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The stories behind gospel music's all time greatest songs

His Eyes Is On The Sparrow

In 1904 Civilla Martin, the wife of a well-known evangelist, was involved in conducting revival services in Elmira, New York. Through her work she heard of an older couple who had once been beacons in the church but in recent times had been felled by illness and injury. The world of the homebound, usually bedridden couple had shrunk from an activity-filled existence in church and community to a house of two or three rooms.
Civilla, who traveled extensively and who relished the freedom of waking each week in a new location, couldn't begin to imagine how this once-active couple could face each day. As they were shut in, devoid of the pleasures of life, their bodies racked by pain, she pictured them bitter and withdrawn. Yet the more she heard about what they had accomplished in the past and how much they had meant to the city and the church congregation, the more she fe]t called to at least pay them a visit. Still, she avoided visiting them until she discovered that they had been inquiring about the success of the revival. Hearing that they had been praying for the Martins' work, Civilla, no matter how busy, tired, and exhausted she was, seemed to have no choice but to go to their home and meet them.
She had expected to enter a dark, foreboding house, reeking of death and decay; instead, she was warmly welcomed into a home filled with life and joy. From the cheery living room she was led to a small bedroom, the windows and drapes open wide to let in rays of sunshine and the smell of fresh flowers. Lying in bed, her body withered and drawn, her skin pale, was a woman gamely fighting a ravaging disease. When she observed Civilla at her door, rather than moan or frown, she laughed as a smile spread across her face. To Civilla's surprise, as she looked into the bedridden woman's eyes she didn't see death, she saw life.
Sitting beside the bed, Civilla was quickly taken in by this woman who seemed to ignore her own pain, suffering, and heartache while asking about others who were far less sick than she. Although she was weak in body, the woman's spirit was as strong as any Civilla had ever seen. Soon the two woman were joined by the man of the house. His body, too, was spent, but like his wife, he was cheerful, unselfish, and content with the lot he had been given.
"How can you be so joyful?" Civilla finally asked. "What can drive your spirits in the midst of such pain and suffering?"
A happy smile crossed the woman's face, and with a trembling hand she pointed to the window. Civilla glanced out into the yard and saw nothing but trees, grass, and a few flowers. With a puzzled look on her face, she turned back to the woman.
"It's the sparrows, child," the woman replied. "If His eye is on the sparrows, then I know He watches me too."
Nodding, her husband smiled and looked back at the birds playing in the tree. There was a joy that exuded from both of them as the small birds fluttered about.
Civilla left uplifted in both spirit and body. No longer drained by a week of work, no longer feeling the aches and pains caused by stress, she had been set free as never before. She almost felt as if she could fly. She had come to Elmira to lead a revival, but she was the one who had been revived.
After reviewing the texts that she found in Luke 12:6 and Matthew 10:29, Civilla picked up a pen and jotted down the line, "His eye in on the sparrow and I know He watches me." As she thought of the sickly couple, considering their plight and their happiness, the words that followed came easily.
Civilla Martin mailed her poem to composer Charles H. Gabriel. Setting the words to music, Gabriel then sent the song to Charles M. Alexander. Alexander showed it to London evangelist R.A. Torrey. Torrey was excited about the lyrics and the music. He built a sermon around the song and asked that it be sung during services at the Royal Albert Hall. Never before had a gospel song premiered in such a prestigious setting.
Because of the unique title and cadence that Gabriel had developed for the song, "His Eye Is on the Sparrow" never became a religious standard. While the song's message is universal, it is not suited for congregational singing nor does it fit well into choral work. It was so personally written that it is usually deemed fit only for solo work. Thus "His Eye Is on the Sparrow" did not enjoy the widespread popularity of most hymns of the period. Even Civilla Martin's own "God Will Take Care of You" quickly eclipsed this inspired song.
More than four decades after Martin had written it, another woman emerged who seemed created just to sing this song. Ethel Waters had been born in 1900 in Chester, Pennsylvania. An actress, cabaret performer, and blues singer, she had a network radio show in the thirties and appeared in Hollywood films during the forties. Although she was a vital facet of a world that often seemed adrift in sin, Waters not only kept her priorities in order, but she also constantly spoke out about her faith. Using her vocal talents, she sang gospel songs in night clubs and churches, reaching both the lost and the saved with the Good News.
A young evangelist named Billy Graham heard Ethel sing "His Eye Is on the Sparrow" and was overcome with emotion. He convinced her to sing the song at his crusades. Thanks in large part to her exposure on the Graham crusades, Waters jumped to the forefront in the gospel music world. Along with Tennessee Ernie Ford and Mahalia Jackson, she represented to many the emotions and feelings of saved souls. Her signature song, "His Eye Is on the Sparrow," constantly brought hope to millions who had once felt insignificant, forgotten, and lost.
In 1971 a frail and ill Ethel Waters performed at the Nixon White House. The president had only one request of the seventy-one-year-old African-American vocalist. "Please sing 'His Eye Is on the Sparrow:" he asked. As always, her rendition brought tears of joy from those who had gathered to hear her
Just as Civilla Martin could not question the sincerity of the old couple who had first inspired her, so no one at the White House that day could question the sincerity and faith of Ms Waters. She was truly singing because she was happy and free Most importantly, thanks to a song about a tiny bird, everyone could feel her joy and fly!