Authors Note: This fic is inspired by the hynm "Here Is Love" by Matt Redman, which was originally written during the revival that took place in Scotland and Wales in the early 1900's
December 1958
Shelagh sat by Timothy's beside late that night at The London. Patrick had been called out to a delivery so Shelagh took the bus and visited him on her own so he wouldn't be alone. Guilt struck her heart once again thinking about how being left alone is what got him here in the first place. She thanked God everyday since that dreadful day for keeping him alive.
She snapped out of her thoughts when Timothy said "Auntie Shelagh?"
"Yes dear" she replied
"Can you sing me a song?" he asked her in a weak voice
Shelagh felt uncomfortable about singing with other people in the children's ward, but it was what Timothy wanted and he needed to be comforted more than ever in these circumstances.
"Yes I can" she told him
"But what would she sing?" she thought to herself. Moments later, her mind wondered to one of her favorite hymns that she had heard as a child, but did not come to appreciate until her teenage years. It had brought her so much comfort and joy throughout the years so she decided to share it with Timothy.
"Here is love, vast as the ocean
Loving kindness as the flood
When the Prince of Life, our Ransom
Shed for us His precious blood
Who His love will not remember?
Who can cease to sing His praise?
He can never be forgotten
Throughout Heaven's eternal days" she sang to him
She was about to start the second verse when she looked up to see him fast asleep. She got up from her chair, kissed his forehead and whispered "Goodnight Timothy, I love you". She made sure that he was still fast asleep before walking out of children's ward to catch the bus home.
October 1959
She sat on the couch of the sitting room with a crying Angela in her arms. It was three in the morning and she had already had her bottle and a nappy change, but still would not settle down. After a week of having her in their lives, Shelagh felt like she had finally started getting the hang of caring for a newborn full time, but in this moment she stared doubt her parenting abilities. She sat Angela on her shoulder and patted her on the back for a few minutes, but her cries persisted. Shelagh felt her patience slipping as the exhaustion of this last week grew bigger inside her. Then it dawned on her to try singing to calm Angela, and herself down. The first thing she thought of was one of the hymns she learned in her days in Scotland.
"Here is love, vast as the ocean
Loving kindness as the flood
When the Prince of Life, our Ransom
Shed for us His precious blood
Who His love will not remember?
Who can cease to sing His praise?
He can never be forgotten
Throughout Heaven's eternal days" she sang
Angela had stopped crying when she began to sing, but as soon as she stopped, her wails started once again, so Shelagh continued
"On the mount of crucifixion
Fountains opened deep and wide
Through the floodgates of God's mercy
Flowed a vast and gracious tide
Grace and love, like mighty rivers
Poured incessant from above
And Heaven's peace and perfect justice
Kissed a guilty world in love"
Angela had stopped crying, and she sat for a moment, expecting for her to cry again, but silence continued to fill the sitting room much to Shelagh's relief. She offered a silent prayer of thanks and got up with Angela, placed her in her bassinet, and climbed back into bed and fell asleep.
March 1963
Shelagh was cleaning the kitchen when she heard Teddy begin to cry in his bassinet that sat in the sitting room. She walked in there to him and scooped him up into her arms. She felt that he still had a clean nappy and it wasn't quite time for his next feeding, so she took him outside to the garden. She sat down at one of the chairs that sat around the patio table. Shelagh was so glad that warmer days were finally here because she learned that Teddy liked the change of scenery that being outside brought and that would calm him down along with singing. So the hymn that brought her joy as a teenager came to her mind to calm Teddy down so she sang,
"Here is love, vast as the ocean
Loving kindness as the flood
When the Prince of Life, our Ransom
Shed for us His precious blood"
She stopped singing when she heard the back door open. She turned around to find Timothy standing there with Angela on his hip.
"No mum keep going, that is one of my favorite songs that you sing to us"
"Thank you Timothy" she replied
Timothy sat Angela down in one of the other chairs around the patio table and he took a seat at the one to the left of her. Shelagh continued to sing the hymn with a happiness that she couldn't quite explain. She was so thankful for this beautiful life that God had given her and made sure that He knew that too.