February 18, 2006
Newsletter Archives

You may know the inspiring and cheery hymn, “Brighten the corner.”It was written in 1913 by Ina Duley Ogdon, who lived in Toledo, Ohio and it became the most popular gospel song of the first half of the 20th century. The chorus goes:
Brighten the corner where you are!
Brighten the corner where you are!
Someone far from harbor you may guide across the bar,
Brighten the corner where you are!
A gifted speaker, Mrs. Ogdon had an ambition to be a lecturer on the Chautauqua circuit. This circuit consisted of commercial ventures offering lectures and entertainment to residents of villages and towns in some states in the U.S.A.
In 1912, her dream was changed when her father suffered a severe stroke. Instead, she spent her days in providing loving and tender care for him. She accepted these responsibilities with a gracious spirit. Ms. Ogdon no longer dreamed of Chautauqua glory but was involved in dishwashing, dusting, sweeping, doing the laundry and other household work.
She sent her poem to Charles H. Gabriel, who completed the music and sent it to Homer Rodeheaver, and evangelisitic singer, associated with the evangelist Billy Sunday.
First introduced in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania in 1913, the singable tune spread like wildfire as Rodeheaver used it in every service. By 1916, it had become so well known that “Theodore Roosevelt used it to begin each of his political rallies across that nation. In 1917, U.S. soldiers sang it in the trenches in France as America entered World War 1.
In China the Nanking baseball team chose “Brighten the Corner” as its official team song in 1925 and it was sung before every game.
During World War 11, when U.S. forces invaded Tarawa Atoll in the south-west Pacific, Nov. 20, 1943, natives hiding during the battle greeted the conquering heroes singing “Brighten the Corner.” They had learned it from American missionaries decades before.
Ms. Ogdon died in Toledo in 1964 at the age of 92. Instead of speaking to thousands through Chautauqua, she touched millions through the words of her song. Clearly, she affected many more lives by being hindered from what she wanted to do. God had a better plan! She brightened the corner where she was. She did not become bitter when life took a sharp left turn and was a greater blessing than she could have ever dreamed.
God does not expect us to do “great” things in this world. He wants us to accomplish what He assigns. When a woman was criticized for her actions in the presence of the Lord Jesus, he stopped the faultfinders with the words, “Let her alone; why trouble ye her? She hath wrought a good work on Me. She hath done what she could….” Mark 14:6,8. The Lord is not looking for outstanding deeds, He is only asking us to brighten the corner where we are. He will take care of the rest.
On a personal note, I wrote this in Mexico when we were there this past week, but then had trouble sending it on the computer, so hence the delay in the newsletter. During our visit there,we met a senora who is doing just what I wrote about, brightening the corner where she is. God bless you, Yadira.

Russ Nesbit