If Jesus Goes With Me -- C. Austin Miles

He was thinking about his utility in the kingdom, perhaps. The words he wrote indicate this fellow pondered his choices, particularly the ones that placed him in a position to serve his God. This self-reflection wasn’t foreign to Charles Austin Miles, as he wrote the words for “If Jesus Goes With Me” upon reaching mid-life in 1908. Was there more going on that we don’t know – almost certainly there must have been, right? Are you a tool (see some tools in the picture here, and think about your role for God), like Miles may have felt when he wrote this hymn? See if Charles Austin Miles sounds like someone you know, or if you’d want to meet him someday.

C. Austin Miles had made a turn in his career early in life that impacted not only himself, but also worshippers for decades, even centuries after his blip on the human timeline. He started out to be a pharmacist when he attended two schools in Pennsylvania near the end of the 19^th Century. But by his early ‘20’s he felt something wasn’t right, and he instead took hold of an opportunity to be a songwriter and editor for a publishing company. The Hall-Mack Company became his life, but it probably wasn’t just a random chance that led to Miles’ decision. Leading the song service was one of his interests in the local church, so he’d probably been thinking about making his interest grow into more than just a hobby. When he was 24, he took the plunge, and was still at it 16 years later as he reached mid-life. Was he thinking about his past and his future too, as so many fellows do at that age? We don’t know what circumstances coalesced when he wrote “If Jesus Goes With Me” in 1908, but the words he penned suggest he felt like a missionary. His words convey a readiness to be used, with Jesus as his companion. Had Miles allowed himself some varied experiences, both high and low, because he was a willing tool? He sounds like a guy whose appetite had been whetted, and he wanted more.  That may be what motivated this songwriter, the composer of hundreds of song texts over the next several decades. How many generations of believers have drawn close to God, thinking of Him while singing about a garden meeting (Miles’s song “In the Garden”), or have thought of the Lord as a protective friend-companion because of “If Jesus Goes With Me”? Even one person’s choices, over 100 years old, can endure today.

What would I do different if I could back up, even if just a few years in reverse? C. Austin Miles’ words propose that choices in a wide variety of venues don’t matter so much. Miles may have considered being a foreign missionary – we don’t know for sure. His prose indicates he felt he could be used even if he stayed homebound. So, I need not fret over choosing one path versus another. Just be in His presence. Make certain that where I am, He can be too. He’s the only indisputable choice.    

See following site for a 4^th verse that you may not have heard: http://www.hymntime.com/tch/htm/i/f/j/ifjesusg.htm

See following sites for brief details on the composer: http://www.hymnary.org/person/Miles_CA  

http://www.hymntime.com/tch/bio/m/i/l/miles_ca.htm

For some other background on the composer, see The Complete Book of Hymns – Inspiring Stories About 600 Hymns and Praise Songs by William J. Petersen and Ardythe Petersen, Tyndale House Publishers, 2006.