His Name is Wonderful
By Lucy N. Adams | Dec 18, 2013
Hugging
my young son Ben was always a joy.
Now
that he is a grown man, I don’t remember every hug, of course, but one special
one I will never forget. It happened on the first school day in January. In his
class they were to bring a favorite Christmas gift for show-and-tell so they
could tell why it was special.
Ben was
leaving the house with nothing to share and I asked why. That dear little
6-yearold boy dropped his head and said it was because he didn’t get anything
he wanted for Christmas.
I knelt
beside him and almost cried. However, we hugged and I expressed my sorrow that
we had not chosen gifts that made him very happy. In the days to come we went
shopping and he chose a favorite toy that he had wished for.
There
may be many of those experiences following our elaborate yearly Christmas
giving. Sometimes we don’t hear such an honest appraisal of our choice, so I am
happy that I heard from Ben. I could do something to remedy his disappointment.
There
is a gift, however, that is perfect. One of my favorite songs, “His Name Is
Wonderful,” describes that gift. In fact, it was “a gift from heaven” said
composer Audrey Mieir. It has become a treasured gift to millions of Christians
worldwide. It was born at Christmas while Mieir was at church.
She
said she never intended to write a song on that Christmas day in 1955. She was
focused on the children’s Nativity scene and the sermon as she quietly sat in
church.
At
Bethel Union Church in Duarte, California, her husband’s brother, Dr. Luther
Mieir was the pastor. The joyful congregation was focused on the re-enactment
of the Nativity scene.
The
children, dressed as shepherds, were covered in oversized bathrobes. Some of
the angels’ halos were slightly crooked. Singing the glorious old carols and
hearing the scripture passages had great meaning.
The
powerful prophecy of Isaiah 9:6 went down deep into Mieir’s soul as she
cherished those words: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given...
and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the
everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.”
When that
familiar scripture was concluded, the pastor lifted his hands, closed his eyes
and said, “His name is wonderful.”
There
must have been a holy hush in Mrs.Mieir’s soul.
“I felt
as if I heard the rustle of angel wings and a musical chorus came to my mind,”
she exclaimed. On the flyleaf of her Bible she quickly wrote the words that her
brother in-law had just proclaimed, “His name is wonderful.” After she wrote it
three times, she added the sacred name of her Lord.
It
remained as only a short chorus for a few days, until she completed all of the
music and a fuller description of who Jesus is: “He is the mighty King, Master
of ev’rything, His name is wonderful, Jesus, my Lord. He’s the Great Shepherd,
The Rock of all Ages, Almighty God is He.”
The
last line is a personal reflection on the One whose name is wonderful. We want
to bow down, love and adore this wonderful Jesus.
“Bow
down before Him, Love and adore Him, His name is wonderful, Jesus, my Lord.”
Before
Mieir died in 1996 at 80 years old, some of her last words were: “His Name is
Wonderful will outlive the chubby human hands chosen to write a few black notes
on five lines and four spaces. But it will never outlive the Father who glories
in His Son’s name and who glories in our praise.”
Jesus,
name above all names, keep us calm during this Christmas rush. Help us to focus
on You above all else. We see You in the manger scenes in our homes, in stores
and placed on front lawns across the land.
May
Your wonderful Name reign supreme during each moment of our
lives. Amen.
Reprinted
with permission of the author
You can find out more about Lucy at http://www.52hymns.com/
Get a copy of Lucy's book of hymn devotions:
You can find out more about Lucy at http://www.52hymns.com/
Get a copy of Lucy's book of hymn devotions:
Hugging son image courtesy of www.morguefile.com
photo credit Children's Nativity: johntrainor via photopin cc
Jeanne, thank you for Lucy's post. I had no idea of this back round. It was precious to read.........isn't it amazing how the LORD will touch us anywhere as He did with Audrey Mieir. It truly adds to the song's meaning.
ReplyDeleteThank you Mom
A sweet story. It's good to know the background to one of my favorite worship songs learned years ago as a new Christian.
ReplyDeleteJeanne, Thank you for sharing this post. I love the stories behind the songs we sing. Each time my trio ministers in song to our church I try to share at least one back story of a song. I think it adds so much meaning to the words we sing and the music we hear.
ReplyDeleteMom, thanks for your input. Yes, I think knowing what drove them to pen the words is amazing. It brings so much more meaning to the hymn when we know the story behind it.
ReplyDeleteGod does indeed touch us in the same way He did Audrey Mieir. But, we sometimes are so busy we miss the subtle messages He brings. All the more reason to slow down and "BE"
Thank you for sharing that Kathy. Often those first exposures to His word and the music, seals truth in our hearts forever. And, just think, you have a story too--and your life is the song of response
ReplyDeleteJudy, I think it is fabulous that you share the stories during worship. That just enhances the message of the hymn and I love that the fragrance of the composer is continually released as we sing. And we can identify with their stories--real life speaks to the heart.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your thoughts