Share My Yoke

Heather Allington

Heather writes for Sunday Song Book on behalf of the The Salvation Army Oshawa. As a lifelong member of the Army, she has loved these familiar - and some less familiar - songs for many years, and enjoys researching and writing about their origins. She is a wife, mother, grandmother and retired elementary school teacher who likes trying her hand at watercolour painting and poetry writing.

When I’m tired and nothing’s going right for me,
When things I’ve counted on
Just do not come my way,
When in my mind the
Thick grey folds of doubt arise,
It’s then I seem to hear Him say:

“Share My yoke and find that I am joined with you;
Your slightest movement I shall feel and be there too!
Share My yoke and come the way that I must go!
In our ‘togetherness’ My peace you’ll know;
The world beholding us will see it so!”

When I’m perplexed
And no one’s understanding me,
When even safest thoughts collapse in disarray,
When I’ve lost the things
That always seemed so sure,
It’s then I need to hear Him say:

“Share My yoke…”

When I’m alone
And nothing’s getting through to me –
An isolation that increases day by day,
When closest friends can seem
A thousand miles away,
It’s then I long to hear Him say:

“Share My yoke…”

Many readers will know that this wistful song was written by Major Joy Webb, the founder of The Joystrings ,a Salvation Army music group that sang and played their way onto secular pop music charts in England in the 1960’s.In 2004, Joy Webb, by then a retired officer, was admitted to the Order of the Founder – the Salvation Army’s highest honour. The following is a quote from the citation read by then Commissioner Shaw Clifton in the Royal Albert Hall, London.

“Throughout her officership, Major Joy Webb has demonstrated outstanding commitment to the creative and innovative use of music, poetry and drama in evangelism and worship, achieving unparalleled success in expressing the gospel in the popular idioms of the day while constantly reflecting the standards of the gospel in her personal life.”

In spite of Major Webb’s exuberant songwriting and general success and fame, Share My Yoke seems to indicate that she also had lonely, ‘down’ times, as we all do occasionally. Here we have an encouraging reminder that Jesus invites us to walk beside Him and absorb His peace. As He said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30