FFH was originally formed by Jeromy Deibler and Brian Smith in 1991 and soon settled into their final configuration when Michael Boggs and Jennifer Deibler, Jeromy’s new bride, joined the band. Working independently, FFH produced and released six albums and had a busy, productive touring schedule. But when their radio single cracked the Top Twenty on the Christian Adult Contemporary chart and went on to become the highest charting single by an independent artist in the history of contemporary Christian music, major labels started taking notice.

Essential Records signed the band. Multiple number 1 radio hits, multiple Dove Award nominations, and more than 2 million career album sales followed, giving rise to the "overnight success" myth. After taking a sabbatical in 2006, FFH frontman Jeromy Deibler and his wife Jennifer, also in the group, moved to South Africa where they spent six months training musicians and mentoring worship leaders at a small church south of Cape Town. It was during that time Jeromy began to experience severe pain and unsettling symptoms throughout his body. Months after returning to the U.S. in the spring of 2007, Jeromy was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.

“The time away has been anything but routine,” says Jeromy. “Since our departure in 2006, Jennifer and I have moved to Africa and back, welcomed our second child, and dealt with my MS diagnosis. We’ve been walking the wilderness in brokenness and joy, learning that the two coexist. The waiting has been hard, but the Lord knew we needed a break to deal with some deeper issues, both physical and spiritual, that just couldn’t be dealt with while on the road. We now feel like it’s time to renew our connection with our audience and start telling them about this chapter in our story. FFH is a part of our lives again, but it is just a part,” Jeromy insists.

With a fresh perspective and a new sense of calling, Jeromy set about the serious task of creating Wide Open Spaces,
the first new FFH album in three years. Fans will instantly connect with Jennifer and Jeromy’s signature harmonies and classic FFH pop sensibilities. What may be more surprising is the intense lyrical content of the songs.

I got the chance to interview Jeromy about “What It Feels Like.” You can listen to our entire interview here.

Please tell me the personal story behind writing this song.

“What it Feels Like,” the first single from the album, is a song of lament. It talks about how it feels to walk the wilderness, to be undone, to be scared to death, to be unsure of anyone and anything, but eventually feel the love and peace of God just the same. Lament songs don’t sell a million copies. Lamentations is not the book in the Bible that people usually point to as their favorite--at least not until you are at the bottom, looking up. Then you can identify.

We’ve watched people go through life changes, and God took everything and turned it upside down. This song is our personal testimony of what it feels like to rely completely on God.

Please tell me about any Scripture verses that you used to write the song.

Job 1:20-22 (NKJV): Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped. And he said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; Blessed be the name of the LORD.” In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong.

What do you consider to be the take-away message for listeners?

We all, at some point are going to be at the bottom. That’s just part of our walk with the Lord. Suffering is not just for some people and it is not optional. But there is joy because suffering is where Jesus meets us in a special way. We are determined to live the kingdom lifestyle of putting our relationships first. Selling albums doesn’t fulfill you. It doesn’t comfort you when you are lying in bed at night after being diagnosed with MS in the midst of your wife being seven months pregnant. The fact that you’ve sold a million albums means nothing. It is weightless. What does mean something is that your family is with you, being Jesus to you.

Here are the lyrics:

So this is what it feels like to walk the wilderness
This is what it feels like to come undone
This is what it feels like to lose my confidence
Unsure of anything or anyone

So this is what it feels like to walk the desert sand
This is what it feels like to hear my name
To be scared to death ‘cause I’m all alone
But feel love and peace just the same

This may not be the road I would choose for me
But it still feels right somehow
‘Cause I have never felt You as close to me
As I do right now

So this is what it feels like to be led
So this is what it feels like to just fall apart
To be totally unglued
Find out that if I accept my brokenness
I get more of me, I get all of You

Chorus

So this is what it feels like to just walk away
From everything I though kept me safe
To depend just on you for every meal
And find that it’s better this way

Chorus

In my discussion with Jeromy, we talked about how God puts us through trials and humbles us to show us how much we need Him, like Job. We have a church culture where we sing songs that all basically say “we love You God,” even though we feel like saying, “woe is me.” Then we go back to our real and messy lives.

This great new FFH song reflects the biblical Truth expressed by Job: “The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; Blessed be the name of the LORD.”

God wants us to give all of ourselves and rely completely on Him. As Jeromy says in the song, “If I accept my brokenness, I get more of me, I get all of You.” That’s a great reminder and challenge.