FRANCES DROST
Inside Things

Every week, singer/songwriter Frances Drost sits down at the piano and writes a song for a child that is dying or permanently disabled.  Frances is one of the exclusive songwriters for Songs of Love, a non-profit organization that provides personalized songs for children and teens facing tough medical, physical or emotional challenges. The organization has been profiled on CBS’ 60 Minutes and named one of the Best Independent Charities in America.  While it sounds like a terribly depressing task, Frances feels a kinship to those kids.  She knows first-hand the impact the loss of a child has on a family.  Her 2-year-old brother drowned in the pond behind their home when she was just a baby and the reverberations of his death were always present in her life.   

Because Songs of Love helps children of all cultures and backgrounds, the lyrical content cannot mention anything about God, unless the family specifically requests it. But every week, Frances places each child’s profile on her wall and prays for them, asking for wisdom and clarity to find just the right words and musical notes to make their arduous days a bit brighter.  “I truly rely on God’s leading to capture the essence of every child,” says Frances.  “It has not only been a teaching tool for me in the art of songwriting, but the letters and responses I get are incredibly moving.” 

In addition to her involvement with Songs of Love, Frances frequently shares the platform as a worship leader with speaker Carol Kent, an internationally-known author and speaker who has been featured on Women of Faith conferences as well as Focus on the Family broadcasts and many national television shows.  During her five-year involvement with Carol, Frances has honed her skills not only as a worship leader, but as a conference speaker.  But her passion remains with music. 

Her latest CD, Inside Things, has spawned her very first professional music video as well as its own volume of speaking topics.  A mixture of piano-driven pop ballads and some mandolin-tinged tunes reminiscent of Allison Krauss, Inside Things includes some of Frances’ most intimate songwriting moments. In fact, the CD’s title cut goes to the heart of Frances’ life message. 

“I have been reflecting on Psalm 73 lately,” says Frances, “where Asaph wails about how frustrated he was with God, his circumstances, and all those wicked people making his life miserable.  But by the end of the Psalm, he begins to get honest with himself and realize it’s really his own set of attitudes and feelings that are weighing him down.   That speaks volumes to me.  Don’t we all find justification in pointing fingers at people or events in our lives and play the victim?” 

Frances gets honest from the stage about her own set of “inside things.”  Coming from a very strict upbringing where things even as simple as make-up or clothing were considered hindrances to salvation, Frances has had to overcome her own detrimental and self-loathing feelings of being rejected and even ostracized simply because of her appearance.  “Women are especially prone to problems with their own self-image,” she says.  “And we can easily internalize what others say about us, particularly when it comes from people who we believe should love us unconditionally.  When you feel rejected and unloved, especially by people close to you, you can begin to doubt yourself.  We put weights on ourselves that we then try to blame on everybody else, but ultimately we are the ones that agree to carry them.  It has been a journey for me to learn to look at myself through God’s eyes, and not other people’s.” 

Frances admits to struggling with her own legalistic tendencies over the years, but the song “Enough” expresses her personal desire to find what she calls that “resting place” of true faith. 

“Early in my life, I used to think maybe God would be more pleased with me if I dressed a certain way, didn't do certain things or if I was diligent in my devotions and kept my heart pure and my sins confessed.  I had an unwritten creed of ‘do's and don'ts’ that I believed would make me worthy of His love and salvation.  Later on, I took on a new set of devices and creeds and went through a period of time when I thought I had God all figured out.  My devices were more like formulas--‘six easy steps to get an answer to your prayers.’  But in recent years, I realized that true faith rests in Christ alone – there is not anything I can do to deserve His love.  Christ not only died for me, but He now lives for me.  My life now consists of letting my faith rest in my Father, not in my self-made designs and systems.  A line in ‘Enough’ says ‘I need no other argument,’ but the truth is, I have no other argument.  I’m learning to let Him guide my life and be at peace with the ups and downs that come my way as a result of living this life by faith.  Every day, my life is a series of choices to stay in that resting place.”   

Though she considers herself a “late bloomer” when it comes to music, Frances has made the art of leading worship seem nearly effortless.  And the secret, she says, is keeping things simple. 

“Every event, every situation, every audience is different,” says Frances, “but one thing remains true – if I am participating in the worship, and not just leading it, people are more willing to enter in with me.   People can sense if you are an authentic worshipper or not.  When I get on stage, it’s no different for me than if I’m home at my piano.  Either way, I just want to tell God how much I love him--and mean it.

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 Check out Frances' music video of Inside Things here: