Our anthem for Sunday, January 21, is “Sunshine in My Soul.” The song lyrics were written by prolific writer and public school teacher Eliza Edmunds Hewitt (1851-1920). Read about the story behind the hymn, watch the video below, and be ready to sing along with us on Sunday!
Educated in the local [Philadelphia, PA] school system, she graduated as valedictorian of the Girl's Normal School that she attended. She became a teacher in the public schools of her city. But then came misery. Her career screeched to a halt when she was forced to bed with a painful spinal problem. (One of her descendants has contacted us and said her debilitating condition was caused by an reckless student striking her with a piece of slate.) Lying in bed, she could have been bitter. Instead, she studied English literature and began to sing and write… https://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/1801-1900/eliza-edmunds-hewitt-songs-from-a-bed-of-pain-11630486.html
During this time of painful confinement, Eliza was determined not to be bitter and started writing hymns. Many of them were praise hymns, such as: Stepping in the Light, Singing I Go… and many more. When she was able to go outside for the first time on a spring day, she enjoyed the warmth of the sun. Returning to her room with a joyful heart, she wrote the hymn Sunshine in My Soul. https://www.openedscripturesbiblestudies.com/2020/08/hymn-story-of-sunshine-in-my-soul-today.html
