Through It All — The Impact of Andrae Crouch on our Lives
Day 22 of Photo Inspirations.
Today is the funeral of Andrae Crouch. It will be streamed live on BET.
This photo is of a treasured music/song book we have, loaded with songs written by Andrae — one of our all-time favorite composers and artists, our mentor, friend, 7-time grammy award winner, and beloved music genius. In secular music, he was known for his collaborative work with Stevie Wonder, Elton John and Quincy Jones as well as conducting choirs that sang on the Michael Jackson hit “Man in the Mirror”. Andrae was a breath of fresh air when his talent incorporated contemporary secular music styles into the gospel music he grew up with. His efforts in this area were what helped in paving the way for early American contemporary Christian music during the 1960s and 1970 (our music ministry era). His original music arrangements were heard in the films The Color Purple and Disney’s The Lion King, as well as the NBC television series “Amen”.
And, though I won’t be in Los Angeles today to celebrate his life, I am reminiscing and celebrating the memories and the impact he had in our lives.Andrae inspired my husband and I and our Master’s Four Quartette for years, His songs were our songs. His songs fueled the flames of our burning desire to spread God’s love and word as musicians. His songs stirred our hearts like none other.
When I received word about his passing, my mind raced back to our favorites — “My Tribute — To God Be the Glory”, “It Won’t Be Long”, “The Blood Will Never Lose Its Power”, and, in fact, many of his songs were so impactful that they became hymns — “Soon and Very Soon” was one of them. but my all-time favorite was one that carried us through many tests and trials and challenges……”Through It All”. On more than one occasion, we found new hope and faith for our own faith journey. In his honor and in my own opportunity to embrace the memories and encourage you today, I share this beautiful song and Andrae’s beautiful testimony with you here. Thanks for the memories, Andrae! RIP!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvIxwc90BEI
I’ve had many tears and sorrows,
I’ve had questions for tomorrow,
There’s been times I didn’t know right from wrong.
But in every situation,
God gave me blessed consulation,
that my trials come to only make me strong.
Chorus
Through it all, through it all,
I’ve learned to trust in Jesus,
I’ve learned to trust in God.
Through it all, through it all,
I’ve learned to depend upon His Word.
Verse 2
I’ve been to lots of places,
I’ve seen a lot of faces,
There’s been times I felt so all alone.
But in my lonely hours,
yes, those precious lonely hours,
Jesus lets me know that I was His own
Verse 3
I thank God for the mountains,
and I thank Him for the valleys,
I thank Him for the storms He brought me through.
For if I’d never had a problem,
I wouldn’t know God could solve them,
I’d never know what faith in God could do