Sing Your Favorite Hymn

Angela Olsen Center, Ohio, USA

mother and newborn in hospital

Illustrations by Bradley H. Clark

I had just given birth to our daughter, Rebekah. My labor had been intense, and I was exhausted.

When Rebekah was placed in my arms, I had the overwhelming feeling that I should sing my favorite hymn, “I Am a Child of God” (Hymns, no. 301). My initial response was, “No, I’m too tired. I’ll sing it to her later.” But then the thought came again. So, though I was exhausted, I began singing the first verse. My husband and my mother joined me.

When we finished the song, I felt a special feeling in the room. Even the doctor, who until that point had been professional and rather aloof, had tears streaming down her face. She thanked us for singing such a beautiful song. She said that in all the years she had been delivering babies, she had never felt as she did at that moment.

I reflected on that experience and wondered if I should find a recording of the hymn and give it to her. Unfortunately, I became busy with life and forgot about it.

Then the day arrived for my postpartum checkup. As the doctor walked into the room, her face lit up, and she gave me a hug. She said she hadn’t been able to get that song out of her mind and had even tried to find the music on the Internet so she could sing it to her family. That’s when the Holy Ghost reminded me that I should have gotten a copy of the music for her. I promised her that within the week I would be back with the music.

That night I prayed for help to find the arrangement of the song that would be best for her. The next afternoon I ordered a CD that features the song. When it arrived in the mail a few days later, I couldn’t wait to give it to her.

She was thrilled to receive it and thanked me for the gift. She told me that she wasn’t sure why, but this song was very important for her to share with her family. As we continued to talk, I shared with her not only my love for the song but also my testimony of the simple truths it teaches.

As I drove home that day, I felt the love of our Heavenly Father for one of His daughters—my doctor. He knows and loves her, and He wants her to understand that she too can return to live with Him once more.