Gideon Edward Macomber, age 14
The author and composer of this hymn is Helen Howarth Lemmel, she was born on November 14, 1864, in Wardle, England, and she died November 1, 1961. She was the daughter of a Wesleyan Methodist pastor and came to America from England with her family when she was 12. She lived in Mississippi for a short time and then settled in Wisconsin. She got a reputation of being a good singer; she also had taken private voice lessons in Germany for 4 years.
In 1918, a missionary friend gave Helen a tract. As she read it, Helen’s attention was focused on this line: “So then, turn your eyes upon Him, look full into His face, and you will find that the things of earth will acquire a strange new dimness.” She said that:
“Suddenly, as if commanded to stop and listen, I stood still, and singing in my soul and spirit was the chorus of the hymn with not one conscious moment of putting word to word to make rhyme, or note to note to make melody. The verses were written the same week, after the usual manner of composition, but none the less dictated by the Holy Spirit.”
Since then Helen’s hymn has been translated into many different languages and used to challenge Christians to stay devoted to God.
Sources
Osbeck, K. W. 101 More Hymn Stories. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Kregel Publications,1985.
Osbeck, K. W. Amazing Grace. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Kregel Publications,1990
McQuaid, E. There is Hope. Bellmawr, New Jersey: The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry, Inc.,1996
