Music Monday: A Song In Her Heart: From-A Mother’s perspective
Submitted by Debbie’s mom
“Then said Deborah… I, even I will sing unto the Lord, I will sing praise to the Lord of Israel.”
– Judges 5:3.
Debbie has always had a love for music. She has been in her middle school, high school, and college choirs. You can hear her soprano voice enthusiastically singing at Sunday morning worship or along with a song in the car or in her apartment.
To say her love of singing is a gift from God is an understatement. She was predestinated to sing when she was “formed in the womb” by God, and though we weren’t aware of it, even the peculiar way that she came to have the name Deborah was we believed, ordained by God.
Debbie was our second child, a big surprise after waiting ten long years to conceive. She followed her brother’s birth by only 11 months.
Never given to the ordinary, Debbie’s arrival was a very exciting and unexpected one. After a 5-week bed-rest enforcement, an ambulance ride with sirens blaring, and being wheeled through the lobby of the University of Michigan Hospital, doctors whisked us into a labor room just in time for her arrival, failing to have time to get to a delivery room set up for premature births. Arriving at 2.5 lbs., two attendants transported from that room her, racing down the hallway, one carrying a small bundle in his arms, while the other swung the doors open before him. That bundle being our newborn baby.
While waiting for news about our daughter, a friend/pastor from our church visited us. Being a rather funny guy and attempting to divert our attention from where our baby was and how she was doing, he shared jokes and entertained us while we waited for the news.
“So what are you going to name your little girl?” He asked.
We had barely discussed names at that point.
“We don’t know. We haven’t had time to decide,” we replied.
He continued to insist that we come up with a name.
“Well, the only names I’ve even momentarily considered are Melody and Deborah,” I said.
Further insisting that we should name our daughter, our friend John pulled out a piece of paper and wrote the two names down. Placing them in his hat, he said, “Draw one.”
“No…. we aren’t going to name our daughter by drawing a name out of a hat.” We both protested.
After much persuasion, Ed, her father, finally drew a name just to indulge our good friend.
“Deborah” the piece of paper in his hand said.
We continued to protest that we weren’t naming our baby by drawing her name out of a hat. It was all very funny.
Perhaps an hour had passed, nurses had been in and out checking on me, assuring us they would keep us updated, letting us know the baby was being evaluated and they would keep us posted.
Finally, the nurse returned and advised us, “Deborah is all settled in the Neonatal unit.”
Ed and I just looked at each other. Apparently, she had heard just enough of our conversation to assume that we had named her Deborah.
The next day with our heads a little clearer and feeling we needed to name our baby girl, we agreed to name her Deborah. It is a good biblical name of strong character. As we did with our son Timothy, we looked for a Bible verse that would solidify the Biblical name we had chosen for her. We chose Judges 5:3, after Deborah and Barak won a battle against the Amalekites and celebrated with song. “Then said Deborah… I, even I will sing unto the Lord, I will sing praise to the Lord of Israel.” Judges 5:3.
We had no idea what weight that verse would carry for her and us until much later. But we know God had a plan, and we were all simply guided along the way. Music would always be a part of Debbie’s life, as she expressed her love and praise to her Savior.