Christa Wells is an amazing independent artist from Raleigh, North Carolina who recently released her newest album, Feed Your Soul. The album contains twelve compelling new vibrant and insightful songs that she penned for her album. 

 

Christa won the 2006 Dove Award for Songwriter of the Year for her moving song, "Held," as recorded by Natalie Grant. Most recently she co-wrote "Need You Now (How Many Times)" by Plumb. This album showcases not only Christa's gifts as a songwriter, but her gorgeous, emotion-laden voice. Her latest album is loaded profound lyrical truth as Christa exposes her heart in every single song. Rarely has an album affected me this deeply, as many of the songs cause me to physically feel the depth and sincerity of Christa's goose bump-inducing, emotional vocals. 

 

God's promises us in His Word that His mercies are new every morning. Whatever struggle or depression you are facing you can know that God is with you, always. "Shine" is a standout song, featuring a children's chorus with the call to action, "He shines His light through a prism / we give back what we're given / to color this / to color this / to color this world…be the one to take a stand. Say it your own way." I had the chance to speak with Christa about her song.

 

Please tell me about the personal story behind the song.
 

It's interesting, as you know, looking back at life and getting older and trying to figure it all out. I've been trying to discern how much of my memories of my childhood and growing up are accurate. There are spotlight moments and we forget a lot of the moments around them, because certain moments and circumstances are so intense and particular. Then we connect the dots and that becomes to some extent the sum memory of our childhood. 

 

I literally ached to be noticed, even as I hid behind shyness and long skirts and hair and eyeliner. I dreamed of that moment where one of those confident, popular boys would walk out of a John Hughes script, see the skinny, strangely-dressed girl and believe she was a mystery worth risking his teenage societal status on. I hid inside music, and the music hid me. Almost every day, I crawled into the shower at 6:30 a.m., sat under the hot spray and meditated on how miserable the next eight hours would be. After school, I cried on the couch, begged my poor mother to homeschool me: "Please, please, don't make me go back."

 

I was raised in a home where I was incredibly encouraged and loved. My parents paid for my piano lessons and took me to choir practices. Looking back on even that kind of environment you can see how satan can get his claws into your flesh, stirring up your worldly desires and how weaknesses can take hold even in the best circumstances.

I moved around a lot, which was tough. Before my performance anxiety took hold, my personality has always bent towards people pleasing and looking for approval from others. I always wanted to be the teacher's pet and the one who followed the rules. That natural personality combined with sin nature and adolescence created a monster for me. I became increasingly fearful. My face and neck got hives all over when I would speak or sing in front of people. It got more and more painful to be in front of people. I was disappointed in myself, because every time I was given the opportunity to share, I couldn't give my best. I couldn't control my vocal cords, and my shaking and my hives.

 

God brought me out of it when I was around 30 years old. I was performing for a songwriting workshop. Because I was in front of high school age kids sharing about my high school experiences, I did it and didn't feel terrified. I was aware that I wasn't afraid. Part of it was what I had been learning from my church, my community and my Bible reading, which taught me about confronting pride in my life. My deep fear of man was rooted in pride; it was self-protection. I didn't want to mess up or for people to see that I was flawed. I was afraid of letting people down.

Freedom from my fears came from being others-centered instead of self-centered. I've realized that my own preoccupation with myself hindered progress. I started to see music for what it is supposed to be, something you give away to someone else, generously. I began to be able, still with a lot of fear but with more freedom, to share a song and see the listener instead of myself. See God instead of myself. When I started writing this song I was thinking about people I knew who needed the message. I have "little sisters" in my life who struggle with the anxieties that I've battled. Then I realized that I needed this message. 

 

Matthew 5:14-16 (The Message): "Here's another way to put it: You're here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We're going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don't think I'm going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I'm putting you on a light stand. Now that I've put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you'll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven."

 

What's the takeaway message for listeners about the song? 
 

It blows me away the way God tells stories with our lives. One of my favorite childhood memories is that I would stay at my aunt's house and she hung prisms in her house, and we would all want to sleep in her room where the sunlight would shine light and rainbow colors all around the room. I didn't know that cherished childhood memory would make its way into a song.

