The Miracle of a Brother's Song

Like any good mother, when Karen found out that another baby was on the way, she did what she could to help her 3-year-old son, Michael, prepare for a new sibling. They found out that the new baby was going be a girl, and day after day, night after night, Michael sang to his s sister in Mommy's tummy. He was building a bond of love with his little sister before he even met her.

The pregnancy progressed normally for Karen, an active member of the the Creek United Methodist Church in Morristown, Tennessee. In time, the labor pains came. Soon it was every five minutes, every three, every minute. But serious complications arose during delivery and Karen found herself in hours of labor. Would a C-section be required?

Finally, after a long struggle, Michael's little sister was born. But she was in very serious condition. With a siren howling in the night, the ambulance rushed the infant to the neonatal intensive care unit at St. Mary's Hospital, Knoxville, Tennessee.

The days inched by. The little girl got worse. The pediatrician had to tell the parents there is very little hope. Be prepared for the worst. Karen and her husband contacted a local cemetery about a burial plot. They had fixed up a special room in their house for t heir new baby they found themselves having to plan for a funeral. Michael, however, kept begging his parents to let him se his sister. I want to sing to her, he kept saying. Week two in intensive care looked as if a funeral would come before the week was over. Michael kept nagging about singing to his sister, but kids are never allowed in Intensive Care. Karen decided to take Michael whether they liked it or not. If he didn't see his sister right then, he may never see her alive. She dressed him in an oversized scrub suit and marched him into ICU. He looked like a walking laundry basket. The head nurse recognized him as a child and bellowed, " Get that kid out of here now. No children are allowed." The mother rose up strong in Karen, and the usually mild-mannered lady glared steel-eyed right into the head nurse's face, her lips a firm line. He is not leaving until he sings to his sister" she stated. Then Karen towed Michael to his sister's bedside. He gazed at the tiny infant losing the battle to live. After a moment, he began tossing. In the pure-hearted voice of a 3-year-old, Michael sang: "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me happy when skies are gray." Instantly the baby girl seemed to respond. The pulse rate began to calm down and become steady. "Keep on singing, Michael," encouraged Karen with tears in her eyes. "You never know, dear, how much I love you, please don't take my sunshine away. "As Michael sang to his sister, the baby's ragged, strained breathing became as smooth as a kitten's purr. "Keep on singing, sweetheart."

"The other night, dear, as I lay sleeping, I dreamed I held you in my arms". Michael's little sister began to relax as rest, healing rest, seemed to sweep over her. "Keep singing, Michael." Tears had now conquered the face of the bossy head nurse. Karen glowed. "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. Please don't take my sunshine away..."

The next, day...the very next day...the little girl was well enough to go home. Woman's Day Magazine called it The Miracle of a Brother's Song. The medical staff just called it a miracle. Karen called it a miracle of God's love.

NEVER GIVE UP ON THE PEOPLE YOU LOVE. LOVE IS SO INCREDIBLY POWERFUL. Please send this to all the people that have touched your life in some way. Life is good. Have Wonderful Day!

Karin Simmons Knapp, the grandmother of the baby girl has told TruthOrFiction.com that the story is true.
She said that the story circulating on the Internet appears to have been taken from a book of sermons published by the Holston Conference of the United Methodist Church in East Tennessee.
St. Mary's Hospital in Knoxville told TruthOrFiction.com that children are prohibited from visiting the hospital, not because of resistant staff, but hospital policy. Even so, the source told us that a child would not be prohibited from visiting the bedside of a dying sibling.


The baby was named Marlee and as of August, 2008, she is a 16-year old high school student who describes herself as "just like any other teenage girl." She told TruthOrFiction.com that she sings in her church choir as well as school choir and is a student athletic trainer for her high school's athletic department.

Marlee says that her gift is singing and that she's glad that what happened when she was born didn't keep her from that dream.

Have Thine Own Way, Lord

listen to Have Thine Own Way

"But now, O Lord, Thou art our Father; we are the clay, and Thou our potter; and we all are the work of Thy hand." Isaiah 64:8

It really doesn't matter what you do with us, Lord-just have your way with our lives ...

