Laura Story – Blessings

Laura Mixon Story Elvington (Laura Story for short) while she attended Columbia International University.  Shane Williams, who attended the same university, convinced her to play bass for his band Silers Bald, releasing four independent albums.  In 2002, with the band signing with Essential Records, her manager suggested that she pursue a solo album rather than continuing with Silers Bald.  She listened to her manager and released her first solo independent album, Indescribable, released the same year. Contemporary Christian Music superstar Chris Tomlin became interested in her work and recorded the album’s title track in 2004.  It peaked at #2 for Billboard’s Hot Christian Songs.

In 2005, she released There Is Nothing and became the associate worship leader at Perimeter Church.  One year later, she signed with INO Records, who produced her first signed album: Great God Who Saves.  She also released Blessings in 2011, God of Every Story in 2013, and Open Hands in 2017.  As of this writing, Blessings has been her most successful album, appearing at #2 on the Billboard Christian Albums chart and catapulting her career as a household name and its title track won a Grammy in 2012 for “Best Contemporary Christian Music Song”.  It also won three separate Dove awards in the same year: Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year, Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year, and Song of the Year.

This award-winning hit will also be the subject of this review.

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1. What message does the song communicate?

Story’s message is that trials and tribulation in this world, though terrible as it is, helps us connect with “You” on a deeper level, in a way that cannot be accomplished apart from suffering.  Given the references to prayer, “Your word”, and faith are present, it seems reasonable to think that she refers to God.  However, apart from other identifiers, it can also apply to any relational deity that hears prayers, with a written word comparable to the Bible (e.g.; Allah, Hindu gods, etc.).  We’ll assume the Christian God for section 2 given that at least some pointers exist.

This song also contains other truths about our natural response to unanswered prayer, namely, anger and doubt, and that “You” hears our prayer.

Score: 7/10

2. How much of the lyrics line up with Scripture?

The lyrics are biblically accurate given the probable assumption that “You” refers to the God of Christianity.

Since this song does not contain the usual verse/chorus/bridge/etc. format, I will assign a different stanza designation to each paragraph to organize the lyrics.

Lyrics posted with permission.*

[Stanza 1]

We pray for blessings, we pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
And all the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things

All worthwhile things to pray for.  According to 1 John 5:14, we have God’s promise that He hears our requests, given that such petitions are offered according to God’s will.

[Stanza 2]

‘Cause what if your blessings come through rain drops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You’re near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

Though Story is asking these questions in the rhetorical, Hebrews 12:4-11 tells us that the perfect fruits of righteousness come about through God’s discipline, which is not joyful when enduring it.  Romans 5:3-5 and James 1:2-4 also provide a similar sentiment.  It may not feel like “momentary, light affliction”, as the Apostle Paul puts it in 2 Corinthians 4:17-18, but according to Revelation 21:1-5, all the suffering will stop for those who enter the New Jerusalem.

Agur’s request in Proverbs 30:7-9 also adds to the overall picture.  He asks for neither riches nor poverty due to its effect on his relationship with God.  Poverty that will cause him to steal and profane God’s name, while riches lulling him into denying God.

Finally, in my own personal life, I have found that I am closest to God when I am suffering.  I sympathize with Agur’s request; it’s really easy to drift away from God when everything goes my way.  Sometimes we need to suffer some to stay dependant on God.

[Stanza 3]

We pray for wisdom, Your voice to hear

Once again, a wonderful thing to pray for.

We cry in anger when we cannot feel You near

Jesus can sympathize with this one.  He quoted from Psalm 22:1 when he felt abandoned by the Father.  If you read the entire Psalm though, it paints a different picture than how it begins.

There are other Scriptures that provide a similar sentiment, angry either at God or their situation, but often return to what they know is true, expressing how they feel at the moment.  These include Psalm 3:1-6, Psalm 35:17-18, Psalm 42:9-11, and Job 3:20-26.

While it is not a sin to be angry, we must remember not to sin in our anger (Ephesians 4:26).

We doubt your goodness, we doubt your love
As if every promise from Your word is not enough

This is the natural result of spiritual coldness: doubt.  It leads to an unstable spirit with unstable actions, as described in James 1:6-8.  We must remain faithful to God, regardless of the results.

And all the while, You hear each desperate plea
And long that we’d have faith to believe

See commentary on Stanza 1.

[Stanza 4]

‘Cause what if your blessings come through rain drops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You’re near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

Repeats Stanza 2.

[Stanza 5]

When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win

I like how Story puts this: “seems to win”.  She acknowledges that darkness will not ultimately win, as indicated in Revelation 20 and 21.

We know that pain reminds this heart
That this is not,
This is not our home
It’s not our home

It also reminds our heart that something has gone wrong in this world and ought to drive us to compassion.  We must be careful not to slip into dead faith as written in James 2:14-26.  Yes, Story is correct that pain reminds us that the new Jerusalem is our home.  However, we must not be, as Oliver Wendell Holmes put it, “so heavenly minded that we are no earthly good.”

[Stanza 6]

‘Cause what if your blessings come through rain drops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You’re near

Repeats most of Stanza 2.

What if my greatest disappointments or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy

See commentary on Stanza 2.

What if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are your mercies in disguise

Derivative of Stanza 2.

Score: 10/10

3. How would an outsider interpret the song?

Those who do not follow Jesus will likely come to the same conclusions as I, including the same criticisms.

Score: 7/10

4. What does this song glorify?

With minimal pointers to God, His glory is somewhat hidden, though present throughout these lyrics.

Score: 8/10

Closing Comments

Laura Story’s hit song Blessings is a great song. Though lacking in pointers to God, it agrees with the Bible, with a message that reorients our focus back to God in times of suffering and brings Him glory.

Final Score: 8.5/10

Artist Info

Track: Blessings (listen to the song)

Artist: Laura Story

Album: Blessings

Genre: Contemporary Christian Music (CCM)

Release Year: 2011

Duration: 4:58

Agree?  Disagree?  Don’t be shy or have a cow!  Calmly and politely state your case in a comment, below.

*Copyright © 2011 Laura Stories (ASCAP) New Spring Publishing Inc. (ASCAP) (adm. at CapitolCMGPublishing.com) All rights reserved. Used by permission.

Updates:

03/25/2021 – Updated per repetition announcement.