Punchi Thithak Wage Mamath

Laying my life out upon the altar,
in love I offer my life to you, Jesus
my Jesus, I offer it

Hour by hour, the way you come and go within my heart,
the way you fan a breeze to quench the fires of sighing in my heart,
the way you bring comfort to the heart like a soft tuft of cotton,
my Jesus, that is just how he is, that is the way of Jesus

Will you take me with you, wherever you go, Jesus?
will the whole world become a single lamp, Jesus?
will the teaching that saves the world become a cool relief, Jesus?
like a little dot, I too will come, Jesus

This is a hymn of self-offering and gentle devotion, the prayer of someone who wants both to give his life to Jesus and to join in Jesus’ work in the world. It opens with the language of sacrifice, “laying my life out upon the altar, in love I offer my life to you,” but the tone is tender rather than solemn, a gift made out of love.

The middle verse is a lovely, intimate portrait of what Jesus is like to live with, day by day. “Hour by hour, the way you come and go within my heart,” always near; “the way you fan a breeze to quench the fires of sighing,” cooling the heart’s distress; “the way you bring comfort like a soft tuft of cotton,” soft, light, soothing. The singer sums it up with simple affection, “that is just how he is, that is the way of Jesus.”

The final verse turns outward into a set of hopeful questions that are really a longing to help. “Will you take me with you, wherever you go?” he asks, wanting to be part of the mission; “will the whole world become a single lamp?” and “will the teaching that saves the world become a cool relief?”, dreams of the gospel bringing light and comfort everywhere. And then the humble, memorable promise that gives the song its title: “like a little dot, I too will come, Jesus.” He does not imagine himself as anything grand, just a small dot, but he offers even that gladly to the work of God. What the listener is left with is the warmth of a heart that finds Jesus soft and near, and wants nothing more than to give its small life to him and go wherever he goes.