Little Drops of Water

I reflect with amazement. Today a little ditty I leaned in my first years of Lutheran elementary school back in he 1930’s kept running through my mind. I wondered how his little tune got to Teacher Bleeke who taught us first graders, especially since almost any song we would have been taught would have been hymns – in German.

I first turned to a source never dreamed of even in science fiction back in those days: Google. I found a version of the poem attributed to one Mrs. J.A. Carney, written in 1845. Then my wife Jane, also a graduate of a Lutheran elementary school found in a book entitled “Select Songs for School and Home” published in 1922. The Preface of the book tells us that the songs in the book were written at the express command of the Lutheran Church to come up with an English song book to supplement the German “Liederperlen”. Then in the late 1930’s (I think) a new all English songbook called “The Music Reader” became a standard songbook for Lutheran schools and it, too, (if memory serves me correctly) included this little gem.

Interestingly, the words change from text to text reflecting what I believe to have been concern for doctrinal and theological orthodoxy. And on this sunny day of 2011 it all came back to me in a version clearly etched in my brain. I will go with what I think is the original:


Little drops of water
Little gains of sand
Make the mighty ocean
And the beauteous land.

Little deeds of kindness
Little words of love
Make our earth an Eden
Like the heavens above.

And the little moments
Humble though they be
Make the mighty ages
Of eternity.

And why are those words and the accompanying tune ringing in my ears all day today? Because today I was nourished by those little drops of water and was sustained by those little grains of sand. My wife has been ill. Email brought the little drops of water in the form of get well cards; Then the mail arrived: more drops. This afternoon I was at the drugstore when I noticed a man looking closely at me. When I looked back he said, “Wow! I just want to tell you I really like that shirt you are wearing.” I went to pick up our dinner and the hostess said, “ Mr. Kieschnick, that shirt really looks good on you.” Then another drop: A friend contacted to say that she will visit Jane while I am not home next Tuesday. Little drops of water. Son David stopped by saying, “I brought these chocolate covered strawberries. I thought you might enjoy them.”

So I resolved to swim in those little drops that make the mighty ocean, to savor the little moments, to drop a little water myself. And to share a grain of sand. In this moment I will revel in the mighty ages of eternity.