I have to smile. A month ago, I was in awe that my songs were getting 1000 views/day. And now… well, the lyric video for “I Will Wait” got 200,000 views in the month of May. Both songs combined are up to 260,000 views.
That’s amazing, but what means even more to me are the people who are writing in comments or sending private messages. They’re sharing how much our amazing God is ministering to them through this song.
I shared in January a little about what was important to me going into the studio, but I’d like to share a little more now.
When I was in the studio recording, I prayed numerous times that God would saturate the recording. Sometimes, when I listen to studio versions of my favorite worship songs, they feel flat compared to the live worship versions. I always figured that it was because it’s easy to get focused on all the technicalities that you’re trying to get right when you’re in the studio. It’s different compared to a live worship setting, where it’s easier to just be focused on God. So I was very conscious of that. I kept asking God to make His presence a part of my worship, even there in the studio with all the technicalities requiring attention.
I remember specifically the moment when we were about to start recording the vocals. My voice was a bit rough, because I’d lost it completely over Christmas. This was a few days into February and it was mostly back, but it wasn’t 100%. I didn’t want to put off recording though. I stood there, in the tiny recording room, and I just gave my voice to God. I told Him that how my voice sounded was in His hands. Yes, I wanted my voice to be clear and my notes to be on pitch, but I wanted much more for this recording to be true worship from the heart. I wanted people to be touched by His presence through the recording.
And I sang.
We did four takes, and I worshiped and gave God every one. The first two were okay. My voice suddenly cleared up for the third. And then it started to feel strained on the fourth, so we quit. When I left, I wasn’t sure if it would wind up being one of those dull, mechanical-sounding studio recordings or not.
Evidently it’s not. The number of people who say God’s presence has visited them while listening has awed me!
It has humbled me too, because God is not someone I can summon to do my bidding, even if I wanted to! He cannot be contained by a song, so it’s not like He is actually in the song. The reality is that it was His good pleasure to give me this song and permit me to record it. And it is His good pleasure to visit listeners every single time He chooses to do so. The sheer number of times that He is indeed choosing to do so makes me cry. I love to see Him working! To be such a very small part… to pour so many hours of work into six minutes of music…is very precious to me.
::Deep Breath::
In other news, God gave me the last bits of another (still unnamed) song last week. It’s yet another song about God’s presence. This one starts in the dry and difficult places. My prayer is that God will use it to minister to people who are feeling like they’re totally lost in the wilderness. I pray that the “I’m struggling” lyrics at the beginning of the song will give them something to grab hold of. Then I trust that they’ll then be able to follow the song into that intimate place in His presence where His love washes over them. I suppose that sounds a little like what “I Will Wait” is about, but this is a very different song. I wish I could record it immediately, but I have another song that I know is next. I’ll start recording “This Place” this month. (I hope to release it sometime in July.)
And so, I will wait on His timing to record this new one and release it.
May God richly bless you all with more and more of the revelation of the knowledge of Him!
(PS. Every so often I go live on Facebook to share short little bits of news or encouragement. You can like my Facebook page if you’re interested in getting those notifications. I’m not sure what other methods of “following” are easy for people to use used now, so feel free to let me know what you use. Maybe that’ll help me figure out what I should set up.)