Often times family, friends and fans ask our artists, why do you write Christian music? Why do you spend your lives driving around the country singing to strangers and sleeping in vans? Shouldn’t you be in college, have a normal 9-5 job or at least sing secular music where you have a chance of making substantially more money? Everyone knows Christian music is a small industry owned by big labels and chances are you will never find financial freedom in such a niche market. I see the look on artist’s faces and I know it can be hard to adequately articulate why they’ve chosen this life and how odd it must look to outsiders when their accomplishments are stacked up next that of their peers.

But then every so often we receive an email from someone who has been moved from a place of despair to a place of hope, from someone who’s faith in God had been restored, all through the message of a simple song. What the writers of these emails don’t realize is that they now too have been used by God to give that same hope, that same renewed faith to someone else, that’s us. As we read these emails it’s as if each letter of every sentence has the power to unlock our own faith to renew our own desires to continue walking down the path God has laid before us.

I received this letter earlier this week and thought what a perfect example.

“My daughter, 20 year old Reagan, was diagnosed with Ependymoma Brain Cancer last May after having a headache for 2 weeks. She was 8 weeks out from graduating nursing school. On May 28, 2014, she had surgery, major brain surgery for removal.

The day before surgery, I went into town, and your song was premeiring on the radio station. I turned it up, because when I saw the name Tanner, it made connections with me, since our son is named Tanner. I cried at Do Not Be Afraid all the way into town.

I finished up my errands, got in the car, and they were playing it again. It was a God thing!

The next day, on the drive to the hospital an hour away, it played again.

It became OUR song. My husband, myself and our daughter, fresh out of surgery, would listen to it over and over. The doctor was unsure what my daughter had, but didn’t give us a lot of hope. He confirmed there was a 2nd tumor that would need another surgery just 1 day later. When checking for a final MRI, the second tumor was simply GONE. The doctor, nurses, everyone broke out in praises, and we played your song.

Since her surgery, we learned Reagan has Ependymoma. A very rare adult cancer. 98% of these cases are in children under 5. It is highly misunderstood, but offers a great success rate. While it is malignant, 75% of its patients live normal lives. We are blessed beyond blessed. Reagan’s tumor, while the size of an orange, was removed, and she has NO side effects. To this day, she has needed NO chemo or radiation. We all know WHO was in charge of her life.

In August, she graduated nursing school.“ Kristi Luck

Reagan Luck, Ependymoma Brain Cancer Survivor

After hundreds of emails and messages its still seems so amazing that the Holy Spirit would take something so simple, like the lyric from a song, and use it to remind us of God’s unfailing love.

That’s why we do it – This is why we write Christian Music.

By: Jones Beene

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