Amy Grant?!

I just finished reading Amy Grant's book titled "Mosaic." Who didn't love Amy Grant in the 80's and 90's?! And then who wasn't shocked and surprised with the news of her divorce to the father of her three children and quick re-marriage to Vince Gill (country music star)?! She received a lot of bad press at the time and I must admit, I was one of the thousands of people who turned my back on her as a Christian artist feeling disappointed at her choices.

Why then would I want to pick up a book about her life? Mostly, I was interested in her perspective on how things went. And what surprised me the most, is how much I learned and grew as I read it. I went into it thinking I would learn more about her and ended up learning more about God . . . His forgiveness, His plan, His involvement of our lives . . . she shares in the book much about her childhood and family life and also shares much about her personal relationship with God - how she starts her day by standing outside, rain or shine, saying at the top of her lungs, "THIS IS THE DAY THE LORD HAS MADE . . . I WILL REJOICE AND BE GLAD IN IT" then by reciting the Lord's prayer (as she says, "When Jesus tells us this is how we should pray, we should listen."). She incorporates many lyrics to her songs of old and new as well as reasons why she wrote them - the back story of her musical journey. I was struck with the words from one of her songs entitled "Breath of Heaven" in which she says, "Help me be strong . . . Help me be . . . Help me." What a simple prayer and one I want for my heart's cry . . .

I have also recently been listening to her new song "Better than a Hallelujah" and have been moved to tears at the way "we pour out our miseries . . . God just hears a melody" . . . enjoy the song . . . and pick up the book . . . it's more than a biography . . . it's an intimate glimpse into the very public life of one of God's children - and the reminder that God loves us all the same . . . celebrity or not, we are in need of God, His forgiveness, His grace, and His purpose for us.