Creation has always been a friend to singer and songwriter, Leanna Crawford. The vastness of her Pacific Northwest upbringing, near both water and mountains, became a compass pointing towards God’s never ending faithfulness.
“I would walk outside and really appreciate just the quiet and stillness of what was around me. Walk through the trees and where we grew up was right near a pond so we could walk down to the woods and then we could walk over to the pond and see all of the birds and all the different wildlife.” Crawford reflects.
“I would just walk outside and really appreciate the quiet and stillness of what was around me … That truly is where I get a ton of inspiration…I try to get outside as much as possible, just walking, trying to soak it in, get off my phone and hear like all the beautiful sounds that God has created. All the birds singing, {it’s} so beautiful.”
The bible tells us that God calls his Creation ‘good’ and that we are called to care for all that God cares for. Crawford shares how that call to care for Creation is an important part of her upbringing, “I was taught you just want to take care of the land and always clean-up after yourself when you leave a space, leave it better than you found it. ” she states.
Leanna Crawford on the set of Our Story Our Song. Image: Jessica Patterson
Few artists create work that has the powerful ability to speak life in such a way that no matter where someone is in that moment, it is disarming. It is hopeful. It is kind. It is compassionate. Songs that without explanation, create a safe space to be real and vulnerable. The very attributes that make healing possible.
“It’s not that I’m anybody special, it just gets me excited to be able to speak into the next generation,” she shares. “You’re not alone, we’re gonna make it through together. But also, Jesus has this promise that he’s gonna be right beside you in all of it. In the hard stuff, in the good stuff, and everything in between.”
In 2012, Leanna went on a mission retreat, where she felt God speak to her, calling her into music ministry. In response, she entered the 2013 Praise 106.5FM Music Search and won the contest with her song, “Moment by Moment.” Of the experience she states,
“If God is the source, if God has placed a calling on your heart, and a calling on your life to do it, then He is going to make a way for that to happen.”
The experience led her to continue her journey of songwriting in Nashville. She has since toured with notable artists such as Michael W. Smith, Matthew West, Jeremy Camp, Matt Maher, & Jordan Feliz and had a Top 20 hit on the Billboard Christian Airplay chart. She continues to write music to spark hope in our youth generation, using social media to touch hearts as a part of the growing collective of young believers using their gifts in new ways to spread the gospel message of hope.
Leanna Crawford on the set of Our Story Our Song. Image: Jessica Patterson
On Our Story Our Song Crawford takes us on a walk in the Great Outdoors and invites us to consider the vastness and wonder of what can come from looking to nature as a teacher and friend. She performs live among dancing sunlight in an afternoon of worship surrounded by Creation seemingly untouched by anything other than our Creator. Subscribe, like, and comment for more behind the scenes exclusives.
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Root and Vine