Savannah Elise
Savannah Elise, your little eyes are crying.
Your world is all confusion and pain.
I see your body shudder on the table where you’re lying,
And my hands reach out to steady you in vain.
Savannah Elise, your little hands are shaking.
How I wish that I could hold and comfort you!
Oh can’t you see the tragic toll your fragile life is taking?
Your broken heart is breaking my heart too!
A broken heart, A broken heart
Oh Lord, why was she born this way to me?
She does not know, I cannot show her
Just how wonderful this life can be!
I’ll give all I have to give, if You’ll just let her live!
Dear Lord, don’t take this little one from me.
Savannah Elise, your little heart is dying,
But each fading beat impresses on my soul
A lesson sweet and gentle upon which I’ll be relying
All my life, to make reunion as my goal.
A broken heart, A broken heart
A heart must break to spill all pride within.
For when it’s broken, it becomes the token
Of a spirit that is sanctified from sin.
Lord, I’ll give up all of me, to leave room enough for Thee!
For when You’re there, my heart is whole again.
In January 1997, my oldest sister Kim gave birth to her third child and second daughter, whom she named Savannah Elise Wagner. A day or two after the birth, the doctors realized something was wrong with the baby, and tests revealed that she had been born with a serious congenital heart defect. Savannah underwent several surgeries, and had many blessings given and prayers offered on her behalf, but she passed away on February 14th -- Valentines Day.
ReplyDeleteThrough this experience, I watched how my sister and her husband, Kevin, coped with this tragedy and how they allowed it to strengthen rather than decrease their faith in God and the plan of salvation. Although short, Savannah's life ended up being a tremendous blessing to the entire family, and the things Kim said and wrote about the experience made a deep impression on me. I was thinking about the experience later that year during a sacrament meeting, and I started to put some of my thoughts on paper. I wish I could say the song lyrics just "came to me" but that wasn't the case. I worked at them pretty hard, and there were a lot of delays in finishing this. But two years later, during a family reunion in Mexico -- our family gave these words and CD of the song, performed by my sister Kathryn -- to Kim and Kevin... on Valentines Day. It was a poignant moment I'll never forget.