It Is No Secret
Good day to you, each and everyone who reads this fine magazine, as it is my hope that each article brings you the same joy reading as it does our fine authors who come up with such insightful topics.
Before we begin, here’s a true story found in the archives, titled “It is No Secret”.
Back in the 1950’s there was a well-known radio host/comedian/song writer in Hollywood named Stuart Hamblen who was noted for his drinking, womanizing, partying, etc. One of his bigger hits at that time was “I won’t go hunting with you, Jake, but I’ll go chasing women.” One day, along came a young preacher holding a tent revival. Hamblen had him on his radio show presumably to poke fun at him.
In order to gather more material for his show, Hamblen showed up at one of his revival meetings. Early in the service the preacher announced, “There is one man in this audience who is a big fake.” There were probably others who thought the same thing, but Hamblen was convinced that he was the one the preacher was talking about (some would call that conviction) but he was having none of that. Still the words continued to haunt him until a couple of nights later he showed up drunk at the preacher’s hotel door around 2 AM demanding that the preacher pray for him! But the preacher refused, saying, “This is between you and God and I’m not going to get in the middle of it.”
But he did invite Stuart in and they talked until about 5 AM at which point Stuart dropped to his knees and with tears, cried to God. But that is not the end of the story. Stuart quit drinking, quit chasing women, quit everything that was ‘fun’. Soon he began to lose favor with the Hollywood crowd.
He was ultimately fired by the radio station when he refused a beer company as a sponsor. Hard times were upon him. He tried writing a couple of “Christian” songs but the only one that had much success was “This Old House”, written for his friend Rosemary Clooney.
As he continued to struggle, a long-time friend name John took him aside and told him, “All your troubles started when you got ‘religion,’ was it worth it all?” Stuart answered simply, “Yes.” Then his friend asked, “You like your booze so much, don’t you ever miss it?” And his answer was, “No.” John then said, “I don’t understand how you could give it up so easily.” And Stuart’s response was, “It’s no big secret. All things are possible with God.” To this John said, “That’s a catchy phrase. You should write a song about it.”
And as Paul Harvey says, “Now for the rest of the story.” The song Carl Stuart Hamblen wrote was “It is No Secret.”
The chimes of time ring out the news
Another day is through
Someone slipped and fell
Was that someone you?
You may have longed for added strength
Your courage to renew
Do not be disheartened
For I have news for you
It is no secret what God can do
What He’s done for others, He’ll do for you
With arms wide open He’ll pardon you
It is no secret what God can do
There is no night, for in His light
You never walk alone
Always feel at home
Wherever you may go
There is no power can conquer you
While God is on your side
Take Him at His promise
Don’t run away and hide
It is no secret what God can do
What He’s done for others, He’ll do for you
With arms wide open He’ll pardon you
It is no secret what God can do
The song reached #1 on the Gospel, Country and Pop charts. Numerous performers who recorded this song included Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, George Beverly Shea, Jim Reeves, Mahalia Jackson, Bill Gaither, Booth Brothers, Tennessee Ernie Ford, Eddy Arnold, Andy Griffith, Kate Smith and others.
Does this song bring back memories? Oh, by the way, and that fellow John, the friend of Stuart Hamblen, he was better known as John Wayne, the actor. And the young preacher holding the revival meetings who told Stuart, “This is between you and God and I’m not going to get in the middle of it.” that was Billy Graham.
Would you say that Stuart was unique? He fell out of favor with the Hollywood crowd and became separate or peculiar because he quit drinking and womanizing.
Stuart took a stand as an individual to quit drinking and give up the booze and from that stand, his friend John, listened and suggested the phrase, that catchy phrase, “It’s no big secret. All things are possible with God,” would turn into a song and change his life, for that song would turn into a #1 song on three national record charts—Pop, Country, Gospel and that song would be recorded by the biggest names in the music business.
Yes, that phrase, that single phrase changed a hardened man and unlocked his heart by knowing that All things are possible with God.
I do hope that you take the time to listen on You Tube the various renditions of this song—Many old hymns and many old Christian songs are a reminder to each of us that All things are possible with God, What a Friend we have in Jesus, He Lives, Onward Christian Soldiers, Amazing Grace and so many, many more.
I’m sure that each of you reading this column have a favorite hymn or two and welcome your story of how you came about having that song as your favorite. I asked my wife for her favorite hymn and it was Amazing Grace and her late father’s was Trust & Obey, which was sung at his funeral. My mother-in-law’s favorite was “The Old Rugged Cross and my parent’s song was How Great Thou Art.
Are you experiencing bad news, isolation, being all alone—try humming your favorite hymn or two and start your day with God—He will never leave you nor forsake you.
May God Bless you and may you Bless God in all that you say and do.
