No Longer Lonely

11/26/2018

If you looked for a blog yesterday, I apologize: I didn’t write one. Early morning was too short, I had to leave early and be on the road. On a couple of occasions, knowing that was the case, I have written the night before. But, you know how exciting football is, I just was too riled up to think of doing that on Saturday night! (Hope you know sarcasm when you read it.) No, I’m sorry, I had the death of a friend on my mind and I just couldn’t get started. Later in the day, it just didn’t occur to me.

My friend John Patterson passed away. John was 80, I think. I met John in July of 1986, about a month before moving to Texas, at a small bible conference held in San Antonio. Bro. John and Bro. Gary Simpson attended that conference because John had become friends with my bible teacher, Bro. E C Moore, and Bro. Moore and I with Bro. Steve Gotberg were there to preach at that conference. Then, in September I started a bible class in Dallas and John and Gary came there and asked me if I could include a bible class in Arlington each trip (weekly.) 

In October of 1986 we begin a bible class in an unused office space. Bros. John and Gary at that time had sort of a partnership, two businesses in one building together. As time went on, Bro. John did what he could do better than most anyone I’ve ever met: he could get people to attend bible classes. Between John and Gary, they soon had a pretty sizable (for me) bible class and for about 15 years I went there every week. Bro. John would also take missionary trips into Mexico and be gone for several weeks at a time. 

The Lord had a great lover of His word in Bro. John Patterson. He could uniquely introduce the gospel of Christ into conversations in a fluent way, and it never seemed to bother the strangers he talked with to just change the subject matter and they would talk freely with him about their personal salvation. I wonder how many people we will know (in eternity) who were first introduced to the truth of salvation by John Patterson. May the Lord be praised for this man’s testimony. Bro. John Patterson a defender of the gospel, a very loving father, and a good friend and supporter of the ministry of reconciliation for which I thanked God often. I will miss not getting the phone calls, some would last many minutes and all of them included a short “bible class”  about whatever was on John’s mind at the time.

When I awoke an hour or so ago, two sisters in Bloomington Indiana were in my head singing—the SIMH today is “No Longer Lonely.” These two sisters sang occasionally in the church my father pastored in Bloomington or during what that group of churches called “associational meetings.” In my memory, I can only think of two songs the sang. Besides the SIMH, they also would sing “Whispering Hope.” But No Longer Lonely was a favorite of mine. It was written in the 1940s by an Australian song writer by the name of Robert Harkness. The chorus was one line, repeated once: “No Longer Lonely, No Longer Lonely, for Jesus is the friend of friends to me.” 

Mr. Harkness heard this words from a grieving Mother who had lost her son in a vicious battle in WW2. She said these words to him after he had shared some Scripture with her. He was a guest of her family and seeing a great piano in the corner of their living room he walked toward it and she stopped him from playing. It had been her son’s favorite thing to do and she couldn’t bear to hear it played, the grief was too great. 

Mr. Harkness shared with her the verse, “Casting all your care upon him, for he careth for you.” The next day, her heart, having the burden lifted, gave the title line to the songwriter as her way of saying how the grief had been lifted off her. He sat down at the piano and wrote the music and the rest of the words to this great hymn.

On life’s pathway I am never lonely, My Lord is with me, my Lord divine;Ever present Guide, I trust Him only, No longer lonely, for He is mine.

Darkest night He turns to brightest morrow, no longer lonely! He is my Friend.He has promised ever to uphold me, No longer lonely! He will be near.

No Longer Lonely, by Robert Harkness. Great consolation for a grieving soul. And the bible verse which prompted the freedom from mourning, 1 Peter 5:7, was one of my mother’s favorite verses. 

Thanks for reading, the Elder