Comprised of frontman Jon Lewis, guitarist Mitch Hansen, keyboardist Ben Early and drummer Steve Weigel, Hyland serves up eclectic anthems reminiscent of Foo Fighters, Jimmy Eat World and Anberlin. But instead of the same tired sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll routine, Hyland's songs were born out of the real-life joys and struggles on the journey of faith.

 

"I've been a Christian for almost all my life, and I still can't wrap my head around God's unchanging grace," Jon shares. "So to make up for my lack of understanding, I write songs to help basically explain it to myself." 

 

Hyland found success on the road and at radio with their Tooth & Nail Records debut release Weights & Measures. Hailing from Minneapolis, Hyland built an enthusiastic fan base quickly, resulting in their signing with Tooth & Nail. Since then, Hyland has toured with Fireflight, I Am Empire, and Children 18:3, with three of their singles "Jumping The Gun," "This Love Is Free," and "Crying Out" all breaking the Top 20. 

 

Jumping right in again with soaring melodies and catchy riffs, the fan-funded Finding Our Way picks up right where Weights & Measures left off. The Hyland guys are stepping it up with singles that will catch ears and hearts as they draw the listener in. The first single "Beauty in the Broken" has already caught waves at Christian Radio. Fans of Weights & Measures and new fans alike will appreciate the themes of faith and hope in Finding Our Way. I had the opportunity to interview Jon Lewis about the song "Beauty in the Broken."

 

 

The song is based on the truth of Jeremiah 29:11. This Bible verse is what we kept referencing while we were writing this song. There is this little quote that I have been using that has been repeating itself whenever I think about the effect of this song: "God knows what we need before we need it." 

 

I have two stories that connect to this song. The first time I ever experienced God knowing I needed something before I knew it was my wife and I received a check in the mail that we weren't expecting. A week later, we had a significant car accident and the amount needed to repair the car ended up being the exact same amount we had received. If we hadn't received that check we wouldn't have been able to pay to fix our car. God perfectly provided. 

 

The second story deals directly with this song. The song was written on a Tuesday. A very close friend of mine called the following Saturday. He told me that his father was just diagnosed with terminal cancer. He has just lost his brother to cancer almost exactly a year before. He told me he didn't know how he would get through it. Seeing as I had just written this song, I was wrestling with the idea that maybe this song could possibly reach my friend. I ended up feeling that the message could help my friend. 

 

I sent him a demo and he said the song was exactly what he needed. What we figured out later is that he found out about his father's diagnosis on the same Tuesday that we wrote the song. He was asking if I wrote the song based on his situation. As it turns out, God gave us that song at the same time my friend found out about his dad. God wants to work out everything for our good and He's looking out for us.

 

Jeremiah 29:11-13: "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart."

 

… Zephaniah 3:17: The LORD your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.

 

...and Romans 8:28: And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.

 

There are so many stories where people do everything they can to get away from God. They get to the end of their rope and they are at the end of their own will and their own power. That's when God reminds them that He's been there the whole time. He's been chasing after us. Thinking about God chasing after us is an amazing concept. He just wants an opportunity to speak to us. He brings situations and opportunities and people into our lives to draw us to Him. He's always orchestrating things. The more we push Him away, the more He chases after us. We forget the personal things that Jesus does for us in our lives. It is a personal relationship when we walk with Jesus. 

 

We were at Hillsong in New York City last night, and the speaker said, "Don't let what you are tied to keep you from what you are called to." I think sometimes the fear of the unknown and hanging on to what we have instead of trusting God keeps us from walking in faith. The cool thing about this song is that it is from God's perspective and He is saying "Let Me hold you, and Let Me carry you." Let things come to pass instead of hanging on to things. I think it's important to remember that God is right there asking us, "Will you let Me hold you?"

 

 

Here's what Charles Spurgeon says about Romans 8:28 in his Morning and Evening Devotional for Aug. 5: "Upon some points a believer is absolutely sure. He knows too that God is always wise, and, knowing this, he is confident that there can be no accidents, no mistakes; that nothing can occur which ought not to arise. He can say, ‘If I should lose all I have, it is better that I should lose than have, if God so wills: the worst calamity is the wisest and the kindest thing that could befall to me if God ordains it.' We know that all things work together for good to them that love God. The Christian does not merely hold this as a theory, but he knows it as a matter of fact."

 

God doesn't make bad things happen to us. He came to give us life and to live with Him eternally by trusting in Jesus alone for our salvation. God is bigger than any calamity that we experience in this world. His love never fails! Thank You Jesus! Jeremiah 29:13 says, "You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart."

 

The song is beautiful and encourages me how much God loves me. The thought that God rejoices over us with singing is incredible and He is worthy of all of our praise and devotion.  In his devotional book Glory Revealed, David Nasser says: "Every song we sing to the Lord is a duet and not a solo.  The most marvelous thing about a relationship with God is that it is truly a dialogue. We aren't just sitting here on Earth worshipping a Creator who simply soaks us our love, rather He's so involved in our affection, He's in the midst of it."  I love that God sings back to us.

 

(You can watch the music video here.)