This song, By lyricist Civilla D. Martin and composer Charles H. Gabriel
Years ago, I first heard this song on a television show, sang by a homeless woman. It moved me so much I told my mom about it, and learned she was already familiar with it. In her regular enthusiastic fashion, she sat down and played it by ear.
We had previously been scheduled to perform at church, but I hadn’t yet been able to decide what song to use. This song stuck with me so strongly that although we didn’t have the music, we worked up our own arrangement and performed it at the early service. When I walked into Sunday School afterward, the couple teaching asked how we knew that was the subject of their talk for that day. Of course, we didn’t, but it gave us all chills to feel like we’d been given a message to play this song.
Later, my mom and I were happy to perform it at the memory service for Beverly Rosson’s father, knowing he was a lifetime bird lover.
My mom had her own arrangement of the piece. Since she isn’t here to play it anymore, I felt I needed to sing it a capella here. —By Sharon French as told to Becky Rische
You can listen to Sharon’s rendition of this song below