Meredith Andrews Says Rough Season in Her Marriage Brought Her Closer to God (Interview)
"Sometimes we just have to have those people in our lives who no matter what time of the day it is we can just call and say 'Hey, can you pray for me? Can you speak some truth into my life, because I just feel like I'm having a hard time believing it right now.'"
Andrews maintains that having a community of people has been a big help to her, along with writing down what she's been through in her songs. Her first single, "Soar," on Deeper went to radio in late 2015 and came back that same year at its highest chart position.
"They are all really close to my heart because they were born from such a hard place," she continued.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
After having a vision from the Lord of a tree and its roots, Andrews said she believes God made her aware that He was deepening her roots in Him though this season of her life.
The title track of the album Deeper, Andrews says, is her "fight song" and comes out of a vision she received. "It's like an onion and the Lord is peeling back these layers and we think we're fine but then we got to get to the root. We got to get to the deepest place where there is this depth, this richness, and this well that comes only from spending time with the Lord amidst the chaos and amidst the trials," she asserted.
Andrews told CP that Joseph from the Bible is the person she relates to most right now, saying that the biblical hero had big dreams, but it wasn't until his 13 year period in low places that he was ready to walk into all God had for him.
She is not one to seek fame or crowds, Andrews shares, and she is trusting that her new album will reach who it is suppose to. She spoke of the obsession in this day and age of celebrity status and linked that to being aware of who you are.
"It comes down to our identity. Is our identity in how many likes we get on our Instagram or Facebook or how many records I sell? Is my identity in what people think of me?" the contemporary songwriter inquired. "If we put our identity in that place we will forever be comparing and striving and wrestling with all of those thoughts and going, 'I just want to be liked, I just want to be accepted.'"
She went on to say, "God loves everything that we do and He know's we're not always going to get it right, but he doesn't shame us and He doesn't accuse us. So I believe when we get that in the core of our identity and we get that right, than everything else falls into place."
She shared that since the age of 17, she started dreaming of singing on stage for the Lord.
"I know in my journey it's not been a journey of immediate success. It's been a lot of failure and disappointment and questions," she acknowledged, but in that she said God was saying to her, "'Be faithful, because I am faithful. I've got a plan and even in disappointment, even in heartaches I'm building something in you.'"
"I would say that to young people as well, don't get ahead of God, don't get ahead of what he's got you in right now because the journey and the process we tend to neglect it, we tend to overlook it. We say, 'Well I just want to fast forward to the good stuff, to the product, to the end result.' But God is saying, 'No this process and this journey is just as important if not even more in the end result' because He has to build us, and strengthen us and mature us and deepen us so that we're ready to receive the dream and the promise."
Andrews reiterates that one's identity has to be in line with who God says you are. She vocalized that the Lord is encouraging her to dream again even by using some of her closest friends.
"God has wired us to dream, to get excited about the future. That doesn't mean that we neglect the present but we get excited about what's coming," the mother of three proclaimed.
Andrews is a full-time mom, wife and worship leader. She concluded the interview by saying she would have it no other way. The sucessful singer could easily stay home with her children but loves that she can travel and speak truth into people's lives and sing new songs over them.
"I'm believing God that this year will be a year of promise. Promises fulfilled over my marriage, over my family because I feel like in the last couple of years everything has just been a struggle. I'm just believing that God is moving us into a season where everything is not as difficult, a season of more ease. Our promises are still in the word of God, it's in the person of Jesus." she ended.
The digital pre-order for the album Deeper will be available for both the standard and deluxe editions on Jan. 22. For every pre-order there will be instant downloads of the songs "Soar" and "I Look To The King," followed by the album's release in February. For more information visit MeredithAndrews.com.
