After the success of and the loss of her best friend, singer and songwriter Mandisa fell into a deep depression. After a season of isolation, she is emerging from the pit of depression with a new album,  , and a new outlook on life.

 is filled with songs of hope, resilience, and reminders that God is still working, no matter the circumstance. Mandisa shares three ways that God helped her out of darkness and despair.

Flashes of light 

Light will always overcome the darkness – even if it comes in small bursts.

“You can find flashes of light anywhere. You see them every time you open up the Word of God.”

For Mandisa, her flash of light came in the form of a song by the band Casting Crowns she heard on the radio.

“It was called ‘ ’ and there is one line that hit me directly in the heart. It said,

‘You’re one step away from arms wide open, one step away from coming home.’

“So look for the flashes of light and ask God for them because that is a prayer that He loves to answer.”

The family of God

Mandisa also says that God uses His family to pull us out of the dark.

“You’ve got to surround yourself with people who love Jesus and can be His literal hands and feet.”

Focus forward

Last but not least, Mandisa encourages us to practice the discipline of focusing forward.

“Stop looking at what is behind, all of your mistakes, all of the things that have happened to you. Put your focus directly ahead, put one foot in front of the other, don’t worry about how far you have to go, just take that next step today.”

Mandisa struggled against the shame of the mistakes she made during the dark season of her life. However, God continues to teach her that even though she is still unfinished, she is still His masterpiece.

“For someone who battles with so much shame, there is so much grace is knowing that God is still working on me.”


Mandisa is a Grammy Award winning Christian recording artist. She came to prominence on the fifth season of American Idol, and has released six albums including  and  .

Key Scripture: Psalm 40:2-3

Coming out of the dark