Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah

Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah

On my pavement

Some time ago, one day while I was standing on the pavement outside our house working among the plants, something happened to me. It was such an unusual experience that it immediately caught my attention. I do not often listen to music, and I cannot sing, although I very much enjoy singing in our church on Sundays. I suppose that, with our gifted organist, my off-key voice disappears among all the other voices. I enjoy it.

But on that particular day — while I was working among the plants on the pavement—I began to sing, or perhaps merely hum, the hymn Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah. Then the words would disappear. Suddenly a few words would come back. No—I do not know the lyrics of the hymn at all. But that day! What was happening?

I carried on working with the plants. I took the long new shoots of the wisteria and the bougainvillea and wove them back among the older branches. My gardener also knows that he is not allowed to cut off these shoots; I will tell him very specifically when it may be pruned. The golden rule is to tie it back, because then it forms a wonderfully thick layer of branches and leaves.

And all the while the hymn kept turning over in my mind.

I hummed it and quietly murmured the words whenever they came to me. Otherwise, since I did not know the lyrics, I simply continued humming.

The hymn remained in my head. And on my lips. No — I did not get goosebumps or cold shivers. It was simply a strange occurrence taking place within me.

Can I remember the exact day on which it happened? I asked ChatGPT for the lyrics afterwards, and the date of that conversation was Saturday, 9 November 2024. It was an ordinary sunny day, and I was wearing my sunhat to protect my bald head from the harsh sunlight. No — I was not delirious or in some kind of trance.

According to the brief notes in my diary, I was alone at home that day.

Annemarié had gone to a masterclass for botanical artists.

Our gardener was not working that day.

In the meantime, I restored the seat of a small, half-sized Tulbagh chair that I had made years ago. The woven seat had broken, and I replaced it. The chair was in the garage while I waited for the wood glue to dry. So, it is clear that I was under no stress, nor was I rushed in any way.

My half-size Tulbach chair

I was calm.

Alone.

Standing on the pavement, weaving the branches and leaves back into place.

Was there anything special about that day? Certainly not.

Was there anything at all that might have triggered these words to surface? No, not that I can remember. Remember, it was not the complete hymn—only brief fragments of it. And, of course, the melody.

When I had finished working, I picked up my gardening gloves and my pruning shears and went inside for a cup of tea. Then the melody disappeared. Only the memory of the experience remained, gently nudging me and directing my thoughts throughout the rest of the day.

It was the very first time in my entire life that anything like this had ever happened to me.

To deepen the mystery even further, I do not attend an English-speaking church for regular worship. We do occasionally sing English hymns in church, but they are usually those short, repetitive charismatic choruses that are sung over and over and over again, almost mechanically.

I cannot even remember where or when I last heard Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah. At a concert? No—we seldom attend concerts. Welsh? No—that would be completely mistaken. I did not even know that the hymn had originally been written in Welsh by William Williams in 1745 under the title Arglwydd, arwain trwy'r anialwch.

Here is a link to the song: https://youtu.be/1jkzdhpbLiw?si=AZj_aYb97Mi7IttF

Here are the words:

Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah

Guide me, O Thou great Jehovah,

Pilgrim through this barren land;

I am weak, but Thou art mighty;

Hold me with Thy powerful hand.

Bread of heaven, Bread of heaven,

Feed me till I want no more;

Feed me till I want no more.

 

Open now the crystal fountain,

Whence the healing stream doth flow;

Let the fire and cloudy pillar

Lead me all my journey through.

Strong Deliverer, strong Deliverer,

Be Thou still my strength and shield;

Be Thou still my strength and shield.

 

When I tread the verge of Jordan,

Bid my anxious fears subside;

Death of death, and hell's destruction,

Land me safe on Canaan's side.

Songs of praises, songs of praises,

I will ever give to Thee;

I will ever give to Thee.

 

Please write me at neelscoertse@wirelessza.co.za