“What our Lord Jesus is to His people: He is the Author and Finisher of their faith—the Beginning, Perfecter, and Rewarder of it. He is the Author of their faith; not only the object, but the Author. He is the great leader and precedent of our faith, He trusted in God; He is the purchaser of the Spirit of faith, the publisher of the rule of faith, the efficient cause of the grace of faith, and in all respects the Author of our faith. He is the Finisher of our faith; He is the Fulfiller and the fulfilling of all Scripture-promises and prophecies; He is the Perfecter of the canon of Scripture; He is the Finisher of grace, and of the work of faith with power in the souls of His people; and He is the Judge and the Rewarder of their faith; He determines who they are that reach the mark, and from Him, and in Him, they have the prize.”
Hebrews 12:2, which describes Jesus as the “author and finisher of our faith,” inspired singer-songerwiter Ginny Owens in writing her captivating ballad, “Joined at the Heart.” The song is from Owens’ 2011 album Get In, I’m Driving, an album full of relatable themes, hooky melodies and Ginny’s gorgeous and penetrating vocals.

Born in Jackson, Miss., Owens has been blind since the age of two. When she graduated from Belmont University with a degree in Music Education, she found that most people were skeptical about hiring a blind music teacher. Instead she concentrated in singing and songwriting and began making albums, and has been producing them since 1999. Owens has also received three Dove awards, including New Artist of the Year (2000). Get In, I’m Driving is a great play on words considering Ginny’s blindness, and yet points to the fact is that we’re all spiritually blind without the guidance of The Holy Spirit.

I had the great opportunity to interview Ginny about “Joined at the Heart.”

Please tell me the personal story behind writing “Joined At The Heart.”

During the making of this record, my investing partners, Blake and Michelle Fail, embarked on the journey of adopting a baby girl named Tatum. The season was a beautiful one. They grew very close to the birth mother, and Michelle was even able to witness the birth firsthand. The Fails and I collaborated on this song about their adoption experience and the unbelievable love they have for their beautiful and precious gift from God. They were super-excited, and it happened pretty quickly. They also have two boys.

A few days after they brought Tatum home, I called Michelle and just let her talk about everything. I wrote down parts of our conversation. Something that stood out to me was when Michelle said she didn’t carry the baby for nine months, but she felt this bond with her baby girl and they were “joined at the heart.” I couldn’t have even created that line. She didn’t know I was looking for song ideas at the time, but that’s what I wrote out as the first verse and the chorus and I sent it to them to get their thoughts. We worked together on the second verse and finished the song together.

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

Hebrews 12:2: “Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

What do you consider to be the takeaway message for listeners?

Blake and Michelle are very good friends who were very supportive of me and prayerfully and financially supported me making this album. They love music but they aren’t songwriters. This song is a gift from me to them for all of their support. For us to write this song was therapy for me and Blake and Michelle. A lot of what I wanted to do for them was to chronicle what they went through in this song. It ended up being a process that was beautiful for me to witness. I thought about their journey and what it was like for them. I’m sure a lot of adopted parents feel the way Blake and Michelle feel with their children--“joined at the heart.” I have an adopted little brother and we are completely bonded with each other. For me, he’s my brother. We hope and pray that this story is one that people can relate to. This song is about the Author of our relationships and our lives. He knew us before we were born. Adoption is a gift that God allows us to have—loving a human being and having that person grow up in our families and communities the same way God accepts us as His daughters and sons. He gives us good gifts and changes our hearts to accept His gifts to us.

Lyrics:
You are the silent prayer we dared to breathe
The precious gift we dreamed would one day be
Our angel from above
Joining our family
And now you’re here with us

Oh the sweet reality
At the end of a hard road
At the close of a long day
We finally hold you in our arms

We are humbled to be
Part of a greater story
Written by the Author of miracles and stars
And as this journey unfolds
There is one thing that we know
God has made it so we are
Forever joined at the heart

You are flesh and bone
In beautiful design
The Father’s pride and joy
Before the dawn of time;
What is happening here-
So mysterious?

Were we meant to be your refuge
Or were you sent to rescue us?
At the start of this new road
With the hope of a new day
Holding tight to your tiny hands
We’ll walk towards what’s to come

Now so many hopes and dreams and prayers to pray
As we watch you grow and change every day
And when you’re old enough to understand
We’ll tell you of the Loving God
Who has your journey planned
And how on the hard roads
And in the new days
He holds us in His arms

Asbury’s Bible commentary on Hebrews 12:2: “The race of faith begins and ends with Jesus. Jesus pioneered the way to begin with. As God's “author,” He blazed the path of the perfection of faith through the sufferings of this life. He defined the way; He set the pace. The challenge is ours now to follow and not to shrink back. Jesus perfected the way once for all. As God's “perfecter,” He persevered in perfect faith, and He endured to the end without once shrinking back in sin, enduring even the Cross. In faith He fixed his gaze on the joy of glory set before Him. God will bring us to enjoy that divine perfectness as well, provided we do not shrink back when the test comes. From start to finish, our eyes must remain fixed on Jesus lest we get off track and lose out.”

“Joined at the Heart” literally stops me in my tracks. It’s a gorgeous captivating ballad, and is vintage Ginny Owens. She is one of my favorite lyricists, and her incredibly insightful writing comes through in her parental advice in the bridge: “And when you’re old enough to understand, We’ll tell you of the Loving God, Who has your journey planned, And how on the hard roads, And in the new days, He holds us in His arms.”

Welcome back Ginny, I’ve been yearning for more “gourmet” songs like these since 2005’s Live From New Orleans. If you like that album and Without Condition, then don’t hesitate to pick up this great return from one of CCM’s top female artists. In my opinion, Get In, I’m Driving is the best album of Ginny’s long, incredible career.

Ginny emotionally sings about her friends’ experience of adopting a baby girl, and it is one of the most touching songs I’ve ever heard. I get goosebumps as Ginny passionately sings the chorus: “We are humbled to be part of a greater story, written by the Author of miracles and stars, and as this journey unfolds, there is one thing that we know—God has made it so we are forever joined at the heart.”

The song is a wonderful tribute to family and our Creator, and I could imagine playing it at weddings and baby dedications. Having been married for the past 17 years and a father of three young daughters, being “joined at the heart” resonates with my family. Most of all, we are all part of a “greater story written by the Author of miracles and stars.” Amen to that!