The Outstretched hands

I recall reading the story of a man who had a nervous breakdown. On his doctor's advice he went to a quiet resort to rest. But worries kept flooding his mind. He could not sleep, so in the middle of the night he got up and went to the swimming pool to have a swim. He stood by the pool, stretched his arms wide and was on the point of diving into the pool when he saw his own shadow in the pool resembling a cross.

Memories came flooding his mind. He recalled his Sunday School days; then days when he was with the Youth group. He remembered the days when he was an active Christian. Somehow the years had taken their toll. Materially he had done well, but spiritually he felt empty.

Suddenly in the quietness the words of the old hymn "When I survey the wondrous cross" came to his mind. He decided not to swim but get back to his room to pray. He would commit himself to the Lord and let Him take over. He then fell asleep while meditating on the cross of Jesus.

He got up early in the next morning and went to the pool. He looked into it and received a great shock, for the night before the caretaker had emptied the pool and left it completely dry. Had he dived in it would mean serious injury or even instant death. The shadow of himself with his outstretched arms in the form of a cross saved his life. He was saved by the sight of the cross in the pool.

From that day onwards, whenever he went to swim he would always stretch out his arms and look into the pool, as reminder of the night he was saved.

Dr. Isaac Watts the writer of the hymn "When I survey the wondrous cross" was a short man, only five feet tall with a large head, hooked nose and frail sickly body. It was said that when he proposed to a lovely lady, she refused him and said, "I like the jewel, but not the setting."

He was often ill and for most of his 30 years was an invalid. Despite his frailty he had a brilliant mind and wrote more than 600 hymns.

One Sunday after morning worship he complained to his father about the type of hymns sung in the church. He felt they were so tuneless. His father smiled and suggested that he provide something better. That afternoon he wrote his first hymn.

"When I survey the wondrous cross" is an excellent hymn. I love to sing it. The cross is 'wondrous' and Jesus our Saviour is described as "Prince of Glory." The hymn reaches its climax with our submission, His amazing love "demands my soul, my life, my all." Some hymn books have the words "His love shall have my soul, my life, my all."

His love 'demands' but I need to do my part and submit by saying, 'shall have." I can rebel and refuse love's demands, or I can submit and surrender by praying, "Love so amazing, so divine shall have my soul, my life my all."