Thursday, July 1, 2010

The Upper Window


Words of an old, old song came to my mind today - one that most of you have probably never heard. I loved hearing The Stewart Sisters sing it at church in days gone by. In fact, I can still hear their voices blending harmoniously as they sang about the God they served. The lyrics are based on the story of Noah and his ark, but the message is so relevant today. As I pondered worried about some uncertain times ahead, the refrain of this song - which I haven't heard in years - came clearly and sweetly to my mind and brought comfort. Hope it encourages you, too!

The Upper Window


When God spoke unto Noah, and told him to build the ark,
The Lord knew well the vessel would be cheerless and dark.
So God said build a window with outlook toward the sky,
That when it’s dark and lonesome, you’ll see Me standing by.

* Refrain:
The storms will come, but fear not; oh, children, I am nigh,
And through the upper window, you’ll see Me standing by.

It may be that affliction will rack and rend your frame
Until your mortal body is seared with fevered flame.
But do not be discouraged; just lift your tear-dimmed eye,
And through the upper window, you’ll see Me standing by.

Perhaps you’ll suffer losses, like houses, lands, and gold,
And you will feel you’re homeless, and penniless, and old;
But sweetest peace and comfort will lift your painful sigh,
When through the upper window, you’ll see Me standing by.

~Public Domain status - Anonymous/Unknown~

16 comments:

Mari said...

I've never heard that song, but what wonderful words! I love the picture too.

S. Etole said...

What a wonderful photo and song.

Glenda said...

The pic is an old grist mill near Cherokee, NC and is in a beautiful setting.

Nancy said...

I've always loved that song too! Maybe somebody should bring it back... :)

Kathy said...

What a great picture for your upper window!

Betsy Banks Adams said...

I don't know that song, Glenda. The words are great though... Love the picture. Is that in the Smokies?

Happy 4th..
Hugs,
Betsy

Ginny Hartzler said...

These words are beautiful. I'm going to try and find the tune on i Tunes or maybe Youtube. I'll ask Phil, he knows way more hyms than I do. I love your header, I've never even thought of using one of my sky photos for a header, I'll have to do that. And I love your picture, you have made it MYSTERIOUS, just like God.

Beth said...

Beautiful song and quite comforting too. The picture is lovely--the house is so quaint.
Thanks for sharing those lyrics.

WhiteStone said...

Beautiful words! And true.

Jackie said...

Thanks for reminding me of that beautiful old song. It seems like those saints from days gone by knew how to keep their focus on the "upper window" so much better than I do.

Sharon Lynne said...

What a beautiful reminder to look UP. God certainly sees everything we are going through, and maybe he even sheds a tear. But he knows best...and all things will work out for good and for his glory.

Southern Lady said...

Just beautiful! Carla

Donna Clark Goodrich said...

That song came to my mind tonight while proofreading a book telling about Noah. My brother and I used to sing it in church years ago (maybe 60 years ago!). After I got into bed, I had to get up and look up some of the words so I could put it in my blog next week--http://donna-goodrich.blogspot.com Thanks for letting me know other people remember that song.

Reg (Rainbow) Heasley said...

Just been reading again the story of Noah and was reminded of this old song although I couldn't remember all the words. Thanks for the reminder

Carole Bowers said...

My father used to sing this in churches in Idaho in the 50s and 60s.
I do wish I could hear it sung again. He has a rich baritone, much like George Beverly Shay. Carole

IXOYE said...

I love this song too. I recommend finding an MP3 of it by the old preacher, Lester Roloff. I love to sing acapella. Brother Roloff's rendition, while it has a organ accompaniment, is very simple and lends itself well to learning the tune. The hymn's subject is a great opener to a discussion about the ark as a type of forthcoming Christ!