The Story Behind the Song
Johnson Oatman, Jr. was the son of… wait for it… Johnson Oatman. The elder Johnson, although not a professional musician, had a beautiful, powerful singing voice and young Johnson loved to stand by his father in church to hear him sing. The son longed to sing like his dad, but was not graced with the same gift. But Johnson Oatman, Jr. did possess a musical talent—he could write songs that proclaimed the gospel.
Oatman, Jr. did not write his first song until he was 36 years of age, but once he began, he wrote prolifically. By the time he died 30 years later, he had penned more than 7,000 texts. Among the more well-known are “No, Not One” (“There’s not a friend like the lowly Jesus…”) which has appeared in 347 hymnals; “Higher Ground” (“I’m pressing on the upward way…”) in 285 hymnals; “Count Your Blessings” (“When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed…”) in 216 hymnals; and “He Included Me” (“I am so happy in Christ today…”) in 89 hymnals. The first two he deemed as his personal favorites.
In “Biography of Gospel Song and Hymn Writers” (1914), the author wrote of “what, in the opinion of most critics, is said to be Mr. Oatman’s masterpiece. ‘Count Your Blessings,’ like ‘No, Not One,’ has gone all over the world. Like a beam of sunlight it has brightened up the dark places of earth. Perhaps no American hymn was ever received with such enthusiasm in England as ‘Count Your Blessings.’ A London daily, in giving an account of a meeting presided over by Gypsy Smith, said, ‘Mr. Smith announced a hymn. “Let us sing ‘Count Your Blessings.’” Said he, “Down in South London the men sing it, the boys whistle it, and the women rock their babies to sleep to the tune.”’ During the great revival in Wales it was sung at every service, one of the leading dailies reporting the meetings, publishing in full, side by side, ‘The Glory Song’ and ‘Count Your Blessings.’”
“Count Your Blessings” is a song of gratitude. Its uplifting lyrics and sprightly tune practically defy the singer to remain down or gloomy. It’s a song especially suitable to the current times. In this new reality when it’s easy to become anxious, this old song offers a remedy—one which, interestingly enough, is backed up by modern science!
Dr. Laurie Santos is a professor in the Department of Psychology at Yale University. A few years ago she introduced a new class, “Psychology and the Good Life,” which by enrollment is the most popular course ever offered at Yale. Professor Santos advocates for the “three blessings exercise.” She writes: “This idea is so critical right now when we can easily get in the mode of, ‘woe is me, everything is terrible.’ Research shows that we really can benefit from counting our blessings even when it feels like there aren’t that many blessings to be counted. The simple act of scribbling down three things you’re grateful for can significantly bump your mood, in some studies as quickly as within a couple of weeks. It’s completely free. It takes five to 10 minutes a day. At the end of your day, just scribble down a few things that you’re grateful for right now.”
Psalm 126:3 reminds us “The Lord has done great things for us.” That same powerful and loving God who acted in the past is still working in his world today and will, in the fullness of time, bring all things to their proper conclusion. So rest in that knowledge, regardless of what may still lie ahead, and “do not be discouraged, God is over all!” Can I get an “Amen!”?
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