I've said recently when asked how I approach songwriting that I'm a slow songwriter. Some ideas take a long time, and they have to marinate. I add ideas to a gallery of the imagery of the song and they have to come together to make a song. When I look back at the lyrics, "Yes, we could lay our talents in the earth" that started way back when I was in college. I was feeling so sad that I was unable to be make music and be a performer. I was saying for years that I was going to be a performer and thought I was letting everyone down. I would see other people around me making music and I would feel a struggle with jealousy and bitterness.

I went home from college and attended a Bible study with a college pastor who preached on the parable of the talents. I had heard the parable and only thought it was about financial resources. I hadn't thought about it as actual talents. The message felt directed right at me and I was convicted that I was the one with a small amount of talent and I was burying it. That was the seed of the idea that it's not about you. It doesn't even belong to you. It's been handed to you to invest in it and grow it. I realized that burying the talent is not honoring to God who entrusted and gave it to you.

 

The chorus is talking to the person who feels invisible, but also the opportunity we have to be the friend to someone else, and to think about what difference you can make in someone else's life. Because of my high school experience, I challenge my high school age son to think about others. I've told him that even one smile can make a difference. Instead of being too cool, you don't have to risk your social status, but be the kind of person who sees other people. I don't know if I would have that sensitivity without my experiences. That's provided by the Sovereignty of God.

 

There is a place of belonging in the Person of God. Those words are not a consolation prize. That's the kind of truth that will lift you right off the ground if you let it. Time changes lots of things, and if your eyes are open, time will change you for the better. Awkwardness shall pass, well, mostly, and wisdom will take the pain of those years and shape you into a stronger and more sensitive, more seeing, human than you would otherwise be. You'll be one to notice and believe others are worth the risk. You'll write a song or a book or an email you wouldn't have. You'll be the friend or the parent or the fill in the blank you couldn't have been without the memory of loneliness. I wish I had embraced uniqueness instead of carrying it around like a necessary but unwanted load of bricks in my backpack. I wish I had found the way to thinking about myself less and about others more. I wish I'd listened to truer voices. I was never invisible. I could have been shining all along. So can you.

 

 

I have the opportunity to listen to literally everything released in Christian music, and Feed Your Soul is a profound listening experience. This album dramatically affects me personally and spiritually, and is my top "gourmet" album of the year. This album is poignantly named for what it does for anyone who is a follower of Jesus: "Feed Your Soul." All twelve songs are captivating and if you like Christa's emotional songs, "Need You Now (How Many Times)" co-written with Plumb, and "Held" as recorded by Natalie Grant, then you absolutely must have this album. 

 

Christa has always had a knack for hitting me where I am spiritually and expressing the prayerful yearnings of my heart. Christa's vulnerability and ability to connect emotionally in her songs brings me closer to God. We all have insecurities in some way. God has wired us to need Him. Being an introvert, having anxiety and being able to overcome fear can be accomplished only by stepping into God's supernatural ability. He desires that from us as His children. It's in our weakness that God is made strong. It's only through God's grace that we can overcome our emotional conflicts of feeling invisible and conspicuous at the same time. It's important to understand about listening to the "Voice of Truth" and what God says about us instead of listening to our own self-doubt. God is crazy about us, and loves us so much that He sent His only begotten Son to die the death that we deserve, so that we can live with Him for eternity. 

 

I'm in a similar life stage as Christa and can totally relate to everything she shares and sings. I've recently had a birthday where I turned 42. I've been married 19 years and we have three young daughters. I've struggled with perfectionism and people pleasing. This song really opens up my eyes to the truth that those feelings are actually selfish and not God-honoring. Looking out for the needs of others is what matters the most.

 

This song is about realizing that if your eyes are open to the needs of others around you, and if you serve others and care about people more than think about your selfishness and doubts, then you can "shine His light through a prism," yourself, and "be the friend you never had, be the one to take a stand," against injustice and against suffering, hunger and pain. Matthew 5 tells us: "You're here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept." One day there will be no more tears, no more sorrow, and no more pain. Until that day, Jesus commands us to "shine His light refracted." Amen to that!

 

(You can watch the music video here.)