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Lyrics
I Will Serve Him
Joshua said, “Choose ye this day whom ye will serve.
I will let go of all my pride and promise to serve God
That perhaps I may be an instrument in His mighty hands
And find joy in bringing hope and peace to all I can.
Chorus
I will serve Him.
I will testify of Jesus Christ.
I will give my whole heart
In building His kingdom, sharing His love.
I will serve Him.
I’ll heed the call, trusting in God and His wisdom
I’ll share His word, laboring in the vineyard of the Lord.
My heart is full with the love of God; in faith I’ll teach His way.
I will give all that I am; my hands are His today.
Repeat chorus
I’ll not glory in myself, but glory in the Lord
Rejoicing in the light of Christ unto life.
Repeat chorus
I will serve my God.
Copyright © 2003 by Sara Lyn Baril. All rights reserved.
Story Behind the Song
The details of the recording of “I Will Serve Him” are a testimony to me of how the Lord is in the details of our lives. I don’t usually have such vivid examples, but this one was and I’d like to share it with you.
In the fall of 2013, I was contacted by an individual whose family was experiencing grief. Her sister had lost a son on his mission. Their family was dealing with many questions and struggling to maintain their faith through such a life changing event. She asked if I had a song that might comfort the family, but represent the heart and beliefs of this young missionary who was taken “Home”.
I immediately thought of a song I had written a few years previously, “I Will Serve Him”. I was honoured and humbled to be asked to involve my music in such a way, but giving them sheet music didn’t seem like enough, and there was a part on the second verse that needed to be changed. The demo, although sung sweetly by my sister, just didn’t seem professional enough, and with the lyric changes, a professional production needed to happen.
My heart was enlarged for them and I wanted to help so much and prayed the Lord would help me to financially make this possible. I also decided that if I were to do a song for this family, that I would also share it with other families who have experienced the loss of a missionary and then release it as a free download everywhere as a missionary song for all.
Faith and determination took over, and I got busy praying and trying to figure out how to best make this project happen. I suddenly remembered I had entered my song “I Feel You There” in a song contest earlier that year (sometimes I enter things and then forget entirely about them). The first place winnings would be just what I needed to fund the project. I thought for sure the Lord would bless me and I would just win this money and it would be a perfect solution.
A month later, I found out I placed within the top 10! I figured I was on my way to winning this and was getting pretty excited! The finalists would be announced the end of October. I found out October 29th that I received an honourable mention (basically tied for 4th) with Janice Kapp Perry. Although that was wonderful and still very exciting, I didn’t place in the top 3 and there were still no funds for this song.
This is the song that received Honorable Mention in that contest:
So I prayed again. The answer came strongly the next morning that I should get busy writing music for a Christmas concert and sell tickets, having the proceeds go directly to this project. I argued in my head that it was November 1st – and that’s not enough time! But, if I could fill the theatre, I would have enough.
So I took a leap of faith. All of November I wrote 8 new songs, to go with 4 other Christmas songs I already had, booked our 200 seat theatre and someone to do lights and sound. I called upon friends, family and my ward choir to sing and started promoting the concert online. I took a risk and called my producer, Greg Hansen, and asked him if he had time to start working on the song. He did! He hired Daniel Beck to sing it. It was in production during the concert and was completed on December 22nd, just in time for Christmas.
The concert took place Saturday, December 14th. It was a full house and we even received a standing ovation at the end. There was tremendous support. (Thank you Raymond, Alberta!!) The vocalists and cellist did a perfect job, and it was a wonderful, wonderful evening. When I came home Saturday night and totalled up all ticket money, plus some sales of my CD and songbook, I was surprised and humbled to find out I had EXACTLY what I needed to cover all the costs of the production of the song, as well as the concert promotion. Also, in the foyer after the concert, someone slipped me a $50 bill, which covered the theatre. It was truly a miracle.
Our talks the next day in church were on tithing, and I knew I had just had a tithing moment. I had been blessed beyond what I expected. I was humbled and grateful for unanswered prayers. Had I won the contest and the money I needed, I would not have had this blessed experience to been able to share new Christmas music with 200+ people, nor would the vocalists been able to be part of it. Everyone seemed to have a merrier Christmas that year.
We finished off the evening with my 10-year-old son, Benson, singing a new song called “An Answer To Prayer“, which was written as an afterthought the Wednesday before the Saturday night concert – his very first solo. This was another miracle…both the writing timeframe and the fact that Benson agreed to sing it! The inspiration was a steady flow and the songs kept coming! 8ZquIcRuSDk
In the week after, more miracles occurred in the finding of these families. The Church was unable to help me, they said regretfully, because of inside privacy policies. I understood completely and just saw this part of the project as another way to witness more of Heavenly Father’s miracles.
The administrator for the Church’s Mission Department kindly encouraged me to move forward and do what I could to find these families. The Lord is blessing me there too, and I feel with the help of many, other families will also have a chance to receive this song as a gift to them as well. I have faith that as people share this, it will reach the ears who need to hear it most.
Normally I don’t write 8 songs in a month, but the Lord blessed me with what I needed to accomplish this particular goal. I even pulled off Christmas! (a little late, but it happened just the same – just a little more simple…which was even better!) Then the fact that it was completely covered financially by the concert really just solidified my testimony that when we have a worthy goal, and more importantly if it’s the Lord’s will, He will help us. He always answers. I’m learning to recognize that more and more.
Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5
Life is sometimes like a puzzle. Sometimes we try to put things together with pieces that look like they should fit, but they might belong to a different puzzle – yet with the same shape. Or maybe we try to fit them into a part of the puzzle too soon and get frustrated – not being patient in finding the pieces that will hold it in place. If we have faith and trust, however, things just seem to work out somehow.
To me, this project was a miracle, but these types of experiences don’t happen often for me. I’m usually working on many good aspects of my life, but the pieces are just a little mixed up, and I’m not sure where it is all going; just trusting everything will work out somehow as I have faith. This time the pieces just happened to fit perfectly. Maybe you’ve had experiences like this too. I think they are rare, and it certainly wasn’t without work on my end, but the Lord saw fit to bless me with exactly what I needed this time. I truly felt He knew the desires of my heart. More than once I broke down in tears while writing because things were going so smoothly – almost too smoothly. I don’t regret one second of time that was put into this. It was exactly what me and my family needed and in turn, has hopefully will bless the lives of many others.
If you are a family who has experienced the loss of a missionary while serving, this song is for you and is dedicated to your missionary. Many have mourned with you and continue to love and support you. I hope that you will feel comfort and peace, knowing your son or daughter has given their whole heart for their Heavenly Father. May angels continue to surround you.
If you are a family who has a missionary currently serving, this is also for you. Your son or daughter is building the kingdom and doing wonderful things. I pray your family will receive added blessings because of their service.
If you are serving in a calling in a ward somewhere, or as a ministering brother or sister, this song is also for you. Although we may not wear a name tag, we are all missionaries in some way – serving, giving, helping, lifting and building the kingdom through with special gifts that only we can give – and the Lord expects this of us. May we all continue in faith to do so and recognize the blessings that come to us personally as a result of serving our God.
“And thus we see the great call of diligence of men to labor in the vineyards of the Lord; and thus we see the great reason of sorrow, and also of rejoicing – sorrow because of death and destruction among men, and joy because of the light of Christ unto life.” (Alma 28:14)
“I know that which the Lord hath commanded me, and I glory in it. I do not glory of myself, but I glory in that which the Lord hath commanded me; yea, and this is my glory, that perhaps I may be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance; and this is my joy.” (Alma 29:9)