TobyMac On Grief After Son's Death And Channeling His Pain Into Music - Christian Artists

TobyMac shares about grief after his son’s Truett’s death and how he is channeling his pain into music. He has something to say to those who, like him, are carrying hurt and hope together. Had it not been for The Word, TobyMac feels he would not have survived the heartache he is waking up to on a daily basis. “Somehow everyday, something gets to my heart and it’s just a word of hope in the midst of my despair.”

2020 was a tough year for everyone, especially those who experienced a death in the family. TobyMac says his grief comes in waves and opened up about the loss of his son, he commented, “After Truett passed in October, it seemed all I could write was dark ballads and songs longing and songs that felt painful but I think I started rounding a corner which is a part of the lyric in the song in recognizing God has a big picture that we can’t fathom.”

TobyMac wrote the song, “21 Years,” in the middle of his sorrow. He says the song was an honest confession of questioning God and dealing with the aftermath of losing a child. He wrote about doubt, mercy, and the promise that God does not forsake us. The heart of the song is relatable to parents who have lost their children with these:

"You said you’d turn, you would turn it around
Thought that you had time to straighten it out
Told me that you were my prodigal son
But this isn’t home"

Over time, TobyMac was able to find comfort that Truett is “across the Jordan” with our heavenly father. We appreciate his sincere transparency and incredible honesty about the loss and his faith in God. The Christian singer reminds us God is with us when we’re walking through some of the darkest valleys. God is there to comfort us in our pain and loss and God is there to provide hope. But the biggest lesson TobyMac shares is how God is true to His Word.

He says his family could have easily built their lives on something other than God but he says building his family the rock of God is what keeps them from sinking. “I will stand on it,” he said when he was talking about his family, “Whatever we do after this, we will build on the rock. We will not build on sand because it would be easy to build on something that feels good. But we will build on the rock, I am determined.”

And so, after releasing the song “21 Years,” TobyMac is continuing to stand on Christ as his rock as he channels his grief into his music. He just released his new song, “Help Is On The Way (Maybe Midnight),” to remind us God is never early, never late, and God’s help is on the way! May we all believe in the promise God’s help is on the way and He is “rolling up His sleeves again.”

“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” Matthew 7:24-27