Christian artist Yancy was sitting on an airplane when an ordinary preschool video became a deeply personal reminder of why she writes worship songs for children. Watching silently as a friend visited her grandson's preschool, the Christian artist recognized something familiar in the children's movements. Before she heard a single note, she suspected they were singing "Hosanna Rock."
She reached for her headphones to check. When the audio confirmed her instinct, tears began falling down her face. A song she had written to serve the church had found its way into another everyday moment-one she might otherwise never have witnessed.
"God has blessed me to be a part of these moments," Yancy shared in a personal reflection. "I only see the smallest fraction of them happening but my fingerprint through God's providence is on their lives."
For an artist whose work reaches children through churches, classrooms and family routines, that glimpse carried particular weight. Her songs can accompany a grandparent's visit, become the tune a child brings home from preschool or help a congregation celebrate Palm Sunday. Much of that ministry happens beyond her view, among people she may never meet.
The beginnings of "Hosanna Rock" were considerably less dramatic than the airplane moment it eventually inspired. Yancy recalled wanting to write a song for Palm Sunday and beginning to sing it in the shower. The writing came relatively quickly, driven by a straightforward desire to give churches something useful.
"It was just a pure heart wanting to write songs to serve the church," she explained. "What God has done is greater than I knew to ask, think or imagine."
Her account offers encouragement to anyone wondering whether a modest act of service can make a lasting difference. The song began with a specific need and a willingness to meet it. Its subsequent place in children's lives has given her occasional glimpses of an influence far beyond that initial writing session.
Yancy also acknowledged how unusual her career can look within Christian music. "My audience has piggy banks rather than fat bank accounts," she wrote. "My music is the soundtrack of VBS's rather than arenas."
Behind that playful description is a serious question about how ministry is measured. A song played in one classroom may involve children, teachers and visiting family members. A recording used by a church can become part of a shared experience whose significance extends beyond the number of times someone presses play.
"I can't prove the impact through earthly metrics," Yancy admitted. Yet a recent audience response gave her another tangible reminder that her work had reached people.
While onstage, she told those gathered, "I write and record songs for kids and families." Applause followed, and she understood it as recognition from listeners who already knew the music and had welcomed it into their lives. She deliberately allowed herself to receive that encouragement.
Her reflection also leaves room for uncertainty. Yancy said she does not fully understand what God is doing in her life, describing moments that feel like a death and others that feel like a rebirth. The admission gives her gratitude depth: She can recognize meaningful fruit while still facing unanswered questions about what comes next.
Through those questions, she returns to the faithfulness she has experienced across the decades. Her desire is to remain available to God, continuing the work through the familiar words children sing: "One 'hosanna' at a time."
For Yancy, a preschool video became an unexpected gift-the chance to see a small part of what her songs mean to others. Somewhere between a child's recognizable movements and the sound in her headphones, an ordinary flight gave her fresh encouragement to keep serving.
