He can heal your spirit.

Many times we pick up a hymn book, sing the songs with little attention to the words, and less interested in the history of the song. For example: Thousands of people have sung the song "Precious Lord" thousands of times. Yet not many really know the history of that song. So, would you like to know how this song came about? Read on.

Back in 1932, a young man named Tommy Dorsey and his wife lived in a little appartment on Chicago's south side. One hot August afternoon he had to go to St. Louis where he was to be the featured soloist at a large revival meeting. His wife Nettie was in the last month of pregnancy with their first child. Wanting to stay home, but knowing alot of people expected him in St. Louis, he kissed Nettie good-bye, went down stairs and got in his 'Model A' and headed out of Chicago on Route 66. However, just outside the city he began to have an anxiety about leaving. He turned around and headed back. He found Nettie sleeping peacefully. Something was strongly telling him to stay, but eager to go and not wanting to disturb Nettie, he shrugged off the feeling and slipped out of the room. The next night, the crowd called on him to sing again and again. Just as he finished and sat down, a messenger boy ran up to him with a Western Union telegram. he ripped open the envelope, and, pasted on the yellow sheet were the words: YOUR WIFE JUST DIED. The people were singing and clapping, he could hardly keep from screaming out. Tommy rushed to a phone and called home; all he could hear on the other end was, "Nettie is dead...Nettie is dead." His precious Nettie had given birth to a baby boy. That night the baby died. He buried his wife and his son together in the same casket. For days he withdrew himself-feeling that God had done him an unjustice. he didn't want to serve Him anymore...write gospel songs...he just wanted to go back to the world he once knew so well. His mind kept going back to that day..something telling him to stay with Nettie. Was that something God? "If I had only stayed, I would have been with Nettie when she died." The following Saturday he went up to Malone's Poro College, a neighborhood music school. As the evening sun crept through the curtained windows, he sat down at the piano, and his hands began to browse over the keys. At that moment something happened to him. Suddenly he felt at peace. It was as though God had reached out His hands and touched him. As his fingers touched the keys, he began to play a melody, and the words just began to fall in place: "Precious Lord, take my hand, lead me on, let me stand. I am tired, I am weak, I am worn. Through the storm, through the night, lead me on to the light, take my hand, Precious Lord, lead me home." ~The following words are pinned from the lips of this man: "He healed my spirit. I learned that when we are in our deepest grief, when we feel farthest from God, this is when He is closest, and when we are most open to His restoring power. And so I go on living for God willingly and joyfully, until the day comes when He will gently take my hand and place it in Nettie's again and gently lead me home. Tommy Dorsey."