Not now, but in the coming years

I recently did some research, for my poetry blog, on the author of this hymn, Maxwell Cornelius. Born in 1842 and raised on a Pennsylvania farm, he faced trials as throughout his life. He and his wife lost their second child, a daughter, as an infant. Then Cornelius had an accident, which resulted in his leg being amputated. Putting an end to his work as a brick mason, he went to college and became a minister, leading churches in Pennsylvania, California, and Washington, DC. His wife, Mary, died in 1892 at 43 years of age, and according to her obituary she had been “an invalid for 20 years. ” Cornelius himself preached her funeral sermon, at the end of which he quoted the words of this hymn. Cornelius himself died the next year from pneumonia, at age 50 or 51.

To me, this is the sort of hymn an older believer writes, looking back on the twists and turns of his or her life, wondering why? As hinted in the third verse, Cornelius may have been thinking, why did God allow me to lose a leg? Why did He take our second child, her song ended before it was scarcely begun? Why did my wife have to be so sick for so long, dying so young, and leaving our two remaining daughters at just 23 and nine years of age? Why were there so many clouds over our cherished plans?

But he had such faith in God. He knew that today we can only know dimly. But one day we will know fully, just as the Lord knows us today. And then we will see with tearless eyes, for God shall wipe away every tear.

I love the lyrics and melody of this song. Having recently lost my mom, in November 2022, I attended a funeral on January 19, 2024, and the lyrics and melody have been a source of strength and encouragement as we do not understand and "see through a glass dimly", but I am grateful for the encouragement and the fact that sometime, I'll understand.

In Loving and Bright Memory of my Mother, Helen Rosetta Stanley-Liburd

When I was in my primary grades I usually hear my cousin who was in despair at that time, singing this song. The melody and lyrics had stuck into my mind until I grew up. I acknowledge that there are situations where we might not comprehend the reasons behind certain events or hardships. However, this song reassures me that in due course, everything will become clear, and understand God’s greater plan. In the most challenging moments of our life, we are not alone, and God’s presence is with us. Let us continue to seek Him and grow in our faith so we will gain insight for life’s uncertainties and find peace in His plan for our lives.

Many years ago my darling parents loved the words of this beautiful hymn. When my Mother and only brother died, my Father would often recite these words of comfort.

Now that life is hard, and lonely, and filled with grief, I now too recite these words to myself often. I had forgotten one of the verses and therefore find myself here at hymnal.net.

I have just read here the compact biography of Maxwell N. Cornelius. I believe the Holy Spirit-the Spirit of Love, helped this dear gentleman to pen these words of succour for those who grieve. How Wonderful is our Lord.

This was one of my Mom's favorite songs. She's been gone 15 years now.....

This is the tune I was searching for, thanks very much. Good comforting words

What beautiful words. Thank you my friend for sending it to me if only we can take heed and understand before it is too late the hymn actually tells us something.

"sometime" throughout the song should be "some time". The meaning is different.

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Mr. Cornelius was brought up on a farm in my own coun­ty in Penn­syl­van­ia. He left farm­ing when he came of age, and learned the trade of a brick-ma­son. Lat­er he be­came a con­tract­or in Pitts­burg. In erect­ing a house in that ci­ty his leg was brok­en. The phy­si­cians de­cid­ed that it would have to be am­pu­tat­ed…He stood the op­er­a­tion well and came out safe­ly, but was maimed for life. He now de­cid­ed to go to col­lege and get an ed­u­ca­tion. Af­ter pass­ing through col­lege with hon­or he con­clud­ed to be­come a min­is­ter of the gos­pel. His first charge was at Al­too­na, Penn­syl­van­ia, but on ac­count of his wife’s health he soon re­moved to Cal­i­for­nia, lo­cat­ing at Pa­sa­de­na, where he built the larg­est Pres­by­ter­i­an church in that place.

Ma­ny who had sub­scribed to help to pay for the building failed in bu­si­ness, and he was left to meet the ob­li­ga­tions as best he could. But in a few years he had the church cleared from all debt. Short­ly af­ter­ward his wife died. He preached the fun­er­al ser­mon him­self. At the con­clu­sion he quot­ed the words of this hymn, which he had com­posed short­ly before. Both the words of the hymn and the ser­mon were print­ed in a West­ern news­pa­per, where Ma­jor Whit­tle found them. Im­pressed by their beau­ty, he cut them out and car­ried them in his Bi­ble for three months be­fore he wrote the chor­us…Soon af­ter he hand­ed the words to his friend, James Mc­Gran­a­han, who com­posed the tune to which the hymn is now sung. - Sankey's Story of the Gospel Hymns

stanza 1, line 2 originally says:

It may be in the better land

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chorus, 1st line originally says "the days" instead of "thy days"

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stanza 2 line 3 originally says:

Heav'n will the mysteries explain,

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stanza 3, last line, originally says "'Tis there" instead of "'Tis then".

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stanza 5, last line originally says: "Yes, there, up there, we'll understand."

A dear friend sent a link to this lovely hymn the day after my Dad died.

The words and music are comforting and remind me always that God will never let us down . Jesus knew what it was to feel sadness, loneliness and despair, face pain and rejection and knowing that, we can come to Him, knowing He will understand exactly how we feel. Thank you.