Sandi Patty’s singing has comforted me during some of the most painful times in my life.
When I saw she’d written a memoir—The Voice: Listening for God’s Voice and Finding Your Own, I was excited to read about her life.
During the peak of Sandi Patty’s career, when her record label branded her as The Voice, she felt voiceless.
I had always assumed someone with the confidence to perform or speak in front of large audiences wouldn’t struggle with insecurity. Though in her element onstage, offstage, she struggled with people-pleasing. On her debut album, her name was misspelled, and rather than cause any trouble, she accepted it and used it as her stage name for the next 15 years.
“For much of my life, I felt voiceless. I know those aren’t the words one expects to hear from a vocalist with forty Dove awards and more than thirty albums who has spent the better part of four decades singing for a living. What didn’t come naturally was using my own words to speak my thoughts and feelings, to express my identity—my opinions and value and worth and understanding—to others or even myself.”
Since I’ve struggled with confidence in my own life, the message of this book really spoke to my heart.
“Outwardly I pretended that I was good. Marriage was good. Life was good. Being a mom of young children was good. My career was good. I would sing from emotional depths, then leave the stage, go to my dressing room, where no one would see me, and sit in the corner and cry.“
By listening and following God’s voice, Sandi Patty learned to speak up for herself and be confident in who God made her to be. Part of that confidence led her to write books and share authentically about her failures and struggles, including her affair and subsequent divorce.
Her vulnerability in this book kept me turning every page. She shares some of the painful details of childhood abuse and how it affected her future, making her feel as if her voice didn’t matter.
“God brought me step by step from voicelessness to a fullness of voice.”
I highly recommend this book for those who struggle with feelings of inadequacy and worthlessness and who struggle to speak up when they should.
“I have been more challenged and encouraged over the years by those who don’t pretend to have it all together, those who speak from a place of authenticity. It is for that reason that I share the not-so-pretty chapters of my story. Not so I can keep wearing the shame but so that I can offer someone hope that this isn’t the end of the song. That they aren’t alone.”
This book will help you take a look at your life and see how “The song of your life tells the story of God’s love.”
I was given a free copy of this book from Booklook Bloggers in exchange for my honest review.
Hello there! I'm Valerie, a mom of four and wife of 27 years. My writing inspires others to cultivate courageous faith and find solace in trusting God, especially in moments of fear and uncertainty. Join me on this adventure as we explore the beauty of trusting God when we are afraid. 
