Ask Meredith - Question #4

Question : Hey Meredith! I have two questions: 1.) What is your songwriting process usually like? 2.) How do you keep your relationship with God strong while you're busy on the road?
Thanks!
Kristin

Answer : Hey Kristin, Thanks for your questions! As far as my songwriting process goes, it really varies with each song. You're Not Alone and The River are very close to my heart and came in less than an hour as I believe the Lord was giving me the exact words and melody for these songs. Other songs take longer and really require lots of thought and even research. I really enjoy co-writing as well because it offers different perspective. Most of the time I will have a lyric or theme idea from something that I read in God's Word or hear from my pastor or something else God is teaching me. I am very particular about my lyrics and want to make sure that they align with Scripture. Often times I will sit down at the piano and start playing whatever comes to my head and try and match the lyrics with the melody, and keep plugging along until the song is done. This may take an hour or it could take months. I have a lot of unfinished songs hanging out on Garage Band that I hope to work on in the next few weeks. Some songs come in the shower, some at other concerts, and many of them come in the car. I will frequently sit down at the piano with my Bible open and just begin to sing some Psalms and other Scriptures back to the Lord. You can never go wrong with Scripture, and you never know when the Lord will give you a song straight from His Word.

I am finding that it can be difficult to maintain a routine of spending time with God when my life is constantly changing and I'm not always home, and this is one area I hope to always be growing in. Practically speaking, I try to find a quiet room wherever we are playing that night where I can get alone with the Lord, whether it's the nursery of a church or janitor's closet. I will usually have some sort of devotional book that I read first thing in the morning (right now it's "Life as a Vapor" by John Piper) to focus my mind and heart on the things of the Lord, and then I will read through a certain book or books of the Bible. Currently I am in Proverbs and Mark realizing how much I need the wisdom of God and humility, truth, and love that Christ displayed to be increasingly growing in my life. It is also vital to communicate with God, and I find myself uttering how much I need Him each day even before my feet hit the floor. Our relationship with God is fueled by reading His Word and seeking Him in prayer, and He is constantly reminding me of this truth, especially when I am trying to make it through a day on my own. God is so faithful to bring to my mind the truth found in John 15:5, that I must remain in Him for apart from Jesus I can do nothing. Without His presence in my life there is no way I can get up on a stage night after night and expect for people to be challenged and changed, for without the Holy Spirit working through this music, all I have are just songs. And who needs more songs? We need more of God in our lives. I would ask that you would pray for me in this area, that I would continually have the heart of Mary who sat at the feet of Jesus and would say with Moses, "If your presence does not go with me, do not send me up from this place." May we be people who seek the Lord with our whole hearts.