Out of Gainesville, Florida, Lanae’ Hale developed her style by playing worship in church and trying out her songs in coffeehouses. Like a lot of young women, Lanae’ felt the enormous pressure of living up to our material world’s 21st century expectations and sometimes that pressure sweeps you into a dark corner.

“I was into cutting," Lanae’ explains, "and if not for the grace of God I may not have made it through. It’s hard to explain but sometimes you don’t like yourself and do bad things to yourself, such as cutting. If I can reach out to God and change, then others can as well. More than anything else, I would like to help young girls through my own music and my own testimony.”

Knowing Lanae’s background and having three young daughters myself, I found this album's messages of redemption and God’s love bringing light and hope out of darkness to be compelling. The song, “If I’m Broken,” from Lanae’s album Back & Forth, is all about that theme of redemption. The song is so catchy and personal, I can’t get enough of listening to Lanae’s testimony and amazing voice.

I got the great opportunity to speak with Lanae’ about her song “If I’m Broken.”

Please share the background of writing the song, “If I’m Broken.”

All of my songs come from real life experiences and this song comes from a prayer that I heard about a man. He was very healthy--and had two little boys--but one day he was at a family reunion and collapsed and couldn’t speak. Nobody knew what was wrong with him, so they rushed him to the hospital and they found out it was a stroke. He started to have a series of strokes. The doctors didn’t have a whole lot of hope for him. The first thing this man prayed when they rolled him in the ambulance was “Lord, if I come out of this a broken man or a whole man, I’m still your man.”

I’ll try to get through this without crying as it really touched me.

They weren’t sure if he’d make it through and thankfully, he got his voice back and asked for his boys to come. He wanted to see them as long as he could. He had some things he wanted to share with his boys. They’d come to the hospital and sit by his side and he would read Scripture to them. That’s what he wanted to leave with them. He asked them to take care of their mom if he couldn’t be there with him. It was a really touching time and it’s amazing to me, because that little boy sitting by the hospital bed is my husband now. He doesn’t go a day without reading his Bible now because of what his dad instilled in his life.

This story means so much to me because now I have a husband who loves Jesus because of what his dad instilled in him. It’s amazing also because my husband’s father is still alive and with us today. It’s a really neat story of redemption and faith.

That’s where the song comes from.

Is the song based on any specific Bible verses?

My life verse is Psalm 147:3: He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

This song is incredibly personal to you, but what are some messages that you'd like others to take away after listening?

I do share a lot of my personal testimony about my story of recovering from cutting. God doesn’t look at all of our mistakes and brokenness because He’s made us whole. We don’t have to live like broken people any more. God has redeemed us in our brokenness. The bridge of the song reflects my response to being broken: “You’ve been with me through it all, So I won’t let fear make me crawl, Here I am, here I am, You give this heartbeat the strength, To stay alive and sing for Your name, Here I Am.” That ties in with my life verse. I know personally that God heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. This song is about my life’s story. While my father-in-law went through his health struggle, my mother-in-law would cling to God’s promise of “Be still and know that I am God.”

Here are the lyrics:

Verse 1:
Melt Down
Everything is getting darker now
As I fall

Call out
Trying desperately to hear a sound
But there's no word

Pre-Chorus:
If my days are few, whatever breath is left I give to You

Chorus
If I'm broken or my body is whole
These hands are Yours
These feet are Yours
If I'm broken or my body is whole
These tears are Yours
These scars are Yours
Until You carry my broken body home

Verse 2:
Slow down
Everything is getting blurry now
And I can't move

Get out
All the lies that try to creep around
Devouring truth

Bridge
You’ve been with me through it all
So I won’t let fear make me crawl
Here I am, here I am
You give this heartbeat the strength
To stay alive and sing for Your name
Here I am (x3)

I got choked up listening to Lanae’ tell me the inspiration behind this song. Now when I listen to the song, I think of the story of her father-in-law instilling the love of Jesus in his young boys and how he made a choice to live for God, whether as a broken or whole man. What an inspiring story of faith and redemption. I’m encouraged to read my Bible daily as well and read with my three daughters every day as I don’t know the day or the hour that God will “carry my broken body home.” If you’re struggling with brokenness and loneliness and are looking for meaning in your life, “be still and know that He is God.”