Out of the Dark

My Journey Through the Shadows to Find God's Joy

By: Mandisa Lynn Hundley, Suzanne Gosselin, Natalie Grant

Narrated by: Zakiya Young

Length: 5 hrs and 53 mins

Publisher's summary

Grammy award-winning music artist Mandisa tells an inspiring story of peaks and valleys, trials and joys, wins and losses. Through her gripping narrative, she shows that our choice to trust God can not only overcome our need to understand why bad things happen, but can help us to embrace a life of joy and freedom.

Out of the Dark is Mandisa’s exploration of the journey she’s taken from when she first became a Christian to her rise as an American Idol finalist and receiving multiple Grammy and Dove Award nominations, as well as the dark and challenging times she experienced along the way. She writes personally and openly about the hardships she has faced and the way she felt betrayed by God, but also about how God has brought her out of the valley into His glorious light. Along the way, she also shares her struggles in learning how to love her body and care for her health.

Just as Mandisa’s Grammy-award winning song “Overcomer” was topping the Contemporary Christian Music charts, her friend for whom “Overcomer” had been written passed away. After losing this close friend to cancer, despite months of prayers on her behalf, Mandisa descended into depression, isolating herself and turning to her familiar friend, food, for comfort.

Throughout Out of the Dark, Mandisa uses her experiences to address the following themes:

• The pain of grief and loss
• Surviving abuse
• Embracing true beauty and a healthy body image
• Coping with severe depression
• Healthy―and disordered―eating
• The role of faith in hope and healing
• Letting go of shame
• Following your unique calling and passion
• How friends and family are crucial for healing
• The challenges of 2020, including protecting mental and emotional health while navigating a public health crisis, quarantining, and coping with racial injustice
• Trusting God daily for hope and healing

In the darkness, Mandisa knew God was there―but she wondered if she could trust Him. Even at her lowest point where she saw no human way forward, God was at work, powerfully redeeming her story and calling her out of the dark.

Mandisa tells her story with warmth and vulnerability, challenging us all to focus on God’s purpose for our lives, surround ourselves with friends who will fight for us, and face life’s challenges with courage and faith. If you’ve ever found yourself in a dark place as the result of grief, depression, or loss, Mandisa’s story will reassure you that even when you’re walking through dark valleys, God can and will lead you on a path to joy and hope.

©2022 Mandisa Lynn Hundley, Suzanne Gosselin, Natalie Grant (P)2022 One Audiobooks

Loved this

I chose this rating because I too am over coming depression. What I loved is that you included scriptures into this book. Thank you for sharing this wonderful book Mandisa.

So very real and given at just the right time.

Loved Mandisa’s transparency and willingness to admit her struggles and how God redeemed her and the verses she held tight to in her journey.

Encouraging, Uplifting, Inspiring

Encouraging, uplifting, inspiring. That's what this book was for me. I like how open, vulnerable, and transparent Mandisa is in this book. She sheds like on how many people feel when it comes to grief, loss and being self-conscious about their weight. I also like how she touches on depression, anxiety, isolation and how that can really lead you on a dark path away from the Lord. She did a good job of showing people how you can reach for God in those times of darkness and serve Him with all your heart.

Such a beautiful story and Soul!!

Such a beautiful Story and Soul! I just came across her book after hearing about her untimely passing. May she Rip.

LOVED HER STORY!!

This helped me so much. With things I have been struggling with. I have even started to listen to the podcast.

deeply motivational and inspiring

it was touching to hear about mandisa's trials and tribulations in her walk with faith in God

Encouraging

Mandisa’s openness, honesty, and Biblical view of God and how He works in her life has been such an encouragement to me and my walk with Jesus. Thank you, Mandisa!! ❤️🙏🏼

Courageous Vulnerability!

I am grateful for her telling of the struggles she’s faced in her faith journey. She is sweet, funny and powerful! Thanks for this, Sis!

Thank you mandissa

Mandissa thank you for your courage and for sharing your scars. This book has given me courage as a navigate a difficult time in your life. Thank you for your light and your music. We need more people in the world to speak up and be real. Thank you for leading out

Thank You My Love Oh LORD!

I Love how Mandisa really shared Deep about her Life story as Child to Adult women and how life if hard, feeling shameful but when you put GOD in all of your life and you keep Spiritually Hunger for God's His Love Of Help. You slipped right back into your Darkness and you try to break free, then enemy comes but you know he tongues of all lies and you fell away from Jesus, and GOD Finds you, in those Deepest Darkness , You away find yourself back to Him.......That what makes me WOW LORD you really know your child of GOD and Mandisa is one of GOD'S child, GOD knows Mandisa HERAT GOLD OF LIFE OF LIGHT,and it was Mandisa time to be FULLY HOME ETERNITY WITH JESUS!! May this Book will stay ALIVE and Thrive On with GOD'S CHILD LIKE FAITH. Thank you Mandisa and We shall Meet Again but In Heaven.
This Book from Mandisa written is for me and I need to here it and knowing I'm a sinner, not perfect but GOD is and knowing GOD wants your Heart Fully, that's where I'm at today, I will take that Step Of Faith, and come back to my LORD GOD who except me for who I'm, need GOD to change me HEART in JESUS NAME AMEN! RIP Mandisa with Heavenly Father Jesus and No MORE Darkness but FULLY LIFE OF LIGHT, YOU'RE WEARING PURPLE FOR ROYALTY and SINGING FOR JESUS! Love you and one day Meet You There Sister in Christ !