Episode #303 — Over the past year, we’ve seen it again and again – God bringing the words of encouragement and hope we’ve needed to us – right when we’ve needed them most.
The joy and purpose-filled hit song “Rise up (Lazarus)” from the tremendously talented, all-sibling band CAIN is an unmistakable example. Madison Cain Johnson is one third of the ensemble, and she shares the story.
“In 2019, when we wrote ‘Rise up (Lazarus)’, we were not thinking at all about a lung based pandemic. So to even think the words, ‘Take a breath. You’re alive now.’ I mean, thank You, Lord! He knew what was coming. He truly did.”
“When we were writing the song, my sister pulled out a voice memo of her singing. She said, I want to write about Lazarus. And she’s singing, ‘Rise up! Rise up!’ – the beginning of that melody. Then a co-writer, he just starts – at the same time – singing the same thing! It really was like God saying, ‘Here’s the song I want, and give it to the church.'”
Madison can’t help noticing that, in these unforgettable times, stories like CAIN’s are happening all across Christian music.
“So it truly is amazing, and so many other songs – I mean one of my favorite ones was Josh Baldwin’s “Evidence”. ‘I see the evidence of your goodness all my life’. And Andrew Ripp, his song ‘Jericho’. There are just so many songs out right now that are perfect. I have never enjoyed listening to Christian radio so much!”
“Taylor and I, we both didn’t unpack our tour bags for about 2 months. Because we just kept thinking it was going to get picked back up. ‘This is going to happen!’ And finally I unpacked my bag. And the day I did a girl from my church was like, ‘Hey, would you mind leading some girls in a small group?’ And I had been avoiding really committing to some things because I thought, well, at any minute I’m going to leave again.” But I thought, you know what, let’s do it.”
That simple “yes” marked the beginning of something special.
“Then we started leading worship at church again, and it was very much the thought that, ‘I’m here. You have me here, and I’m so happy to be here. I’m not going to complain about it.’ And that’s when we saw the song start to pick back up! So it truly is, all the time, taking your dreams and letting them go. It’s painful, but it’s the only way! When God truly shows His glory and His hand, if He wants something for you, He’s going to do it.”
Madison Cain Johnson makes up one-third of CAIN – the phenomenally talented sibling recording artists behind the hit songs “Rise Up” & their latest “Yes He Can”.
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On the Road with CAIN
