Out of the Dark: My Journey Through the Shadows to Find God's Joy, (Hardcover)

We all go through hard times. Just because a person is famous does not mean he/she is immune to struggles. When suffering comes our way, we all have different reactions. For Mandisa, she chose to hide away and to seek solace in food and in television. I appreciate her candor in sharing what took her down that path - one she thought that she was free from. When a friend died after being diagnosed with cancer, Mandisa took the loss very hard. Working through that took time, and she did not always process her grief well. For me, there are some important takeaways from this book. 1) In this world, you will have trouble. Rather than hiding, we need to deal with our issues and our losses. After Mandisa was on the right path again, the pandemic started. She took purposeful steps to make sure that she did not spiral again. Coping is not automatic. 2) We need friends to hold us accountable. Her friends knew she was spiraling. They did not let her stay there. They were persistent in reaching out. Because she had developed strong relationships during the good times, those people were there for her during the hard times. We need community. We are not meant to do life alone. 3) Just because you follow God does not mean you will not get depressed. Mandisa talked about her faith all of the time. She still wanted to walk away when God did not deliver. We all can falter. Help is available. I appreciate that Mandisa was honest about her suicidal thoughts. God loved her anyway and chose to provide a way for her to climb out of her personal darkness. Not everyone can do that. But hopefully this book will inspire those who are struggling to seek help. I think if you are a fan of Mandisa's music, you will appreciate this book even more. All of the chapters start with the lyrics of one of her songs. But she does explain her story and how she became a noted musician, so if you are just "meeting" her, you will still be able to follow along. I do recommend this book because it is hopeful even in the midst of moments of despair. There are Bible verses aplenty, but the book feels full of life lessons rather than of sermons. I read a copy of this book through NetGalley. I requested it for review purposes. All opinions are my own.