December 2, 2019
“When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers—
the moon and the stars you set in place—
what are mere mortals that you should think about them,
human beings that you should care for them”
John Jacob Niles wrote the following words in his biography: “A girl had stepped out to the edge of the little platform attached to the automobile. She began to sing. Her clothes were unbelievable dirty and ragged, and she, too, was unwashed. Her ash-blond hair hung down in long skeins…. But, best of all, she was beautiful, and in her untutored way, she could sing. She smiled as she sang, smiled rather sadly, and sang only a single line of a song.”
This happened in the town of Murphy, North Carolina. Niles wrote of hearing the girl named Annie Morgan sing a repeated the fragment seven times in exchange for a quarter per performance: “I wonder as I wander out under the sky, How Jesus the Savior did come for to die for poor on’ry people like you and like I… I wonder as I wander out under the sky.”
Niles left with three lines of verses and composed the version of “I Wonder as I Wander” that is known today. That was 1933; and she was the poor daughter of a homeless evangelist living out of their car.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” Matthew 5:3. A great cultural danger for us is to lose the wonder of Christmas; or even the wonder of our faith. This tends to happen as we become overburdened with crowded schedules, the busyness of the season, and all our stuff.
Gypsy Smith was a true gypsy, and a great evangelist who died at age eighty-seven with more freshness and vigor than most preachers will ever know. When he was asked how he kept such energy and zest of life, he answered, “I have never lost the wonder.”
It is day two of the season of Advent. Let’s be sure to keep the wonder in all our wanderings.
Grace and Peace, Rev Ray
“Link to YouTube Video – I Wonder as I Wander”
