After

After the toil and the heat of the day,
After my troubles are past,
After the sorrows are taken away, I shall see Jesus at last.

Chorus:
He will be waiting for me, Jesus, so kind and true.
On His beautiful throne He will welcome me home
After the Day is through.

After the heartaches and sighing shall cease,
After the cold winter’s blast,
After the conflict comes glorious peace: I shall see Jesus at last.

After the shadows of evening shall fall,
After my anchor is cast.
After I list to my Savior’s last call, I shall see Jesus at last.

Written in the early 1900’s by N. B. Vandall, this particular hymn has a very interesting story behind it. I found the testimony from the author regarding the circumstances of this hymn’s origin in Ken Osbeck’s book “Amazing Grace.” Mr. Vandall rushed to the hospital after learning his son Paul had been hit by a car and critically injured. Here’s Mr. Vandall’s testimony:

“For one hour and fifteen minutes, I held on in prayer while they cleaned and sewed up the head wounds and set the broken bones. Wearily, I made my way back to my humble home. I tried to comfort my wife, when, in my own heart, I had no assurance. I fell on my knees and tried to pray saying only “O God!” Hardly had those words been uttered when God came. It seemed to me that Jesus knelt by my side and I could feel His arms around me as He said, “Never mind, my child. Your home will be visited with tribulation and sorrow, but in the afterwards to come, these things shall not be. Your home is in heaven, where all tears shall be wiped away! Brushing aside my tears, I made my way to the piano and wrote the song “After.” Paul did recover from the accident. He is still very nervous and his eyesight is impaired, but I thank God for His goodness in giving him back to us. God in His wisdom, through heartache, gave a song that has since been a comfort to a vast number of His people.”

I love this story because I believe God is the God of “after.” After we endure trials and tribulations, He is still on the throne. After we hear difficult news, He is still in control. After we have cried and can’t cry any more, He is there to comfort and to wrap His arms around us as He did with the author of this great song. He is the God of the “After.”

Couple of comments on the lyrics:

• “After the cold winter’s blast” – For those of you living in Southeast Tennessee, the last few days around here have reminded us that winter is not totally over. We have had a few chilly mornings lately and I have felt the cold winter’s blast on several mornings this past couple of weeks. A winter storm is one of those inevitabilities in our part of the country. These winter storms are a natural part of living where we live. We know it is coming, and we know that it will end when the spring comes. But the cold winter blast can still catch us off guard. Trials and tribulations in our lives are no different than these winter storms. They are an inevitability in this fallen world. It is not a matter of if, but when. We also know that these trials are for a season, but while enduring the trial, it is often difficult to see the end and remember what the spring and summer were like. I like that the author reminds us that “after the cold winter’s blast” that we shall see Jesus at last. Our ultimate reward for enduring the long winter is an eternity shared with Him.

• “After my anchor is cast” – I have done a couple of hymns about anchoring in Jesus, the most recent being “I’ve anchored in Jesus.” I like the imagery of dropping an anchor and making a decision to trust in Him. To put our faith and trust in One that will not change. One who is unmovable, unshakable, unfathomable, and everlasting. One who is secure. The reality is, however, that until we cast our anchor in Him, we can’t speak confidently of the “after.” We can’t say with assurance that we will see Jesus one day because our faith has not found that resting place in Him. The Bible tells us that there is no other name under heaven whereby men can be saved. Jesus is the only one. He is the “anchor that keeps the soul, steadfast and sure while the billows roll. Fastened to the rock which cannot move. Grounded firm and deep in the Savior’s love.”

It seems to me that most of us live our lives in a state of “after.” After I finish college…. After I get married…. After I get my first job…. After my kids get older…. After I have enough money in the bank to retire…. Living in the “after” is a place that is fairly common to all of us. This hymn reminds us that God is the God of “After.” It reminds us that after we experience the things that are natural parts of our human lives and our fallen existence, God is still there.

But I am encouraged today that God is a God of “Before” too. The Bible tells us that the Lord will go before us. Many times in the Old Testament, God’s chosen people were reminded that God would go before them. That He would win the battle for them. That He would do what they could not do in their own strength.

Jesus said in John 8:58, “Before Abraham was, I am.” He was proclaiming that before the nation of Israel even existed, Jesus was there. I take comfort in the fact that the Lord goes before us, is with us during trials and tribulations, and that He will be with us “After.” I hope you are encouraged today knowing the God you serve is the God of the Before, the God of the Now, and the God of the After.