Yesterday, I attended my weekly Bible study at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Fort Collins, CO. Tim Runtsch, senior pastor, always starts us off with a song. Yesterday, he gave us a partial history to the song we were about to sing, “I Was There to Hear Your Borning Cry,” written by John Carl Ylvisaker.
Ylvisaker, of Waverly, Iowa, passed away at the age of 79 from complications of Multiple System Atrophy and cancer on March 9, 2017. His sweet song of God’s love is often sung at baptisms, confirmations and sometimes funerals. The borning cry refers to the first cry a baby makes after he or she is born. In memory of John Carl Ylvisaker, here are the lyrics to his beautiful and timeless song:
“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.”