A Faithful Friend

I have had the great pleasure of teaching music to preschoolers and kindergartners this year. It has been a profound and much-needed blessing at a time (during my grief journey) when I needed the enthusiasm and love of these innocent, sweet kiddos more than I realized. To be totally honest, though, this new teaching adventure has also been a huge learning experience for me. I might even say that it was even a little bit scary.

Yes, for 23 years, I taught students of multiple ages, from third grade through seniors in high school. I also taught a variety of subjects, everything from general English to creative writing to drama – and a few things in between. But preschoolers and music definitely presented a huge learning curve for me.

Now, I know. I know. I am a mom and a grandmother who is very familiar with little kids. I even spent a large majority of my preteen years babysitting every kid in my neighborhood, as well as helping to teach Sunday School and Bible school almost every year of my life since 5th grade.

As far as music goes, I took piano lessons for close to ten years. I also sang in every choir that my church and school offered me in my early years, and I played the piano for and led multiple choirs over my lifetime. So, I am not a stranger to little children or music.

Yet, the thought of teaching 2- to 5-year-olds in a music class – at my age – was actually kind of terrifying. I just was not sure I was capable emotionally or professionally to minister to these small students sufficiently.

But God did … and as always, He was correct.

Granted, it has been a time of stretching and learning, for sure. But I have to say that even with each new aspect of this job, it has been one of the most cherished jobs I have ever done.

So, at the start of the new 2026 spring semester, when our school director asked me to begin incorporating some very basic music theory and instrumental activities into our curriculum, I did what I always do: research.

I called some other preschool educators, and I looked at a variety of lesson plans and activities for teaching preschool music. Then, when I finally got a couple of weeks of lessons planned out, I began looking for some sweet, Christ-centered songs to fit into this new curriculum. This was the fun part of the process for me, and I found an entire list of songs that I believed would work well – including a kid’s version of a well-known hymn, “What a Friend We Have in Jesus.”

As I sat and pecked out the basic melody of this beloved hymn on our classroom piano, I was amazed by the song's words. In fact, the first verse alone left me in awe:

What a friend we have in Jesus,
all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pain we bear,
all because we do not carry
everything to God in prayer!

I was instantly taken back in time to the days when I was initially learning to play the piano as an elementary student. This hymn was the first song I ever learned to play in its entirety on my own.

My piano teacher was very wise for using hymns in my music curriculum, as a means of adding countless benefits and skills while also giving me a background in scripture and theology. This tactic for teaching piano via hymns is equated to a person taking vitamins and minerals for long-term health, according to the BachScholar website.

So, it’s no wonder that pondering the tune and words of each of the three verses of this hymn left me thinking of all the times I have played and sang that song over the years, with choirs, by myself, in duets, to my baby boys, and even with my dad’s entire, large family standing behind me and singing along as I played. It was a moment of reminiscence and gratefulness.

I sat and praised God for being such a good friend to me, the best friend of all. He has carried me all these years, through good times, bad times, and everything in between. In some moments, He was my only friend, but His friendship was more than enough to sustain me, especially when I took “everything to God in prayer.”

Of course, my tearful, thankful trip down memory lane led me to also research who wrote this powerful song that speaks so perfectly of my Savior. I had to know the story behind these wise, enduring words.

According to the Jackson Hole Classical Academy of Music, the song’s author, Joseph M. Scriven, previously a student at the University of Ireland and Trinity College Dublin, endured his share of tragedy in his short lifetime. In 1844, at the age of 25, Scriven’s beloved fiancée drowned shortly before their wedding.

He completely changed the direction of his life after that loss, moving from his homeland of Ireland to Canada to tutor, teach, and preach. Sadly, Scriven’s mother died back in Ireland ten years later, but he did not have the time or money to attend her funeral.

Instead, Scriven wrote his mother a poem, which was later put to music by Charles C. Converse. Published anonymously at first, the hymn became known worldwide as the song, “What a Friend We Have in Jesus.”

When finally given credit for the words of this remarkable hymn in the 1880s, Scriven was asked by a neighbor if he really wrote that song, and he humbly remarked, “The Lord and I did it between us.”

Indeed … and their beautiful collaboration is still inspiring and moving the hearts of people over 80 years later, including mine.

So, here in 2026, these ageless words, written by a grieving son about the loss of his mother back in 1854, served as the source of a precious blessing for the heart of a grieving mother who lost her son.

And just think! My dear, faithful friend made sure that I learned to play that hymn on the piano over 55 years ago, long before I would appreciate and cherish it so dearly.

Truly … what a friend we have in Jesus!

Show Comments

Please Note: We moderate all reader comments, usually within 24 hours of posting (longer on weekends). Please limit your comment to 300 words or less and ensure it addresses the content. Comments that contain a link (URL), an inordinate number of words in ALL CAPS, rude remarks directed at the author or other readers, or profanity/vulgarity will not be approved.