Singer/songwriter Cameron James has recorded passionate songs centered on biblically based lyrics, which she sings with vocal sincerity and reverence. Musically upbeat and engaging, her songs are all edifying, challenging and filled with inspirational lyrics. I'm really engaged by her emotional song "Born to Bring the Light," which is based on her personal family journey through her daughter and her husband battling a very rare disease.

 

Cameron has said "It is estimated that for every 1,000,000 people, there are two with aHUS. To have two people in my own family makes us the ultra-rare of the ultra-rare. It is because we are so rare that people want to hear our story. Only God could turn something so negative into a positive. The past couple of years, I have watched our story become a part of a much bigger story, and we are honored to join the fight." I had the chance to speak with Cameron about "Born to Bring the Light."

 

 

I wrote this song with Rusty Varenkamp, and he is also the producer. We had never written together before. When we sat down to talk about writing a song, I felt like I needed a warrior song, as my husband and my daughter have an ultra-rare autoimmune disease called Atypical Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (aHUS). 

 

It began 3 years ago with my little girl. Her story is quite the story, and that was the beginning of my awakening. In 2012, I was told the shocking news that my first-born daughter Elise had suffered mild brain damage, somehow lacking oxygen while in my womb resulting in developmental delay. It started me on a quest reading Scripture about how God heals. I had read a book called God's Creative Power, and it talked about the power of life and death. I started writing Scripture on index cards around my house and reading them out loud. Faith does come by hearing. There's weight to God's Word and His promises. In Scripture there's a passage about laying people at Jesus' feet, and He healed them all. If He is for me, who can be against me?

 

My daughter's brain damage was the beginning of the warrior awakening. That was the first mountain. When she was 3 years old, after admitting her to the hospital with abnormal bruising, we learned that Elise also had the ultra-rare disease aHUS. Three years later in 2017, my husband James was admitted to the hospital. Arriving at the ER in kidney failure, he was told the news he also has aHUS. 

 

When we learned that Elise had this disease, it was so scary. There is only one treatment for this disease, and the pressure was intense. God was with me in that fire and calmed that storm. The enemy is like a lion, but God is the Lion of the tribe of Judah. They say for every million people, there are two with this disease. For us to have two in our family makes us the ultra-rare of the ultra-rare. I never saw that path when I dreamed about my life, but being ultra-rare doesn't change anything about our ultra-rare God. He has taught me to pray over my daughter and husband in faithfulness for His perfect will. This song is my answer to the enemy and a banner over my life, what has been unleashed in me to counter darkness.

 

 

Colossians 1:12 (NKJV): "Giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light."

 

Psalm 18:28 (NLT): "You light a lamp for me. The Lord my God lights up my darkness."

 

Deut. 31:8 (NLT): "Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD is the One who goes before you.  He will be with you. He will neither fail you nor forsake you."

 

Ephesians 5:8 (VOICE): "Because, although you were once the personification of darkness, you are now light in the Lord. So act like children of the light."

 

1 John 1:5 (VOICE): "What we are telling you now is the very message we heard from Him: God is pure light, undimmed by darkness of any kind."

 

Psalm 73:25-26 (NKJV):"Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart fail; But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.'

 

2 Cor. 4:8-11 (NLT): "We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed and broken.  We are perplexed, but we don't give up and quit.  We are hunted down, but God never abandons us.  We get knocked down, but we get up again and keep going.  Through suffering, these bodies of ours constantly share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies."

 

Philippians 4:13 (NKJV): "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

 

 

Sickness and disease don't come from heaven. The reality of having an enemy became very real. He seeks to destroy and devour. But God's power is greater, and He did not leave me afraid. I grabbed hold of Him, and He led me through the valley of the shadow of death. On the other side of this, I feel like God has awakened a warrior inside of me. 

 

"Born to Bring the Light" is about becoming the warrior and God's faithfulness to me. I feel incredibly grateful for the life I'm living right now. Grateful I get to craft music for others and myself. Grateful for the people I have the honor of collaborating with. I'm grateful I have a family to love and grateful that each day I wake up is another chance to dream bigger, encourage others and to fight harder. I'm already blessed, and it's all still unfolding. 

 

God is faithful to His Word. We are meant to be light in darkness. Because God is the Great Physician, I don't deny the existence of their disease, but I deny its right to exist in my husband's and daughter's bodies. You may have a sickness or disease and you can deny its right to be there because of the blood of Jesus.

 

The Access to Marketplace Insurance Act is a bill that would remove a current restriction allowing insurance agencies to reject charitable patient financial assistance. We need to urge our representatives in Congress to sign on to this bill. Currently there is a misguided federal rule that allows health plans in 42 states to deny coverage to patients simply because they receive help from charities. These insurance companies are allowed to reject third party payments made on behalf of chronically ill and rare disease patients. This feels criminal because it's not the patient's fault their care is so expensive. Anyone who comes alongside and wants to help ease that financial burden should be allowed to. This bill is special because it's a bipartisan issue. People from both political sides are coming together to speak up for those who are suffering.

 

 

 

 

 

What are those things in your life that are beyond you that you can turn over to God? Allow Him and His supernatural ability to take you to places that you can't handle on your own. This is a great song about having faith that God participates in the lives of His people. We need to have faith that God participates meaningfully in our lives as followers of Jesus. Through the power of the Holy Spirit inside of us, He's with us during our battles. Jesus commands us to trust God's Word completely, no matter our circumstances. We can face our daily struggles with more courage and strength because we know that whatever the outcome, based on His promise in Romans 8:28, "God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose."

 

"You're calling out in the darkness, You're calling my name" is a great way to pray out loud in a Psalmist fashion what it means to recognize when we are in a valley and need God to light the way out of the darkness. Psalm 18:28 (NLT) says it this way: "You light a lamp for me. The Lord my God lights up my darkness." That's what God wants to hear from us. The song represents life and includes some great challenges to step out in faith and trust in God even when you want to give up or can't see where you're going. In our weakness, God's strength is perfect. God wants to give us His grace and mercy. We need to fall down at His feet and pray. Believing the words of this song is a great way to work on the disciplines of self-examination and prayer. If He is for us, who can be against us?

 

This song represents the victory that we have over our situations before we even know the earthly outcome by trusting that God is going before us and He wins. We think that we can fix situations in our lives, and God reminds us that we can't fix things on our own without God. His love is never-ending, and He is our refuge and our strength. God wants to fill us with His Light and His mercy and make us new. God's glory, His strength, is found in our weakness. This song celebrates that truth and allows listeners to sing the words and pray out loud: "I was born to bring the light, to chase the dawn and face the night. If You lead the way, I know I am safe. Even with flames getting higher, if all that I do is hold onto You, with You I can go through the fire." Amen to that!

 

Watch the music video below.