Thursday, July 16, 2020

I Come To The Garden Alone


Image by K Hillacre


" I listen for the fragrant grace notes."
NAOMI SHAHID NYE


Going out into the garden in the early morning brings to mind a lovely old hymn I first heard as a child. I always thought the first line was so beautiful.... I come to the garden alone while the dew is still on the roses.

In The Garden was composed by American songwriter C. Austin Miles (1868 - 1946). According to his great-granddaughter, he wrote it "in a cold, dreary and leaky basement in Pitman, New Jersey that didn't even have a window in it let alone a view of a garden." Oh my, talk about needing something lovely to think about in such a dank place. Perhaps he wrote it to encourage himself at the time. Undoubtedly it has lifted the hearts of many who have since heard those gentle words. First published in 1912, the song became popular during the twentieth century. Well known singers sang it and many included it in their own albums - people like Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, Rosemary Clooney, Perry Como, Doris Day, Elvis Presley, Willie Nelson and Glen Campbell, to name some.

I find the words restful, and their sense of beauty makes me long to walk with the One who gave us Beauty in the first place. Should you want to listen, you'll find our very own Canadian sweetheart Anne Murray singing it HERE


Peace Rose, Summer 2020

IN THE GARDEN
I come to the garden alone,
While the dew is still on the roses;
And the voice I hear, falling on my ear,
The Son of God discloses.

Refrain
And He walks with me, and He talks with me,
And He tells me I am His own,
And the joy we share as we tarry there,
None other has ever known.

He speaks, and the sound of His voice
Is so sweet the birds hush their singing;
And the melody that He gave to me
Within my heart is ringing . . . 

I’d stay in the garden with Him,
Though the night around me be falling,
But He bids me go; through the voice of woe
His voice to me is calling.


* * *

Hope you feel the peace deep in the core
of your being. Wishing you a beautiful day.

Heart Hugs,
Brenda
xox



17 comments:

  1. I love this song too. Will be singing it all day now. πŸŒΈπŸ’œπŸŒΈ

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    1. The melody and the lovely words do stay in our heads, don't they?

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  2. Heard my mom sing that a tome or two! Thanks for the knowledge of its inception! - Leila

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    1. It was fun to see you here today, Leila. And yes, it was fun to learn that tidbit of info about the song.

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  3. Beautiful images and that is a lovey old hymn. Apparently as a child i would sing it at the top of my little lungs, but i changed one line. where the song ssays,and the Son of God discloses ,Mom said I would sing,and the Son of God is Moses.Oh the mind of a child.

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    1. Oh Ruth, I did have a wee chuckle. I loved imagining you singing at the top of your lungs. The mind of a child interprets as she hear things. My dear friend said she and her siblings used to sing Hark, the Herald Angels Sing as Hark the Hairy Angels Sing.

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  4. I remember singing, and loving, that old hymn. Beautiful imagery. I often sense God's presence in my garden, and in the natural world at large. He speaks through His creation of his majesty. Now that tune is going through my head, and it's a lovely thing.

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    1. He must enjoy gardens, creating Eden in the first place. How lovely, Lorrie, to sense his presence when you are in your garden.

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  5. Beautiful post. Brought tears to my eyes.

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  6. Precious words...thank you for the story behind the hymn, which I had never heard before.

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    1. I enjoyed reading that behind the scenes story too. Thank goodness for the Internet :).

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  7. Oh my! It's been ages since I heard this hymn. I forgot all about it until visiting your post. Thank you for bringing sweet memories of my great aunt singing it back to my mind.

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  8. I remember my grandpa singing this song. It was his favorite.

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  9. This song comes to mind on occasion, a lovely old favorite. Thanks for the story behind it.

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  10. As soon as I read your blog post title, this song started playing in my head. I love this hymn! One of my favorites growing up. I had no idea the writer had no windows. That makes the song even more poignant.

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  11. Brenda this is my favourite hymn. My grandma sang It to me as a child. She was a great gardener as well as a faithful follower of the Lord. The roses in your photo are so beautiful.

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To My Beautiful Readers,

Some people come into our lives, leave footprints on our hearts, and we are never the same. ~ Franz Peter Schubert

Thank you so much for leaving your 'footprint' here in my comment box. I do appreciate you taking a moment to share your thoughts today.

Brenda xo