Centricity Music's newest artist, Natalie Layne, has burst onto the CCM scene with her standout debut hit singles "Amen" and "Grateful For" from her debut album Amen EP.
I've been married for 29 years, and my wife and I have three young daughters. Natalie's entire album really ministers to me and my family. Natalie has the gift of encouragement, and every single song lifts me up. She has an infectious and upbeat musical style, layering her strong and distinguished vocals over the top of one hooky melody after another. Natalie has emerged as one of the top new female vocalists in Christian music, and she is a great role model for girls.
Natalie has delivered the ideal album to minister to anyone struggling with fear and self-doubt. Every song showcases her excellent singing voice, and you can practically hear her smile as she delivers one infectious song after another. The layered and well-produced musical arrangements on this album perfectly accentuate Natalie's powerful and passionate songs.
Natalie's songwriting is real, positive, and vulnerable, and her upbeat songs are a great way to celebrate our freedom in Christ. Her songs have connected with my daughters, and her biblically inspired lyrics represent how true joy and identity come from her relationship with God. I had the chance to speak with Natalie about her new song "Fragile."
Please tell me the personal story behind this song.
Life is incredibly fragile. It feels like things could fall apart at any moment. Yet I've always been one to try to hold it together. I wanted to write a song not to say that God always fixes broken things but that only He can hold broken things. In our weakest moments, His compassion and understanding say, "I'm right here. You can let go."
Which Bible verses connect to the message of the song?
Philippians 4:7 (NKJV): "And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
1 Samuel 16:7 (ESV): "But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart."
1 Corinthians 13:12 (NKJV): "For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known."
Psalm 139:14 (NIV): "I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well."
Psalm 139:17-18 (NKJV): "How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; When I awake, I am still with You."
Ephesians 2:10 (NLT): "For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago."
2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV): "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!"
Philippians 1:6 (NIV): "Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."
Philippians 4:13 (NKJV): "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."
What is the takeaway message?
I want to talk about the power of staying. Sometimes, finding the Lord for yourself and choosing to stay can be harder than leaving, but life with Jesus really is better. It's not perfect, but it's way better. I want to write songs for the lifelong church kids, but at the same time, I want people who have left or who are far off to hear these songs and be called back home. No matter which end of the spectrum people find themselves on, I want to give them permission to feel like their story matters.
Lyrics
There's so many days when
Everything is breaking
Life falls apart at the seams
You're the God of ages
How are You so patient
Taking care of breakable things
How do You find
That kind of time
For paper hearts like mine
You know how to hold something fragile
You won't let me go when I unravel
You carry the world on Your shoulders
But You know how fragile I am
So I'm safe in Your hands
Oh, oh
I'm safe in Your hands
Guess I've done a good job
Acting like I'm so strong
But no one really knows me like You
You can see I'm made of glass
But You're using every crack
That's where Your light can shine through
You know how to hold something fragile
You won't let me go when I unravel
You carry the world on Your shoulders
But You know how fragile I am
So I'm safe in Your hands
Oh, oh
I'm safe in Your hands
You move mountains, You win battles
Still you hold me when I'm shattered
You face giants, You tame lions
And I can't believe you are, so careful with my heart
You know how to hold something fragile
You won't let me go when I unravel
You carry the world on Your shoulders
But You know how fragile I am
So I'm safe in Your hands
Oh, oh
I'm safe in Your hands
Closing Thoughts
I'm completely convicted by the strong lyrics and find immense comfort in this song. The Bible says to trust in what God says about us, no matter how we feel about ourselves.
Have joy and worship loudly about the love of God in your life. His grace takes away anxiety, guilt, and shame. Know that being His is enough. In Natalie's vocals, I hear a sincere yearning for the Lord--a thankfulness in her heart for God's mercy and grace.
Lay your doubts and struggles at the feet of Jesus, and He'll take them from you and release you from those burdens. God wants to hear from you. We're called as Christians to believe in the freedom that we have on the cross of Jesus. We're free from our addictions, insecurities, and perfectionism.
Jesus came to die for us so we can all truly live in Him. While we can't see everything in our fallen world through life's mirror dimly obscuring grace and truth, there's nothing we can do except trust in His son, Jesus. His ways are higher than our ways.
This song is a great reminder of the kind of heart we should have as people valued by God and as Christians who can communicate our value to other people. For me, songs like "Fragile" provide opportunities for God to whisper to me about my identity. It's not found in what I do or don't do, but in who I am and, more importantly, to whom I belong.
I pray the words of this song over my daughters, Natalie, Cassandra, and Bethany. We're fearfully, wonderfully, and perfectly made, and we can sing to God with all our hearts: "You know how to hold something fragile/You won't let me go when I unravel/You carry the world on Your shoulders/But You know how fragile I am/So, I'm safe in Your hands." Amen to that.
NRT lead contributor Kevin Davis is a long-time Christian music fan and an avid collector. He credits the message of Christian music for leading him to Christ. He lives in Pennsylvania with his wife and three daughters.
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