'Tis So Sweet

1. ’Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,
   Just to take Him at His Word;
   Just to rest upon His promise,
   And to know, “Thus saith the Lord!”
   
   
   This is the first line of the old hymn that was penned by Louisa M. R. Stead in the late 1800s. Louisa was just a small town girl from Dover, England who knew from early on she wanted to be a missionary. After moving to Ohio and attending a camp, she dedicated her life to being a missionary.  Shortly afterwards she married and had a little girl. 
   
   
   Refrain:
   Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!
   How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er;
   Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
   Oh, for grace to trust Him more!
   
   
   When her daughter was about four years old, the young family decided to picnic on Long Island Sound. As they relaxed, they heard splashing and small cries for help. Louisa's husband rushed into the sound when they spotted a boy struggling to stay afloat. Tragically, Louisa's husband was pulled under the water by the small boy as he struggled to help him. They both drowned as Louisa and her daughter helplessly watched.
   
   
   Oh, how sweet to trust in Jesus,
   Just to trust His cleansing blood;
   And in simple faith to plunge me
   ’Neath the healing, cleansing flood!
   Louisa wrote this hymn shortly after these two horrific deaths. Such a simple song, yet; it has such a powerful message of resolve and faith. Her line, and in simple faith to plunge me 'neath the healing, cleansing flood! Displays the comfort Christ gives with a little bit of simple faith. In such a tragic time, Louisa held onto her pillar trusted in Jesus to heal her loss and cleanse her of the heartbreak I am sure she must have felt during that time. 
   Yes, ’tis sweet to trust in Jesus,
   Just from sin and self to cease;
   Just from Jesus simply taking
   Life and rest, and joy and peace.
   This young woman was determined to continue on even through the loss of her husband. Although Louisa battled with illness throughout her life, that did not let her stop her dreams of moving to Africa soon after her loss. In South Africa she served as a missionary for fifteen years and remarried to a South African man. Over the course of her life she had to move back to the United States because of her health twice, but after each time she returned to Africa to continue her work serving the Lord, until she was too sick to continue and had to retire and return to the U.S. 
   I’m so glad I learned to trust Thee,
   Precious Jesus, Savior, Friend;
   And I know that Thou art with me,
   Wilt be with me to the end.
   Louisa's life depicted the words of her hymn. She let Jesus lead her throughout life and He filled her with joy and peace, despite the sorrows that she faced. Although I have never faced a tragedy like Louisa's, I can identify with Louisa's joy that comes with trusting Jesus. It is humbling to me to see how God has shown me his loving and caring Fatherhood. The last two years have been a journey of learning to trust. But I can joyfully sing the title and words of this hymn as a song of praise to my Precious Jesus, Savior, Friend. 
2. Until Next Time, 
3. Mikayla
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