A little over two years ago I wrote an Open Door about the premature birth of my granddaughter, Lauren. She weighed 3 pounds, 15 ounces at birth and was nurtured in her earliest days by a very fine neonatology team at University Hospital in Augusta.

The “rest of the story,” as Paul Harvey would say, is inspiring. I mentioned to you in that article that when Jennifer sang to Lauren in her earliest hours, she would noticeably respond to the singing voice of her mother. The sounds were not new to Lauren. Jennifer had sung these songs to her throughout her pregnancy. We now know that the unborn baby becomes very familiar with the voice of the mother and the other voices and sounds that surround the mother during her pregnancy. The two songs: Jesus Loves Me, and He’s Got the Whole World In His Hands, remain Lauren’s favorites.

Jennifer told me that the other night Lauren was having a difficult time going to sleep. So, Jennifer went in and sat on the side of her bed and quietly sang, “Jesus loves me this I know. For the Bible tells me so. Little ones to Him belong. They are weak, but He is strong. Yes, Jesus loves me. Yes, Jesus loves me. Yes, Jesus loves me. For the Bible tells me so.” Jennifer said that Lauren fell right to sleep. No doubt, the presence of her mother, her mother’s familiar singing and the message of the song gave Lauren all of the peace and comfort that she needed.

“The rest of the story” must also include Lauren’s dad, Aaron, who at the time of Lauren’s birth was a medical student at the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta. He was so impressed and impacted by the physicians and nurses of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, and the wonderful way that their efforts blessed his baby, that God used the event to give Aaron direction for his medical career. He went on to finish his M.D. degree at the Medical College and has chosen to do his residency in pediatrics. His ultimate goal is to pursue a specialty in neonatology. His desire is to help other children and families as the physicians caring for Lauren helped her and Aaron and Jennifer as well.

I think about this “full circle” event and find it impossible to miss the fact that God’s hand is all over this situation. For Aaron, Jennifer and Lauren it began right where it begins for all of us. It begins in our faithfulness to the Father.

God blesses individuals and families who are faithful to Him. He brings into our darkest hours teachable moments so that we can see His ultimate will in ways that we never would have had we not walked through the valley. Lauren’s earliest hours were some of the most difficult our family has faced, but we now stand in awe of how God has used those events to shape a family and to send them in the direction of His plan. God is so good. He is indeed good all the time!

It is impossible for us to predict the future, but I believe I know Lauren’s future. She will one day invite Jesus Christ to be her personal Savior and will follow Him in believer’s baptism. She will grow spiritually into a fine Christian young lady, who will one day be a wonderful Christian mother.

How can I know this for sure? I can know it because the Bible makes it clear that God will bless the home where His word is taught. In Deuteronomy we are commanded, “And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.” (Deuteronomy 6:6-7)

For Lauren, it began with a faithful mother’s tender voice singing, “Jesus loves me this I know. For the Bible tells me so.” Deep in my heart I know that somewhere around 25 years from now, Lauren will sing those same precious words to her baby, teaching them diligently to her child in accordance with the Word of God which was gifted to her heart from the very beginning.