Pastor Dick Mills was proud of his 64-year-old mother, and he had every right to be. In addition to raising 6 children, she was a speaker for women’s groups in churches, and she had written more than 300 songs. Sometimes she could write a song in just a few minutes after someone suggested a topic or a Bible verse to her.
So, one day when Dick knew his mother was coming to visit him, he told his congregation at the Foursquare Church in Hillsboro, Oregon, they could suggest a favorite Bible verse and she would come up with a song. The only problem with his plan, though, was that he had not told his mother what he had told his congregation. So it was a big surprise to her when he put her on the spot.
During the evening service, a member of the congregation suggested she write a song from his favorite verse, Revelation 4:11. He asked Mrs. Mills to write music for the verse. And, at the close of the service – a service that did not close until after 10 o’clock that night, Pauline Mills (1898-1991) sang this song. She said God gave her this song… and it soon became a praise song that is still sung in many churches today.
Pauline felt she was born before her time, because the Lord had given her the gift of writing music to scriptures long before it became received in the churches.
