Behind the Lyrics: “God Story”
I have been listening to some newer Christian artists lately and have really enjoyed Anne Wilson’s songs. I have written a few blogs like this before– breaking down the lyrics or tying them back to Scripture– and ultimately leave feeling more connected to the message woven through the lyrics.
According to Wikipedia, Anne Wilson was born in Lexington, Kentucky, and felt called by God to pursue a career in Christian music after the death of her older brother, Jacob Wilson. She made her debut in 2021, with the release of the single "My Jesus.” Hearing Anne on the radio, I was happily surprised by her beautiful mix of country music, storytelling, and Christian themes. She seems driven, mostly by her love of music and the Lord, to spread encouragement to everyone who will listen. One of her most recent songs, “God Story”, has been stuck in my head which usually means that I deep dive into the story behind the song.
“I've gone where the hopeless go, the dead end of a broken road
And I've learned there's a place so low you can't see your way out
Been stuck in a ditch so deep, thought it might be the end of me
But I'm still here and there could only be one way how”
In this first verse, Anne completely opens up with the raw grief she was feeling after her brother passed away in a car accident in 2017. Maybe you have been to that place so low you couldn’t see your way out. Life is full of loss. God is no stranger to loss. He created everything perfectly and then “lost” it to sin. God “lost” his own Son in the most sacrificial way; dying on a cross for humanity’s sins.
“My life is a God story
Gotta tell the world what He's done for me
Miracle on miracles that only He could do
I'm proof that we're all only one prayer away from a testimony
There's only One getting all the glory
My whole life is a God story (God story)”
While Anne was walking through the tragedy of her brother’s passing, she felt like the only way she could get through it was leaning on the Lord. She shared with one interviewer that Romans 8:28 was one of the verses that she relied on. “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
“From beginning to the end, from who I was to who I am
I can see His fingerprints on every single page
Now the story I love to tell
Is the story of the One who brought me back from hell
From "all wrong" to "it is well", and all I can say”
Anne actually co-wrote this song with Matthew West and Jeff Pardo and wanted to emphasize the importance of seeking God’s presence. I think we can often stay in that low place of grief, getting comfortable with the idea that this is the new normal for me instead of seeking after the Lord. Even through the grief, anger, and confusion God is working. He may be bringing you to reflection, peace, or patience through those challenging circumstances.
“From death to life, from blind to sight
This is my God story
From lost to found, from then to now
I'll tell you how, God story
Who brought me through from old to new
It's a true God story
Ain't hard to see the change in me
Could only be a God story”
Some of the other verses that were on Anne’s heart through this might also inspire or comfort you as well.
John 3:17 (NKJV): "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved."
John 15:4-5 (VOICE): "Abide in Me, and I will abide in you. A branch cannot bear fruit if it is disconnected from the vine, and neither will you if you are not connected to Me. I am the vine, and you are the branches. If you abide in Me and I in you, you will bear great fruit. Without Me, you will accomplish nothing."
Ephesians 3:17-19 (NIV): “And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord's holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”
What artists have been stuck in your head lately? What message is God trying to pour into you through music? If you find yourself in a place of grief like Anne, I encourage you to sit with that emotion and recognize that place as somewhere that God has been too. You are not alone. No matter how you may have arrived at your current circumstance, it does not have to be your end destination.
