One of the most beautiful pictures of how the Church works is when people can take tragedies in their lives and use them to help other people in their grief. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 says it best: "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God." 

A small fraction of this picture is Christian music, which in its purest form is simply artists sharing with their listeners the comfort they've received in their own lives. Through lyrics, through melodies, through albums and EPs and radio singles, Christian music as a whole is just one big community of people helping other people through their darkest nights and difficult seasons.

Writers bleed in words. In the deepest grief and sorrow, they find solace and healing through putting pen to paper and letting the lyrics pull out emotions they can't express any other way. This results in honest, vulnerable, raw songs--songs that, when shared with the world, feel like laying your most personal journal entry out on the table for all to see. And while it must be painful at times for artists to share things so close to their heart with an audience of complete strangers, we're thankful that they choose to do so because honesty is such a powerful thing when used to encourage others. I'm a firm believer that the way to help people through tragedy is not to stand off at a distance and spout well-wishes, but rather to sit with them in their weakest moment and simply say "I've been where you are. You're not alone. Me too." Christian music, from pop and rock to hip-hop and worship, does that in a unique way.

Personally, the best part of these songs for me isn't the song itself, but rather the story behind it. Lyrics on their own are impactful, but it's the stories--the gut-wrenching, heartbreaking, hope-filled stories--that give the song the emotion and meaning that makes it resonate even deeper with the listener. Inspired by a few recent albums that were born out of deep sorrow, be it the sudden loss of a child (David Dunn's Yellow Balloons) or a shocking cancer diagnosis (Darlene Zschech's Here I Am Send Me), we wanted to share some of our favorite songs from the valley and a brief snapshot of the stories behind them. 
 
If you've ever walked through the death of someone you love, you know how heavy that grief is. Sometimes music can play a huge part in healing that wound, as was the case for BEC Recordings artist David Dunn. Dunn's new album Yellow Balloons released earlier this year, and though the majority of it carries a bubbly pop sound, there's also a deeply personal tragedy behind the project. A year and a half ago, David went to visit his sister and two nieces during a rare trip to his hometown. Before he left, his sister put the youngest one down for a nap, but she never woke up. In the wake of such a sudden and earth-shattering loss, David channeled his grief into making this album, a collection of songs that center on the topics of Heaven and the importance of childlike faith. Through his honest songwriting in the face of incredible loss, Dunn created an album that not only helped him grieve, but also has the potential to help thousands of others grieve.

Over the years, plenty of other artists have tackled the sensitive topic of loss, breathing hope into hard days and giving a voice to the unexplainable grief. The first that comes to mind is Jeremy Camp, who wrote hits "There Will Be A Day" and "I Still Believe" soon after losing his first wife to cancer. Through his redemptive music and testimony of struggling through such a difficult season, Jeremy has encouraged audiences all over the world in their personal pain. That encouragement appears on his brand new album, The Answer (get it on Apple Music and Spotify). Likewise, American Idol alumni Danny Gokey has shared hope with the masses through his story of losing his first wife to complications during a routine heart surgery. Songs like "Hope In Front Of Me," "Tell Your Heart To Beat Again" and most recently "Rise" came out of this grief and have become bold anthems for many fans walking through similar situations. 
 
To switch to another side of suffering, there are also many songs and albums birthed from an artist's journey through illness. For worship leader Darlene Zschech, her new project Here I Am, Send Me was majorly inspired by her recent cancer diagnosis (that is now in remission). Her first album in four years offers a message of hope as the bulk of these songs were created when Darlene was at her sickest. When asked by a fellow writer what message she wanted the songs from this season to have, she quickly replied, "I want to say 'HE IS GREAT!' In the midst of the fire, it doesn't change who our God is." 

Many others have written from that same faith-filled perspective in the midst of sickness, like Tim Timmons. After being given an incurable cancer diagnosis well over a decade ago, Tim began to write songs that declared Jesus was enough for him, no matter what happened to his health. "Cast My Cares" and "Great Reward" are two particular tracks from his label debut that give just a glimpse of his faith even in the face of something so terrifying.
 
For Ellie Holcomb, it was walking with her father through a cancer diagnosis that inspired much of her most recent album Red Sea Road, specifically "Find You Here." Tenth Avenue North's latest hit "I Have This Hope" was written as encouragement for guitarist Jeff's sister-in-law after she received the news that she had stage 4 cancer, much like Casting Crowns' emotional new song "Oh My Soul," written by lead singer Mark Hall in the midst of his own battle with cancer. 

The list of songs that were written in the lowest valleys of life could go on for a while, and the ones mentioned above are only scratching the surface of what CCM has to offer in this area. Whatever sorrow is in your life right now, I have no doubt you can find a song that will sing hope and peace into the situation. Music has immense power, power to speak life and truth back to our hearts when it feels far away. Music heals. There is simply no question about that when we read these stories and feel the way these songs minister to our souls, even in the deepest pain. 

I hope you're able to find a song that speaks to you where you are today and I hope, more than anything, you feel comfort in these songs and in the stories behind them. After all, that's why they were written: to share comfort with every one who listens, so you can then pass them on to someone else who needs that same thing... what a beautiful thought.

For more healing songs inspired by stories, listen to our Spotify playlist below.