I was first introduced to our offertory piece while in college. Its arranger, Arnold Sevier, was a guest at The Moody School of Music at the University of Alabama when I was just a freshman in 1994. The music was still in manuscript when we performed it with the composer at the piano.

This arrangement had a profound effect on me in those days. Since then, I’ve performed it multiple times with various college groups I’ve conducted, and without fail, it’s an audience favorite. This familiar hymn was written by Thomas Dorsey in 1932, an African American musician, composer, and Christian evangelist influential in the development of early blues and 20th-century gospel music. His most famous songs are “Take My Hand, Precious Lord” and “Peace in the Valley.” Recordings of these sold millions of copies in both gospel and secular markets in the 20th century.

Following a religious conversion, Dorsey tried to concentrate on performing and writing religious music and printed thousands of his own songs trying to sell them himself, even going door to door. He found no success and returned to performing and composing rhythm and blues. Unsure if gospel music could sustain him, Dorsey was surprised to learn that he made an impression at the National Baptist Convention in 1930 when, unknown to him, Willie Mae Ford Smith sang “If You See My Savior” during a morning meeting. She was asked to sing it two more times; the response was so overwhelming, Dorsey sold 4,000 print copies of his song. And the rest, as they say, is history.

How many times have we been enthusiastic about our work, but we cannot “sell” it? Do you know how many people are trying to “make it” in this world? That’s because we don’t make it, we’re being made, and success begins by releasing it into the hands of the Great Unknown. Precious Lord take my hand really means, precious Lord, unclasp my hands. Dorsey was surprised that his piece took off. And that’s the key – surprise. We try to take the surprise out of everything and predict “how to,” but joke’s on us!

When we let go of the desire to know how, it works effortlessly and on its own. In other words, it’s organic, not forced. “Lead me home” means to help me focus my efforts on my inner joy and unconditional love. The outcome is literally out of our hands. If you put the outcome into your hands, you try to figure out how, you strip out the surprise, and it becomes an exercise in futility. You don’t know how. That’s the miracle of God’s ways – surprise is set up in the precious gift of letting go.  

Sevier increased Dorsey’s music by adding more love to it. Love begets love. It cooperates then catches fire. Trying to make something go viral is forcing, competing, and egoic. The spark of real success is honest expression, releasing, and loving the creative act. To make it soar, abandon the idea of “making it” altogether. Try loving it and letting it go. What makes something outstanding is that it was instanding with love first and only for love’s sake. Don’t overlook the gift of surprise by trying to figure out how something turns out. Just love unconditionally, and the precious hand of God will lead you home to levels of success that will blow your mind. Soli Deo Gloria!