Amanda's Song

It was over 35 years ago I received a call from a family in our church about the premature birth of their little girl in the Rock Hill hospital. I rushed to the family's side because they were not expecting her to live. She was almost 3 months early and had several birth defects inside and out. What started that day developed into an almost two year crisis of life-threatening surgery after surgery. If I remember correctly she didn't get to come home but a few days during her first two years. Even back in the 80's I'm sure her hospital bill was well over a million dollars.

When I finally got to dedicate her to the Lord, our church and community knew she was a miracle baby. We were told over and over she would not survive each surgery, but she did. God was truly with her and brought her through every event in her little life. So many times I would break down and cry with the family when I saw all she was going through from surgery to surgery; but she made it because God was with her.

I wrote a special song for her dedication, which Becky and I recorded in 1987. Man, that seems like a lifetime ago and I've lost touch with her family since those days. The last I heard she was doing well in spite of all she had gone through. It was during this time of my ministry that I learned just how faithful God can be in a time of crisis.

It is my understanding that it did take a toll on the family and her mother and father divorced a few years after I left the area. It's a sad reality that something tragic can have lasting effects on a relationship, even if God performs a miracle. I wish I could say that every story has a happy ending, but I would be lying to you. Some stories, even with miracles, don't always come out right.

This blog today is to encourage every parent of a healthy child to give God praise and glory for His blessing to you. It's also to encourage those parents of a child with challenges to trust God for your baby's miracle. Amanda must have gone through at least 15-20 surgeries, but she made it. I believe your child can make it too with prayer and God's help. 

So when you sing a lullaby to your baby to get them to sleep think of Amanda's Song. Jesus loves the little children and your darling is one of them. Just like He touched Amanda He can touch your little one as well.