This Ole House

This ole house once knew my children
This ole house once knew my wife
This ole house was home and comfort
As we fought the storms of life
This ole house once rang with laughter
This ole house heard many shouts
Now she trembles in the darkness
When the lightnin' walks about

This ole house is a-gettin' shaky
This ole house is a-gettin' old
This ole house lets in the rain
This ole house lets in the cold
On my knees I'm gettin' chilly
But I feel no fear or pain
'Cause I see an angel peekin'
Through a broken window pane

Now this ole house is afraid of thunder
This ole house is afraid of storms
This ole house just groans and trembles
When the night wind flings its arms
This ole house is a-gettin' feeble
This ole house is a-needin' paint
Just like me it's tuckered out
But I'm a-gettin' ready to meet the saints

And my old hound dog lies a sleepin'
He don't know I'm gonna leave
Else he'd wake up by the fire place
And he'd sit down, howl and grieve
But my huntin' days are over
Ain't gonna hunt the coon no more
Gabriel done brought in my chariot
When the wind blew down the door

Ain't a-gonna need this house no longer
Ain't a-gonna need this house no more
Ain't got time to fix the shingles
Ain't got time to fix the floor
Ain't got time to oil the hinges
Nor to mend no window pane
Ain't gonna need this house no longer
I'm a-gettin' ready to meet the saints
I'm ready to meet the saints

This Stuart Hamblen song, takes me  waay  back .... I remember it well...Hamblen wrote this for RCA Victor in1954.  But the greater story about Hamblen is this:  After a measure of success he became involved in gambling and alcohol....But in 1949, Stuart's wife, Suzy, persuaded him to attend a prayer meeting which was held by Billy Graham in Los Angeles.  There he made a decision to follow Christ.  He began traveling across the country - involved in Youth for Christ rallies .... various churches....and Billy Graham crusades.

The old house in the above photo caught my eye.  I snapped the picture and immediately thought of the song, This Ole House.  It's fitting.  So are the few lines written by Hamblen:

When you see me fall asleep,

say amen but don’t you weep,

I’ve got so many million years

that I can’t count them.”

Mr. Hamblen, we'll see you one day - and we'll join you in celebrating for all those many million years....so many we can't count them.