The Wandering Boy: A Hymn's Redemptive Power
Story★★★★Alexander, the singer who was with Dr. Torrey so many years, tells this incident: “I recall one night, when the after-meeting was over, Dr.
Torrey called on me to sing a solo—a thing he did not usually do, as I had already sung once that evening. But the people did not seem to want to go home.
I caught up my book and sang, ‘Where is my wandering boy tonight?’ A poor drunken fellow had just stepped in through the far door, a hundred and fifty feet from me. He had heard nothing of the sermon, but just caught the strain: ‘Go search for my wandering boy tonight, Go search for him where you will; And bring him to me with all his blight, And tell him I love him still.’ He said, ‘That’s for me,’ and started down the aisle, came to the front with a worker and gave his heart to God.”
The moral: Understand a situation before you say anything or else you will get into embarrassing situations.
— Torrey
The point
A drunk man wanders into a Torrey meeting, is struck by a solo about a wandering boy, and comes forward to give his heart to God — illustrating how a well-timed word can reach someone unexpectedly.