March 6, 2018
Borning Cry
“I was there to hear your borning cry, I’ll be there when you are old.
I rejoiced the day you were baptized to see your life unfold.
I was there when you were but a child, with a faith to suit you well;
In a blaze of light you wandered off to find where demons dwell.”
“When you heard the wonder of the Word, I was there to cheer you on;
You were raised to praise the living Lord, to whom you now belong.
If you find someone to share your time and you join your hearts as one,
I’ll be there to make your verses rhyme from dusk till rising sun.”
“In the middle ages of your life, not too old, no longer young,
I’ll be there to guide you through the night, complete what I’ve begun.
When the evening gently closes in and you shut your weary eyes,
I’ll be there as I have always been with just one more surprise.”
“I was there to hear your borning cry, I’ll be there when you are old.
I rejoiced the day you were baptized to see your life unfold.”
Text: John C. Ylvisaker b. 1937
In my Bible, the “title” of Ecclesiastes 3 is “Everything Has Its Time,” and begins in verse 1: “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.” John Ylvisaker, in the hymn Borning Cry reminds us that God is the one who gives us our time in every season, in every aspect of our lives. This hymn tells the story of everyone’s life from beginning to end.
Each line begins with “I,” referring to God’s all-knowing presence, but when I sing the hymn, the “I” becomes me.
I remember vividly each of my children’s borning cry, and I thanked God for each miracle of life. Not only do I know the exact date and time of that first cry, but I also recall every event of the mornings my tiny babies were baptized. I rejoiced; they just cried some more.
I grew up in a Lutheran home with a faith that suited me well. But if I am honest with myself, I must admit that there have been times I wandered off and stumbled into places where a few demons lived. I was in college then. I questioned my faith.
A beautiful memory is my daughter’s wedding when she included this hymn in the ceremony, having found a wonderful man to share her life. That union has continued to bless me with four beautiful grandchildren.
But my favorite line in this hymn reminds me that as I grow older, and I shut my weary eyes, I have nothing to fear. God will be with me then, just as God has been in every aspect of my life.
I believe that anyone who sings this hymn would find comfort and blessing in knowing that God is always with us!
Barbara Orsak
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