After more than a decade, Faith Hill has finally come out with her cover of Mindy Smith's "Come to Jesus." And it could not have been timed more perfectly.
The American country singer said her mother, Edna Perry, asked her to sing that song before she passed away on Oct. 30, according to Rolling Stone.
"Three weeks ago today my mom passed away," Hill wrote in a Facebook post on Sunday, Nov. 20. "Mom often asked if I would ever get around to recording a gospel album. That's all she wanted to hear me sing. I'm thankful that she was able to hear this song before she took a seat on the glory train. This is 'Come to Jesus' dedicated to my mom."
"Come to Jesus" became a hit in 2004 when Smith released her version of the Christian song.
Hill originally recorded the song in late 2003 but it remained unreleased—until last week. The song is the last track on her "Deep Tracks" compilation album, which includes the singer's album cuts that were never released as singles plus two additional songs that, like "Come to Jesus," never found their way onto an album.
Hill's bluesy version of "Come to Jesus" provided comfort not just to the singer's dying mom but also to her husband Tim McGraw's ailing dad, Tug, who passed away in January 2004 after losing a battle with brain cancer.
Hill's rough version of "Come to Jesus" became one of Tug's favourite songs during his last days.
"Tim played him my rough cut," Hill says in a press release, "and Tug listened to it multiple times a day until his passing."
Here are the lyrics of "Come to Jesus":
Nothing can separate us from this love / No sin no any other thing
You were called for such a time as this / So turn to God don't turn away
There's a voice it's calling out to you / So open up your ears and hear
There's a destiny that waits for you / So now's the time to make a way
Just run into His arms / No matter what you've done /
Just look into His eyes / And see the loving grace of God
Come to Jesus / He is everything you need / Just turn to Jesus
He is everything you seek / Just come to Jesus / He is everything you need
More than the air you breathe today / I will run into Your arms [x4]
