I Wonder As I Wander

I wonder as I wander out under the sky
How Jesus the Saviour did come for to die
For poor on’ry people like you and like I;
I wonder as I wander out under the sky

When Mary birthed Jesus ’twas in a cow’s stall
With wise men and farmers and shepherds and all
But high from God’s heaven, a star’s light did fall
And the promise of ages it then did recall.

If Jesus had wanted for any wee thing
A star in the sky or a bird on the wing
Or all of God’s Angels in heaven to sing
He surely could have it, ’cause he was the King

This particular Christmas song was written in the early 1930’s by John Jacob Niles, “The Dean of American Balladeers.”  Mr. Niles had a tremendous influence on several famous American folk singers including Joan Baez, Peter, Paul and Mary, and Burl Ives (of Frosty the Snowman fame).  The song has it’s origins from nearby Murphy, North Carolina.  Mr. Niles had gone to Murphy to participate in some “evangelical, revivalist” meetings.  A young lady and her family had been living in the town square of Murphy, and had been washing their clothes in the town square fountain.  The local authorities had asked them to leave because they had become somewhat of a nuisance.  Mr. Niles heard that young lady named Annie Morgan sing the words of an Appalachian folk song.  Her voice and the “haunting” melody stirred him to pay her to sing the song nine times so that he could write down the words and compose the tune.  In his biography, Mr. Niles described young Annie Morgan:

“A girl had stepped out to the edge of the little platform attached to the automobile. She began to sing. Her clothes were unbelievable dirty and ragged, and she, too, was unwashed. Her ash-blond hair hung down in long skeins…. But, best of all, she was beautiful, and in her untutored way, she could sing.  She smiled as she sang, smiled rather sadly, and sang only a single line of a song.”

I wonder (pardon the pun) about this young lady and her family.  Were they truly wanderers?  Were they folks that moved town to town following revival meetings?  Were they hungry and poor, wandering from place to place looking for food in the middle of the Great Depression?  Did they just “wander” into Murphy and just happen to meet this young songwriter and composer by chance? Had this young lady, who had washed her clothes in the city fountain, also been washed by the blood of Jesus?  Did she just wonder about the saving grace of Jesus in the sense that she questioned her salvation, or did she wonder about her salvation in the sense that it truly was a wonder?  That God’s own Son would come as a baby to save sinners.  I hope today that you wonder – not that you question your relationship with the Lord, but that you wonder about how amazing, and wondrous His love truly is.

Couple of comments on the lyrics:

• “Poor, on’ry people” – There is some dispute as to the actually wording of this line.  Some of the background I found use the word “ordinary” and others have “ornery.” “Ordinary” can mean “of no special quality” or “commonplace” or “unexceptional.”  Although my pride hates to admit it, I have to admit that I am ordinary.  God didn’t choose me because of some special quality.  He loved me and He chose me in spite of my ordinary-ness.  “Ornery” means “ugly and unpleasant in disposition” or “stubborn” or “low.”  Once again, I hate to admit it, but I too can be ornery (That “Amen” you just heard was from my mother).  I can be stubborn, and as much as I try not to, I can act ugly.  But once again, God loves me in spite of those things.  It is a wonder that He does, but I know from His Word and from my personal experience that He does.

• “‘Cause He was the King” – The fact that our Lord came to this earth in such humble ways (in a manger, to a young Jewish maiden) does not take away from who He was.  He is King of Kings in Heaven.  He was King of the Jews while hanging on the Cross.  And He was the King of the universe as an infant in the manger.  He could have came to this earth in whatever manner He chose to.  He could have announced His birth to Herod or to Pharaoh.  But He chose to humble Himself, and became obedient unto death – even death on the Cross.  He did all these things ’cause He was, and is, the King.

There’s a popular song from the late 80’s, early 90’s entitled “God uses ordinary people.”  The song goes like this:

Just ordinary people,

God uses ordinary people.

He chooses people just like me and you,

who are willing to do as He commands.

God uses people that will give Him all,

no matter how small your all may seem to you;

because little becomes much

as you place it in the Master’s hand.

So are you one of those “or’ny” ordinary people that God uses?  Do you allow Him to work in the ordinary tasks of life to bless others?  Do you do ordinary things like say, “Thank you” or “God Bless You” to strangers you meet at the post office, the grocery store, or the gas station?  Do you do ordinary things like send cards, bake cookies, and visit shut-ins to let others know that God loves them, especially this time of the year?  These are the kind of ordinary things that God is calling His ordinary people to do.  I hope that you hear His voice, and heed the Holy Spirit’s call when He asks you to do some “ordinary” things this Christmas season.