He really admired and felt badly for his mother-in-law. But,
that’s not the conclusion of the matter, and not where Jim Hill chose to spend
his energy. He was a 25-year old who chose to look ahead, though the present could
have overruled his thoughts. Jim, who might have been in Ohio (see picture) at
the time, let his imagination be captive to thinking about “What a Day That
Will Be”, because he could tell that this inspirational focus had transported
him to a different emotional plane. And, the same thing happened later when he
and some close relatives sang this new song to the one who’d been responsible
for his motivation. Even in a mind that is debilitated, the chord that Jim had
struck was able to urge a joyful response. That’s potent stuff.
One might think that Jim Hill’s life was changed forever for
the better by a tragedy in his extended family life -- his mother-in-law’s
stroke. She was just 50 years old when this calamity struck, an incident that burdened
him emotionally, and which had been ongoing for a few years when Jim’s thoughts
turned the clock forward. James Vaughn Hill had wanted to be a professional singer
for some time, and had begun his musical journey as a teenager by taking part
in quartet singing in several groups and by studying opera. So, his gift for
music was already pretty well-developed, though reportedly he’d never really
written a song before his mother-in-law’s illness. The words came to him in a
spark, as he thought about her while driving his car, and later on his house’s
front porch with a piece of cardboard as his artistic pallete. The colors he
wove on this poetic canvas left him uncertain initially – was it any good? – though
the haste he took to record what flowed into his mind spontaneously suggested
he felt it had potential. His intuition proved accurate when he and his wife
and sister-in-law sang this invention to his mother-in-law shortly thereafter. A
smile creasing her face and some fresh vigor spoke all the words that Jim and
the women needed to hear. It was, in sense, a microcosm of what Jim could see
awaiting this dear woman, and indeed countless others. Debilitation will be
overcome by rejuvenation. Jim could foresee many ‘no mores’ – heartaches,
clouds, tears (v.1), sorrow, burdens, sickness, pain, and parting (v.2) would
all become relics, mere speed-bumps on the mortal’s way to Eternity. Think of
the glorious day approaching, instead, because it will never end. That’s therapy
for a hurting body, isn’t it?
Jim Hill’s imagination didn’t stop with his expected arrival
in heaven. He allowed himself to ponder gazing into the face of Him, and being
escorted around the forever home by none other than God (refrain). If it worked
for Jim and his mother-in-law, how about others? “What a Day That Will Be” quickly
became a Southern Gospel standard here on earth in the latter half of the 20th
Century. It’s still going, and its elemental truth hasn’t waned. A part of Jim
must have been wondering, as he saw his mother-in-law brought low, if that was awaiting
him too. Will I get sick someday, beyond recovery? Breathe deep…’probably’
might fall short of describing the prospects for this. But, Jim knew something else
that was even more likely. How about you?
One source for the song story
is the following: “The Complete Book of Hymns – Inspiring Stories About 600
Hymns and Praise Songs”, by William J. and Ardythe Petersen, 2006, Tyndale
House Publishers, Inc.
See also here for the song’s lyrics and a brief version of
the song’s story: https://namethathymn.com/christian-hymns/what-a-day-that-will-be-lyrics.html
No comments:
Post a Comment