Sunday, October 16, 2016

Didn't I Walk on the Water

This song was written by Sister Linda Gibson Johnson.  She is a singer / songwriter and is a retired elementary educator from the Hollers of South-Eastern Kentucky.  She was born in 1971 and is married to Bro Scott Johnson and they have four children.  
I will be updating this blog hopefully soon with more information.  

My reason for adding this song to my blog is I have found myself in a struggle.  I feel I am in limbo just waiting and don't know what I am waiting for, but I do know the one who does know all and see's all.  So I found myself shouting out, "I don't understand what is going on and I can't do this Lord, I just can't do this and fell on my bed crying, just being honest here.  I then grabbed my phone and remembered a couple of songs I heard sung by the Dunaways.  As I begin to listen I then decided to go back to my computer and look up the words to practice to sing at church myself.  I found the lyrics and even a soundtrack if I needed one that is when I came across who actually wrote this song.  Then I knew God was letting me know that this is the next song for this blog.  If I needed it so desperately tonight then there are going to be others searching who He will lead to it as well. I actually prefer to hear the songs sung by the original singer and was happy to find Sister Johnson on YouTube doing just that.  Then I got really excited to find a recent post on YouTube where she gave her testimony about how this song began.  Sister Johnson was a guest singer at Dallas, North Carolina Church of God in Gastonia County on June 19, 2016.  The post was published almost a month later by Jack Paylor.  Before she started to sing this song she told the congregation that this song comes with two testimonies within it:

The first one she herself had just finished going through a really hard trial at least that's what she thought but, there was a whole lot more to come in her future.  She was still living in a little blue house that was once her papa's house in the hollers of South - Eastern Kentucky. She was crying and almost panicking to God. She said "Now Lord I see something else coming and I can't handle this. I can't bare it, I cannot do this your gonna have to Lord. (Insert: remember how I was just feeling a couple hours before posting this, so this really gave me God bumps.) She said she told Him, "Please help me!"  She said if she didn't already have her paper and pen at that time she would have missed this song as it came that quick cause He wanted her to know it that fast.  She said it's not about us, it's not about her strength.  She could not keep it herself.  We cannot do it on our own.

The second testimony of this song was the third verse.  It was about her oldest sister.  Thirty years ago her sister was going through a separation which later the Lord put them back together, but in this moment her sister had no income, two small children and a big house payment due in six days.  She was cleaning her bathroom mirror praying to the Lord.  I have six days to make my house payment or they are going to take it.  She said God spoke audibly to her and said, "I created the world in six days." The day her payment was due it was paid.  Through the years the one property after another came up for sale and her sister was able to purchase three other properties with houses beside that one just years before thought she was going to lose.

Thank you Sis for letting God use you in such a power way.  God bless.  

Lyrics to Sister Johnson's Original Version:

V1
As I kneel in the darkness in the middle of the night.
I'm praying for assurance everything's going to be alright.
Lord, I see another battle out in front of me.
I'm afraid I won't be able and I'll go down in defeat.

He said, didn't I walk on the water and I calmed the raging sea.
I spoke to the wind, it hushed and I gave you peace.
Didn't I run to your rescue, Didn't I hear you when you called?
I walked right beside you, just so you wouldn't fall.
Didn't I leave all of heaven, just to die for your sins?
I searched until I found you, and I'd do it all again.

V2
He said, Do you remember where I brought your from?
Just take a look behind you at how far you have come, and 
every time you asked me didn't I deliver you?
So, why would you be thinking that I wouldn't see you through.
Cause, 

V3
Well, she's talking to her father in a house that was once a home.  
She said my bills are coming due Lord, and six days is not that long.  
She hears a voice so still and low
He says, I've moved like that before.
I'll do this little thing and I'll give you so much more. 
Cause, 

Didn't I leave all of heaven just to die for your sins?
I searched until I found you and I'd do it all again.


Original Version

Other songs written by Sister Johnson

Funeral Plans
Sis Johnson's very first song she wrote.

Tear Off the Roof

The Drinking Song

I Call Him My Everything

I'm One of Them

I've Got It

Let Me Hold on to You

Sources: 
Right now my only source has been a couple of YouTube testimonies from Sis Johnson's own words posted by Bro Jack Paylor.  

8 comments:

  1. Love sis johnson. Would love to be in a service with her.

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  2. I really love this song, Didn't I walk on the water,I sing it a lot 🎤

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  3. Would love for Linda to come back to Winchester KY. Ark of mercy. Love ur songs .where can I get a CD at of walk on the water.

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  4. I would love to hear her sing the original version the way she first sang it. I love the song.

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  5. I love singing for the Lord, & get to sing in my church, & when I heard the song, Didn't I Walk On The Water, & thinking about all that's going on with this virus & pandemic, & how its affected people all around, this song is just so fitting. So, with that said, I need the sheet music for the song, please, I would love to sing it in my church, sometime soon. Hope you can help me, Thanks. Hazel Crowe.

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  6. I am not seeing it anywhere at this time but will keep my eyes out for it

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  7. I WOULD LIKE TO GET PERMISSION TO SING YOUR SONG DIDN'T I WALK ON THE WATER IN OUR CHURCH SERVICE AND STREAM TO OUR CONGREGATION. YOUR SONG IS AN ANTHEM TO MY DAUGHTER, IT IS A SONG THAT HELPED ME THRU TOUGH TIMES DURING HER TRANPLANT. THANK YOU RONNIEHOLLAND51@GMAIL.COM THANKS RONNIE HOLLAND

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  8. I have listened to this song through my son death of brain tumor. Then me going through Multiple Myeloma cancer I am a threat to Satan. I Love the lord and walk by faith that he knows my name and he told me to love him through the good times and bad. He said I will be everything you need and he would never leave me or forsake me. And he hasn't he is the love of my heart. Praises to the Lord keep singing.

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