Lina, as she was known to friends and family, was in fragile he=
alth but used her hours as a pastor’s daughter in the small Swedish t=
own of Fryderyd to read voraciously with time for deep introspection. But a=
t age 26, tragedy struck. Her father, Jonas Sandell, had taken her ou=
t in a small boat off the coast near Gothenburg when a wave caused the vess=
el to lurch suddenly, he was thrown overboard, and drowned before her eyes.=
That year she penned and published 14 poems to process her grief, =
expressing her faith even in this crushing loss. Much like Horatio Spafford=
’s timeless hymn, “When Peace like a River,” at the loss =
of his daughters, Lina’s “Children of the Heavenly Father”=
; was written under the influence of incredible grace amidst heart-wrenchin=
g pain. She found calm in her Savior’s words in Matthew 6:26 “L=
ook at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns=
, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable t=
han they?” It is a favorite song of our family, often singing it toge=
ther as we went our way through life.
&=
nbsp;
Children of the heav’nly Father safel=
y in His bosom gather;
Nestling bird nor star in heaven such a refuge e&=
#8217;er was given.
God His own doth tend and nourish, in His holy courts they =
flourish;
From all evil things He spares them; in His mighty arms He bea=
rs them.
Neither life nor death shall ever from the Lord His children sever;
U=
nto them His grace He showeth, and their sorrows all He knoweth.=
Praise the Lord =
in joyful numbers: your Protector never slumbers;
At the will of your De=
fender every foeman must surrender.
&nb=
sp;
Though He giveth or He taketh, God His childr=
en ne’er forsaketh;
His the loving purpose solely to preserve them=
pure and holy.
=
Seven years later she penned her most famous hymn, “Day by =
Day”. Through it, she spoke from personal experience about the daily =
strength that the Lord had provided in the continuing struggle of His child=
ren. The loss and pain in life may never totally disappear, but even this c=
ontinual challenge can build a greater bond and deeper relationship with th=
e Lord.
Teresa and I sang this song as a duet at our wedding, and th=
e words were a testimony of His grace then . . . and still is today a=
fter 53 years of seeing His hand in the joys and challenges of life.
Day by day a=
nd with each passing moment, strength I find to meet my trials here;
Tru=
sting in my Father’s wise bestowment, I’ve no cause for worry or for fear.He whose heart is kind beyond all measure gives unto each day what he de=
ems best–
Lovingly, its part of pain and pleasure, mingling toil w=
ith peace and rest.
Every day the Lord himself is near me, with a special mercy=
for each hour.
All my cares he gladly bears and cheers me, He whose nam=
e is Counselor and Power.
The protection of his child and treasure is a =
charge that on Himself He laid:
"As your days, your strength shall =
be in measure" – This the pledge to me he made.
Help me then in every =
tribulation so to trust your promises, O Lord,
That I lose not faith’s s=
weet consolation offered me within Your holy Word.
Help me, Lord, when, =
toil and trouble meeting, e’er to take, as from a father’s hand,
One by =
one, the days, the moments fleeting, till I reach the promised land.
~~
Dr Bob Griffin
[email protected] www.grif.net
"Jesus Knows Me, This I Love!=
"