It’s a special birthday today for our family. My hubby and one of our granddaughters both arrived on the 24th of June. As she celebrates the joy of being 19, he will watch his calendar turn over to 84. Her life is just beginning; her world is full of possibilities. His has reached the other end of the spectrum. He looks back on a lifetime of beautiful memories. She is filled with anticipation; he reflects with a bit of hard-earned wisdom.
Thinking on this reminded me of the beautiful hymn, “I Was There to Hear Your Borning Cry.” The text and music were composed by John Carl Ylvsiaker. A liturgical songwriter, recording artist, composer, and performer, he is perhaps best known for his song “I Was There To Hear Your Borning Cry.” Born in Moorhead, Minnesota, he was a graduate of Concordia College. For more than 50 years, his words and music have been a powerful influence on the development of new worship materials for the church. His ability to recognize or write tunes that people in the pew can readily sing, made him a significant figure in liturgical music. He passed away on March 9, 2017.
This beloved hymn begins and ends with this stanza:
“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.
How beautiful it is. Our God greets us with his unconditional love when we are first born and continues to bless us with his love every day of our life.
Hope you enjoy the rendition which follows.
Judy
Joy Lutheran Church Ocala, Florida 
of all the songs , this one makes my cry every time. It was sung at both my parents’ funerals and at my son’s memorial service four years ago today. While I appreciate the beautiful message of the lyrics, I still can’t sing it without tears running down my face.