When Was It S Not Supposed To Be This Way First Released?

I first heard about 'It's Not Supposed to Be This Way' when a friend sent me a link and I dove down the credits — it showed up on Laura Story's album 'God of Every Story', which was released in 2013. The album came out in late September 2013, and that’s where the song initially appeared to the public. Later on, the track was pushed more broadly to Christian radio and worship playlists during 2014, so if you heard it on the radio that year, that’s why.

The song felt like it had two lives: the quiet, intimate album release in 2013 and the wider, communal release as a single in 2014. For me, that timeline makes sense because plenty of worship songs simmer in church circles before they blow up on radio. Hearing it first on the record, then later in a congregation, really landed the lyrics in a deeper way for me.

That book really struck a chord for a lot of people: 'It's Not Supposed to Be This Way' by Lysa TerKeurst was first released on May 5, 2020. I remember picking up a copy around that time because the subtitle — 'Finding Unexpected Strength When Disappointments Leave You Shattered' — promised something honest and practical, and the timing of its release meant it landed in the hands of readers who were reeling from a year unlike any other. The book quickly became one of those buzzy Christian nonfiction titles that showed up on bestseller lists and in small-group study guides, and it felt immediate and relevant the moment it came out.

What I really appreciated about the book when it came out (and still do) is how TerKeurst blends raw personal storytelling with accessible biblical reflection. The release felt timely not just because of global events, but because she leaned into grief and disappointment in a way that was vulnerable yet steady. There’s a balance of practical next steps, honest lament, and encouragement that made it easy to recommend to friends who were struggling. The hardcover and paperback releases were followed pretty quickly by an audiobook and a study guide, which made it easy to turn the material into a small-group series or a personal devotional rhythm. I often cued up the audiobook during long drives; hearing her voice read those chapters made the stories land differently than reading on the page.

Beyond the date, the way the book landed in the culture is part of why the release felt significant to me. A lot of people were searching for resources that validated their hard feelings without offering shallow platitudes, and 'It's Not Supposed to Be This Way' filled that niche. It also sparked conversations in churches and online communities about how faith interacts with pain, disappointment, and unanswered prayers. On a personal level, reading something like that right after it first came out felt like finding a friend who could sit with the mess instead of sweeping it under a rug. If you’re exploring it now or revisiting it, the core idea — that life’s detours aren’t the final word and that strength can come from honest processing — still lands for me in a comforting way.

I dug around the credits and can say plainly: 'It's Not Supposed to Be This Way' first appeared on Laura Story's album 'God of Every Story', released in 2013. If you caught it on the radio or in more church playlists, that broader exposure mostly happened through 2014 when it was promoted more widely as a single.

I love how the two dates — 2013 for the album and 2014 for the single push — tell a story about how songs find people. That little timeline always makes the track feel like it grew up in public, which I kind of love.

When I dig into the background of a song, I like to separate the album release from its single life. In the case of 'It's Not Supposed to Be This Way', the recording first came out as part of Laura Story's album 'God of Every Story' in 2013. That album release is the canonical first release: it’s when studios, streaming platforms, and early listeners first got the song. Afterward, the track gained more momentum on Christian radio and in worship settings during 2014, which is why many people associate it with the following year.

Beyond the dates, I find the way this song circulated interesting — studio release, intimate listening, and then communal adoption. It’s a pattern you see a lot in worship music: emotional resonance helps a song move from an album track to something sung in churches everywhere. For me, knowing the 2013 origin deepens the appreciation; it reminds me how songs grow from a quiet record into something that supports people through hard seasons.

I got into this track while looking through worship music from the 2010s, and the basic timeline is straightforward: 'It's Not Supposed to Be This Way' first appeared on Laura Story's 2013 album 'God of Every Story'. That initial release gave the song its recorded form and allowed people to discover it at home or online. Over the following year, churches and Christian radio began to pick it up more regularly, so it reached a wider audience in 2014.

What always sticks with me is how songs like this travel — from the studio to playlists to congregational singing — and that slow spread is part of what made it feel personal and communal at the same time. I still like listening to the album cut when I want the rawer version.