She called her friend Kris Kristofferson to help her finish it; together, they wrote the first verse in about 20 minutes.
Wilkin wrote the chorus during a period of intense personal despair, struggling with alcoholism and depression. After a minister suggested she "thank God for [her] problems," she went home and the chorus flowed out as a prayer at her piano. Merle Haggard One Day At A Time (Gospel Song)
First recorded by Marilyn Sellars in 1974, it won the Dove Award for Song of the Year in 1975. Cristy Lane later took the song to #1 on the Billboard country charts in 1980. Merle Haggard's Version She called her friend Kris Kristofferson to help