All Praise To God Who Strengthens and Sustains Me

As part of a women's gathering at her church in Daly City, California, my sister, along with the other women, wrote a two line Psalm modeled after the opening two lines of the great hymn, "How Great Thou Art." My sister wrote, "All praise to God, who strengthens and sustains me, To Thee I pray, and thank Thee for thy love." When I read this in her church newsletter I liked it and felt it needed to be added to somewhat. What follows is the "rest" of the poem (which can be sung to "How Great Thou Art" if you really feel like it).

“All Praise to God, Who Strengthens and Sustains Me"
Words by Penny Manis & Jim Tweedie
To be sung to the tune of “How Great Thou Art

1. All praise to God, who strengthens and sustains me;
To you I pray, and thank you for your love.
When shadows fall and stress and worry pains me
Your Spirit comes with healing from above.
You are my Rock, my Fortress and my Might;
Where you abide no shadows fall.
You are my Friend, my Savior and my Light;
You are my Lord, my Life, my All.

2. When I consider all that you created;
The sun and moon and stars high in the sky.
All things reflect your greatness unabated;
I see it all, and wonder, “Who am I?”
And yet of all the creatures of the earth
You’ve chosen me to be your own.
You formed me, knew me, long before my birth;
I am not mine, but yours alone.

3. One day my life will fade beyond a whisper
And then my spirit will return to you.
That day I’ll be more than a brother, sister;
I’ll be your own, for I’ll be born anew.
Because you died and rose so I might live
I’ll walk that shadowed vale no more.
As you have given, so I, too, shall give
All praise to you forevermore.