Tell Mother I’ll Be There

When I was but a lit­tle child

How well I re­col­lect

How I would grieve my mo­ther

With my fol­ly and ne­glect;

And now that she has gone to Heav’n

I miss her ten­der care:

O Sav­ior

tell my mo­ther

I’ll be there!

Tell mo­ther I’ll be there

In an­swer to her pray­er;

This mes­sage

bless­èd Sav­ior

To her bear!

Tell mo­ther I’ll be there

Heav’n’s joys with her to share;

Yes

tell my dar­ling mo­ther I’ll be there.

Though I was oft­en way­ward

She was al­ways kind and good;

So pa­tient

gen­tle

lov­ing

When I acted rough and rude;

My child­hood griefs and tri­als

She would glad­ly with me share:

O Sav­ior

tell my mo­ther

I’ll be there!

When I be­came a pro­di­gal

And left the old roof­tree

She al­most broke her lov­ing heart

In mourn­ing af­ter me;

And day and night she prayed to God

To keep me in His care:

O Sav­ior

tell my mo­ther

I’ll be there!

One day a mes­sage came to me

It bade me quick­ly come

If I would see my mo­ther

Ere the Sav­ior took her home;

I pro­mised her

be­fore she died

For Heav­en to pre­pare:

O Sav­ior

tell my mo­ther

I’ll be there!