This song’s history is proof that a specific story and a
known author-composer are unnecessary for its survival and propagation. But,
there’s also one little-known verse written by Ellis J. Crum in 1977, a verse
that adds to the emotional tenor of the song’s message. Crum’s background fits
into the message of “I Know the Lord Will Find a Way for Me”, so it’s easy to
understand why he might have wanted to add something to its foundation, to this
simple poem with which he already must have identified. Was the composer or
composers of the song’s original three verses also of the same approach to life
and faith as Crum? Crum must have thought so. What approach was that? What would
a road sign to heaven look like …anything like this one shown here (a European
one) that indicates a restriction on the road? Or, is God’s road more open?
Ellis J. Crum was an evangelist in the U.S. and around the
world up until his death in 2011. Therein lies the focus of his life, and the
source of the verse that he penned for this tune that most often is attributed
to no particular person. Instead, its attribution is commonly noted among the
untold number of songs in the “American Folk Music” or ‘Traditional” genre. While
its origin details are unknown, we can guess based upon its words what the song’s
author was thinking. No mystery here, for the writer makes it plain that he
trusted God to blaze the trail for him to follow. He placed his life’s focus
squarely on making that conviction known to others and on an abiding knowledge that
he would hear the Lord affirm him in eternity. That must have resonated with
Crum, too. Besides preaching God’s message in Indiana, California, and
Connecticut, Crum reached out to people with His truth in Canada, as well as on
missionary journeys into Africa. Ghana must have been especially important to
him, as his friends and loved ones were encouraged to make memorial gifts to
that mission work in Crum’s name in 2011. What was the verse that Crum penned?
Crum noted how magnificent he expected it would be to meet the Lord with all
other believers. What a picture, expressed in the original three verses, to
know He’s cleared the pathway, inspired me to spread this great hope, and
expect to hear Him say ‘Well done!” Crum’s verse says ‘Indeed, just ponder the
moment when you will witness Him coming with all the other saints’. Just keep
walking in the light of those thoughts, Crum and his anonymous co-writers and
believers tell us.
It’s something you
can easily imagine Crum must have spent many years telling listeners across the
globe. The song’s drumbeat is a positive
image of how to be a believer, how to cause others to see His hope-filled
connection with humankind. Always try to do what’s right, avoid the wrong, so
that you can be with Him. It’s a simple formula. If I can just follow it, I can
know He’s made a way. Try telling this to others today.
See the following link to a site that describes American Folk
Music, the genre of this hymn: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_folk_music
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