Stories behind the songs.....Shout to the Lord

If you've ever seen or heard Darlene Zschech sing, you'll know what an amazing super-confident worship leader/songwriter she is. This story blew me away and I hope it gives confidence to all budding songwriters, that even the big superstars had to start somewhere and weren't always like they are today!

Shout To The Lord Story by Daryl-Anne Le Roux

Darlene Zschech is amused when asked to tell the story behind the song. "There is no big 'story'," she insists. "I really didn't sit down one day and decide to write an incredible song that will touch the nations."
If anything, Darlene has been surprised and almost embarrassed by the attention the song has received. But that is her nature - very modest and humble about her God-given talents. She doesn't want any glory because she knows it is not hers alone. It is the purity of her heart and her deep love for God that has raised her up to became the acclaimed worship leader she is today.
"The melody is simple and the lyrics are generally from the Word," she explains. "It just came from a quiet time I had with the Lord."
Although she had been writing songs since she was 15, she didn't even consider herself to be a songwriter, but she does recall, however what inspired the song.
"It was one of those dark days in my life," she remembers. "Everything felt as if it was on top of me, there seemed to be no way out and the only one I could turn to was the Lord." Desperate for His peace, she opened to the Psalms. As she sat at the old piano, she began tinkling the keys and Shout to the Lord flowed from her heart.
She smiles when she describes the scene. "The piano was a gift from my parents when I was five years only. It's old and I'm sure was even a little out of tune. I wasn't even consciously thinking about the song," she says, "but I sang it and sang it, over and over again, and it lifted me up."
That is how the song was born. From the depths of despair, it took her to the heights of faith. Over the next few days, the song didn't leave her and it began to dawn on her that it might be a worship song.
Terribly shy and feeling a little embarrassed, she mentioned to Geoff Bullock (then Music Pastor at Hills CLC) and Russell Fragar that she thought she has written a song. "My hands were sweaty and I could hardly play it, I was so nervous," she said. "I kept starting and stopping, and apologizing for it before they had even heard it."
Eventually she made them stand with their backs to her, facing the wall while she played them the song. Even when they turned around and proclaimed that it was magnificent, Darlene was convinced they were just being polite.
When Pastor Brian Houston heard the song for the first time, he predicted it would be sung around the world. The rest is history.
"We hadn't even recorded it and I began receiving letters from people all over the world who had sung the song in their churches," says Darlene. "One came from a seven year old boy in Nigeria, thanking me for writing it."
"Shout To The Lord" was written at time when a child of God ran to her Lord, seeking Him in the midst of desperation. As you sing it you are filled with faith, strength and peace - exactly what Darlene experienced the day she wrote it.
Darlene grabs a Bible and turns to Psalm 96. You can see her passion for the Word shining as she describes what it means to her: seeing the sea roaring and the mountains bowing down. You catch a glimpse of what inspired the song: the true love and pure heart focussed completely on her beloved Lord

Taken from the website 'Integrity resources'