The hymn BRINGING IN THE SHEAVES was written in 1874 by Knowles Shaw. The hymn has an interesting story to it. Just before Alben Shaw died, he gave his son, Knowles, two things – a prized violin and a piece of advice. The advice was this: “Be good to your mother, and prepare to meet your God”. He was barely 12 years at the time. In a bid to be good to his mother, he dropped out of school and began to work to provide for his mother and his two sisters. He also played his violin for a little extra money. He was attending a big party one day when he suddenly remembered that he had only followed part of the advice that his father gave, taking care of his mother but he hadn’t prepared to meet his God. That day he asked for forgiveness and attended the first church he could find. He grew in the way of the Lord, and when he turned 26, he began to preach. He was soon known as the “singing evangelist” of Indiana. It was while reading Psalm 126:5-6 that he got the inspiration to write the hymn BRINGING IN THE SHEAVES.
“We should strive to do things that will still be blessing God and motivating people when we are gone.”
This story rings a bell for different reasons. Firstly, parents and those who have people under their wing must never be tired of giving out regular counsel. Words are powerful, and they don’t die. Even if the words are not heeded immediately, they would take their hold in due course. Secondly, a century and a half after Knowles penned his song, people all over the world are still blessed and motivated by it. Knowles himself died relatively young – he was only 43 when he died. However, his work lives among us today. We should strive to do things that will still be blessing God and motivating people when we are gone.