Yesterday I played this song for the offertory at our church. Afterwards the visiting missionary and his wife told me how much they liked this song and how little they heard it. This morning while I was searching for a video to add to this post my oldest daughter told me that she had heard me play this song many times but didn’t know it.

 

It seems that our knowledge of the old hymns of the faith is fading. That is so sad because so many of them were/are full of the Bible and biblical principles.

 

I love the verse that speaks about giving to others and loving as Jesus loved you. In today’s self-centered society this is a message that we all need to be reminded of.

 

The following is a little history of the song that I found while doing a search on the song.

~Make Me A Blessing
George Shuler and Ira Wilson were roommates at Moody Bible Institute in 1924.

 

At the Institute, they combined their talents and gave the world a beautiful song of consecration, “Make Me A Blessing.” Wilson wrote the lyrics and Shuler the music.

 

At first the song was rejected by music publishers, so Shuler had one thousand copies printed to distribute on his own.

 

One fell into the hands of George Dibble, an outstanding singer who was at that time music director for the International Sunday School Convention in Cleveland, Ohio. Dibble asked for permission to use the song and it was granted. Soon people everywhere were singing the song, and publishers were wanting to distribute copies.

 

Between the time Ira Wilson wrote the lyrics and the time the song began to be so well known, Wilson apparently forgot that he was the author!

 

Until he died, he never remembered that he had written these famous words.

 

—Adapted from Lindsay Terry
http://www.tanbible.com/tol_sng/sng_makemeablessing.htm

 

Out in the highways and byways of life,
many are weary and sad;
are weary and sad
Carry the sunshine where darkness is rife
making the sorrowing glad.

Refrain:
Make me a blessing,
Make me a blessing,
Out of my life
out of my life
May Jesus shine;
Make me a blessing, O savior, I pray,
I pray Thee, my Savior,
Make me a blessing to someone today.

Tell of His pow’r to forgive;
His pow’r to forgive.
Others will trust Him if only you prove
True ev’ry moment you live.
Refrain

Give as ’twas given to you in your need;
Love as the Master loved you;
Be to the helpless a helper indeed;
Unto your mission be true.
Refrain

 

Who can you bless today?