Print this pageCHILDREN OF THE HEAVENLY FATHER
Lina Sandell, 1832-1903 Swedish Songwriter
Safely in His bosom gather;
Nestling bird nor star in heaven
Such a refuge e'er was given.
God His own doth tend and nourish,
In His holy courts they flourish;
From all evil things He spares them,
In His mighty arms He bears them.
Neither life nor death shall ever
From the Lord His children sever;
Unto them His grace He showeth,
And their sorrows all He knoweth.
Praise the Lord in joyful numbers,
Your protector never slumbers;
At the will of your Defender
Ev'ry foe - man must surrender.
Though He giveth or He taketh,
God His children ne'er forsaketh;
His the loving purpose solely
To preserve them pure and holy.
More secure is no one ever
Than the loved ones of the Savior;
Not yon star on high abiding
Nor the bird in home-nest hiding.
Carolina (Lina) Sandell Berg, [Oct. 3, 1832 - 1903] of Sweden, was bedridden as a young child with a mysterious paralysis. Her doctors could do nothing for her and believed her case to be helpless. One Sunday morning when she was 12, her parents went to church and left her home to rest. She spent her time alone in prayer and when her parents came home, they were astonished to find her dressed and walking around the house! From that time on, she wrote hymns and poems; and at the age of 16, she published her first collection. Through her experiences of God's comfort during her illness and her miraculous healing, Carolina grew in her childlike faith. Thus that became a prominent theme in many of her hymns, of which she wrote more than 650.
Previous page: December 2007
Next page: 2006