Singers treasure their voice because it's what makes their craft distinct, and Christian singer Natalie Grant used to feel the same way. However, when she lost her singing ability, Grant learned the hard way to look beyond the shallow demands of life and find her real voice in God.
Grant shares this story in her new book called "Finding Your Voice," which hopes to inspire people to "find their God-given voice" in this world filled with distractions and compromise.
"So many people define themselves by what they do, they define themselves by their successes but really so many of us define ourselves by our struggles. I sing, that's what I do, but it's not who I am. It was losing my voice that actually helped me find my true voice," Grant tells The Christian Post.
Grant says she built her identity in her voice, so when she lost it, her life turned topsy-turvy. For a time, Grant became so obsessed with her position in music charts and her career that she forgot why she wanted to sing in the first place — which is to share her Christian faith to others.
"It's nauseating honestly and it's hard to admit but it's the truth," Grant confesses. When her vocal cord ruptured and she was told she might never sing again, Grant got a painful wake-up call. "That's the thing that made me go, 'There has to be more.' It was losing my voice that helped me find it," she says.
While giving her vocal cord a rest, Grant learned of the anti-trafficking organisation called Abolition International. She decided to go to India to learn more about sexual trafficking.
The experience changed her life. When she regained her voice, Grant did not take her musical platform for granted again and used it to raise awareness on sexual slavery.
Even now, Grant admits that she still gets caught up with the world's insecurities and fears. But she has learned how to channel her emotions better by trusting in God.
"I think it's very important to understand that in order to find your voice, you have to learn how to recognise His. First and foremost, silence the lies in your life, silence the lies of what culture is telling you," she urges. "The only way to do that is to tell yourself the truth and the only way to learn the truth is to press into who He is and to who He says that you are."
