She never stopped noticing the world with an artist’s eye. One day, observing how a dandelion turned toward the sunlight helped her picture the importance of a life focused fully on Christ. She later wrote in a little booklet called Focussed:

“Turn full your soul’s vision to Jesus, and look and look at Him.”

Years later, those words reached Helen Lemmel, a gifted singer, music teacher, and songwriter. Born in England in 1863 and raised in the United States, Helen had devoted much of her life to music.

In 1918, a friend gave Helen a copy of Focussed. Lilias’s words immediately captured her attention, and Helen later recalled that the words and melody of a refrain came to her first.

The verses followed, pointing the weary soul to the Savior who gives light and life, conquered death and sin, keeps His promises, and sends us to tell others of His salvation.

Lilias used a paintbrush. Helen used music. God used the work of one woman to inspire the other, and more than a century later, their words still point us in the same direction:

Turn your eyes upon Jesus.