This simple expression, prayed by an elderly woman at a prayer meeting one night, was the source of inspiration that prompted the writing of this popular consecration hymn, in 1902. From that time to the present, it has been an influential hymn in aiding individuals to examine and submit their lives to the Lordship of Christ.

The author of this hymn text, Adelaide A. Pollard, was herself experiencing a "distress of soul" during this time. It appears that it was a period in her life when she had been unsuccessful in raising funds to make a desired trip to Africa for missionary service. In this state of discouragement, she attended a little prayer meeting one night and was greatly impressed with the prayer of an elderly woman, who omitted the usual requests for blessings and things, and simply petitioned God for an understanding of His will in life. Upon returning home that evening, Miss Pollard meditated further on the story of the potter, found in Jeremiah 18:3, 4:

"Then I went down to the potter's house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels. And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it."

Before retiring that evening, Adelaide Pollard completed the writing of all four stanzas of this hymn as it is sung today.

Adelaide Addison Pollard was known as a remarkable, saintly woman but one who lived the life of a mystic. She was born on November 27, 1862, at Bloomfield, Iowa. She was named, Sarah, by her parents, but because of her later dislike for this name, she adopted the name, Adelaide. After an early training in elocution and physical culture, she moved to Chicago, Illinois, during the 1880's and taught in several girls' schools. During this time, she became rather well-known as an itinerant Bible teacher. Later, she became involved in the evangelistic ministry of Alexander Dowie, assisting him in his healing services. She, herself, claimed to have been healed of diabetes in this manner. Still later, she became involved in the ministry of another evangelist named Sanford, who was emphasizing the imminent return of Christ. Miss Pollard desired to travel and minister in Africa, but when these plans failed to materialize, she spent several years teaching at the Missionary Training School at Nyack-on-the-Hudson. She finally got to Africa for a short time, just prior to World War I and then spent most of the war years in Scotland. Following the war, she returned to America and continued to minister throughout New England, even though by now she was very frail and in poor health.

Miss Pollard wrote a number of other hymn texts throughout her life, although no one knows exactly how many, since she never wanted any recognition for her accomplishments. Most of her writings were signed simply AAP. "Have Thine Own Way, Lord!" is her only hymn still in use today.

The music for this text was supplied by George Coles Stebbins, one of the leading gospel musicians of this century. The hymn first appeared in 1907 in Stebbins' collection, Northfield Hymnal with Alexander's Supplement. That same year, it also appeared in two other popular hymnals, Ira Sankey's Hallowed Hymns New and Old and Sankey and Clement's Best Endeavor Hymns.

In 1876, George Stebbins was invited by D. L. Moody to join him in his evangelistic endeavors. For the next twenty-five years, Stebbins was associated with Moody and Sankey and such other leading evangelists as George F. Pentecost and Major D. W. Whittle as a noted song leader, choir director, composer, and compiler of many gospel song collections. He has supplied the music for such popular gospel hymns as: "Saved by Grace" (No. 76), "Ye Must Be Born Again" (No. 101), "There Is a Green Hill Far Away" (101 Hymn Stories, No. 96), "Jesus, I Come," "Take Time to be Holy," "Savior, Breathe an Evening Blessing," and many others. He has left an interesting autobiography of his life and times entitled Memoirs and Reminiscences, published in 1924. George C. Stebbins lived a fruitful life for God to the age of ninety-one, passing away on October 6, 1945, at Catskill, New York.
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Have Thine own way, Lord! have Thine own way!
Thou art the Potter; I am the clay.
Mold me and make me after Thy will,
While I am waiting, yielded and still.

Have Thine own way, Lord! have Thine own way!
Search me and try me, Master, today!
Whiter then snow, Lord, wash me just now,
As in Thy presence humbly I bow.

Have Thine own way, Lord! have Thine own way!
Wounded and weary, help me, I pray!
Power - all power- surely is Thine!
Touch me and heal me, Savior divine!

Have Thine own way, Lord! have Thine own way!
Hold o'er my being absolute sway!
Fill with Thy Spirit till all shall see
Christ only, always, living in me!
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Writer --Adelaide A. Pollard, 1862-1934
Composer --George C. Stebbins, 1846-1945

source: sermonindex.net