What a Friend We have in Jesus

Now here is a song that we all know and love! What is the story behind such beautiful and powerful words? Well, here we go!

Joseph Scriven was born in 1819, in Ireland and attended Trinity College in Dublin. 

He fell in love with a young lady, and they were eager to start life together. However, on the day before their wedding she fell from her horse, while crossing a bridge over the River Bann and drowned as Joseph stood helplessly watching from the other side.

To overcome his grief, he left Ireland and by age 25 his travels had taken him to Port Hope, Canada, where he was much loved and respected. 

It was there he met a wonderful young lady, Elisa Roche, and again, fell in love. They had exciting plans to be married.

However, tragedy would rear its ugly head, once again, and she died of pneumonia before they could wed.

Even in that deep sorrow and loss, he continued to labor in Port Hope among the widows and the sick people. He often served for no wages, cutting wood and even sharing his own clothes.

In an effort to bring spiritual comfort to his mom who still lived in Ireland, he writes a beautiful poem:

What a friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer!

A friend found the poem and asked him who wrote it, and his answer

“The Lord and I did it”

Two monuments have been erected in his honor. Each has the first stanza of his song engraved on it.

I pray that you make Jesus your friend as Joseph did and remember

Oh, what peace we often forfeit,
Oh, what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer!

Amen

What a Friend We Have in Jesus

Source (Christian.org, GodTube, Hymn Stories, etc.)