“Don’t be afraid, I’ll hold your hand. I’m here to help you.” ~ Isaiah 41:13
Thirty-two years old and a rookie
husband, Pastor Dorsey and his wife lived in a tiny apartment on Chicago's
Southside. As the featured soloist at a prominent St. Louis Revival, he looked
for an excuse to stay home with his wife who was nearing the end of her
pregnancy with their first child.
He didn’t want to leave. But Nettie had the final word.
“God will wait, people are expecting you,” she implored. So,
he kissed her goodbye and rattled out of Chicago on Route 66 on a trip that
would take several days.
The first night’s crowd of appreciative field hands, mill
workers, and townies begged Dorsey for multiple encores. When he finally sat
down, a messenger approached with a telegram. Perhaps a congratulatory note
from his loving Nettie he thought.
He ripped open the envelope. Pasted on the yellow sheet were
the words: “Your Wife just died giving birth to your son.” As a
cacophony of joyful music and song surrounded him, the new Dad felt a mixture
of guilt, grief, joy, and fear.
Pastor Dorsey rushed home and held his precious baby;
happiness Nettie would never experience. The boy’s eyes were more brilliant
than he could’ve dreamed they’d be, his hands more delicate. So light, so
perfect, so Divine.
During the night, the newborn also passed away. Dorsey
buried them together in the same casket. Then he fell apart, isolating himself for days. God had done him a grave injustice. He didn't want to serve Him anymore.
He prayed while sitting at the piano; hands browsing the keys. Peace flooded him, inspiring a melody he’d never heard or played before.
The
lyrics just fell into place. “Precious Lord, Take My Hand” became the most
famous among the over 3,000 hymns he penned.
He gave it to a friend who introduced it to Atlanta’s
Ebenezer Baptist Choir. Martin Luther King, Sr. who was the senior pastor at
that time, fell in love with the song immediately. Mahalia Jackson, Elvis
Presley, and Tennessee Ernie Ford were among the legends who later recorded it.
Known as the “Father of Black Gospel Music,” Rev. Thomas
Andrew Dorsey’s (1899-1993) song has since been translated into more than 30
languages.
As Christians, we walk by faith, not by emotions. Our feelings change constantly. Part of growing in our faith is moving beyond our moods and trusting God, knowing we don’t suffer alone. Nor do we suffer without hope. His confidence in God’s presence provided the tonic Dorsey needed to endure his grief.
