Singer Rebecca St. James has very literally seen God perform miracles.
As a result, the singer believes wholeheartedly in the power of prayer to change things, a theme embedded in “Unsung Hero,” a movie about her family’s journey.
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The film pays homage to the incredible ways God worked in her family’s life after her parents, David and Helen Smallbone, brought their family from Australia to America after losing everything, worked hard cleaning homes and doing yard work, and eventually landed record deals for Rebecca and her brothers, Joel and Luke (For KING & COUNTRY).
“It was such a dramatic time of us coming from Australia to the U.S., my dad losing everything, us living by faith, and praying, and seeing God do miracles,” St. James said. “It was a real world-changing time for our family, and it gave me a testimony.”
And St. James and her family are now sharing that testimony with the world, with “Unsung Hero” inspiring people across the U.S. and raking in over $20 million at the box office. Perhaps it’s the real-life grit captured in the film — the refusal to give up amid challenges and the trust in God that so resonates.
After all, the Smallbones had nothing beyond faith and dedication.
“We had no furniture in our house, we were sleeping on the floor on beds literally made out of clothes, with sheets tucked around it for a little while,” St. James said. “No car, no income, and we prayed as a family, and we saw God show up, and we saw groceries on our doorstep, and truckloads of furniture dropped at our house, and checks come in the mail, and — just miracles.”
Watch St. James explain:
Just a few years later, St. James’ singing career started to kick off. At just 16 years old, her golden voice resonated, she was discovered, and the rest is, well, history.
But despite her ascension in the music industry, the star has never forgotten where she came from and how God provided.
“I’ve seen the power of God in prayer,” she said. “And I’ve seen God change my life and my family’s life.”
One of the most interesting facets of St. James’ career was her decision about a decade ago to step out of the music scene, despite being at the top of her game. She said the choice, which allowed her to focus on her marriage and building a family, was “pivotal.”
She went from being on stage as a teen in front of thousands — a situation that continued into her adulthood — to a much quieter life and existence.
“For me, stepping away from it a year into our marriage, so in my 30s, I was able to kind of just look at my identity and my value in a different way and go, ‘Wow, yeah, I don’t have to perform or give something or do something to be valuable or to feel solid in my identity,'” she said. “It was almost like God was just saying, ‘Hey, I see you for who … I’ve created you to be, and you’re enough.'”
St. James said the experience allowed her to come back to music a few years later with a much healthier perspective, keeping her focus on the things in life that truly matter.
“I think the enemy … is like trying to tempt us into thinking that things, and money, and power, and fame are what we want,” St. James said. “And it’s such a trap.”
She continued, “Proverbs is so full of warnings about not buying into these kinds of things.”
In the end, she’s hoping “Unsung Hero” keeps people focused on faith, family, and the things of eternal importance.
“What I pray is that, when people walk away from the film, they feel encouraged in marriage, in parenting, and in faith,” she said. “And I think a lot of people are discouraged in family life, and in faith life. And I think, if people can walk away and go, ‘Wow, Lord, I want to follow after you. I want to embrace this adventure that is the Christian life, and I want to love my family.'”
Find out more about the film, which releases on digital June 11, here.
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