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It is easy to listen to a Gospel song and be moved by it. It is easy to enjoy the comforting words. But what it took for the writer to come up with those words of comfort may be a side of songwriting that very few listeners will ever understand. Many of the most touching gospel songs we have today were written from the greatest heartbreak, disappointment and tragedy that a human being can face.

The beloved hymn of the church that we have all sung many times, IT IS WELL WITH MY SOUL, is one such song. The writer of this great song of encouragement was only able to pen those words after losing his entire family in a shipwreck.

Another great song written from a great tragedy was Thomas Dorsey's Precious Lord Take My Hand. He was away on the road singing gospel music when he got a telegraph saying to come home because his wife had died. He said the grief was overwhelming and he began to sing to the Lord the words Precious Lord Take My Hand Lead Me On Let Me Stand. I heard him interviewed once and he talked about the last line of the song that says Take My Hand Precious Lord Lead Me Home. He said at that point in time, he was telling the Lord, if you don't lead me home, then just hold me until I get home.

Another example of a song born out of hard times is Aaron Wilburn's Four Days Late.
Aaron told me one time that someone asked him if that song was hard to write. His reply was "NO, the song was easy to write,but the hell I had to go through for several years before I wrote it almost killed me.

Everyone experiences hard times and tragedies in their lives. That's just part of living. And many sad songs have been written in the Rock, Country, Pop, and Blues fields of music. But for the Gospel Songwriter, we are to lean on Christ in the time of trouble. Because of that we can write hope into the saddest of situations. Jesus is the difference that makes a sad song a song of hope and encouragement.

Until next time, keep on writing!

Daryl Williams
http://www.darylwilliamstrio.net

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