Natalie Grant has been through many storms in her life; abuse, bulimia and cancer. God has helped her all along the way. Watch as she inspires you about your own breakthrough.
[MUSIC]
♪ JESUS, JESUS ♪♪
GINGER: ONE OF THE MOST
RECOGNIZED AND CELEBRATED VOICES
IN THE CHRISTIAN MUSIC INDUSTRY,
NATALIE GRANT
IS NO STRANGER TO SUCCESS.
[MUSIC]
NATALIE: ARE YOU GOING
THROUGH A STORM?
SING IT OUT.
♪ OOO-WHOO ♪♪
HE’LL FIND YOU.
SING IT OUT.
GINGER: THIS SEVEN-TIME
DOVE AWARD RECIPIENT HAS SEEN
MANY VICTORIES IN HER LIFE,
BUT AS SHE SAYS,
“THERE’S NO VICTORY
WITHOUT THE BATTLE.”
SO, AMONGST ALL THE LIMELIGHT
IS A LIFE CHANGED
THROUGH DIFFICULTIES.
NATALIE: I DON’T EVEN
REMOTELY VIEW MYSELF
AS A SINGER NOW.
I SING.
I’M A TRUTH-TELLER.
I’M A TRUTH-TELLER
AND I JUST USE THE VOICE
THAT GOD GAVE ME TO DO IT.
[MUSIC]
♪ JESUS ♪♪
GINGER: SO, HOW DID SHE
ARRIVE AT THIS OUTLOOK?
NATALIE SAYS ONE OF HER MOST
DIFFICULT STRUGGLES OCCURRED
BEFORE THE MUSIC CAREER BEGAN.
NATALIE: I THOUGHT,
I WAS GOING
TO A CHRISTIAN COLLEGE,
AND THERE WAS ALL THIS PRESSURE
THAT YOU HAD TO GET MARRIED
BEFORE YOU LEFT BIBLE COLLEGE.
I THINK THEY CALL IT
THE M-R-S DEGREE,
THE MRS. DEGREE.
AND I WAS LIKE, “WAIT,
I GOTTA GET MY MRS. DEGREE
BEFORE I LEAVE BIBLE SCHOOL.
GINGER: YET, BEHIND THE SMILE
WAS A GIRL SUFFERING
THROUGH AN EMOTIONALLY
ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIP.
NATALIE: AND HE WOULD SAY
THE MOST DANGEROUS THINGS TO ME.
“YOU ARE ALMOST PRETTY.
YOU ARE ALMOST TALENT–
YOU ARE ALMOST GOOD ENOUGH.”
GINGER: NATALIE SAYS
HER DESPERATION FOR HIS APPROVAL
LED TO A BATTLE WITH BULIMIA.
NATALIE: I FELT LIKE MY
ENTIRE LIFE WAS OUT OF CONTROL,
BUT THAT THING I DID IN THE
PRIVACY OF MY OWN BATHROOM
AND MY OWN–THAT THING
THAT NOBODY KNEW ABOUT,
THAT WAS THE THING I CONTROLLED.
GINGER: FAMILY AND FRIENDS
INTERVENED,
BUT AN ENCOUNTER WITH GOD
BEGAN THE HEALING PROCESS.
NATALIE: AND I REMEMBER
AS I WAS THROWING UP, LITERALLY,
THAT STILL, SMALL VOICE SAID,
“I AM HERE.
I DON’T WANT YOU TO DO THIS,
BUT I’M GONNA HOLD BACK
YOUR HAIR.”
AND IT WAS JUST THIS FEELING
OF SUCH A LOVE
FROM A HEAVENLY FATHER,
AND I WISH I COULD SAY
I STOOD UP
AND NEVER DID IT AGAIN.
IT WAS DEFINITELY
A LONG PROCESS.
SEVERAL YEARS OF LEARNING
TO ALLOW THAT BEHAVIOR
TO BE CONTROLLED
BY THE HOLY SPIRIT,
GETTING HELP FROM DOCTORS,
AND REALLY ALLOWING, YOU KNOW,
PEOPLE INTO THAT REALLY DIRTY,
UGLY PLACE,
AND ALLOWING ACCOUNTABILITY.
GINGER: THIS REALIZATION
WOULD PREPARE NATALIE
FOR WHAT WAS TO COME,
BUT FIRST, SUCCESS.
[MUSIC]
GINGER: NATALIE MARRIED
MUSIC PRODUCER, BERNIE HERMS,
AND AFTER A STRUGGLE
TO CONCEIVE, THEY BEGAN A FAMILY
WITH TWIN GIRLS.
DURING HER SECOND PREGNANCY,
SHE EXPERIENCED
A VERY UNEXPECTED ISSUE.
NATALIE: I THINK
THAT THE STRUGGLE BEGAN
WITH THE FEELINGS I HAD
IN MY HEART OF,
“OH, WAIT A SECOND, HOW–
THIS IS GONNA COMPLICATE
MY LIFE.
THIS IS HARD.
HOW–I CAN BARELY DO IT
WITH THESE TWO.
HOW AM I GONNA DO IT
WITH THREE?”
AND THAT WAS THE WAR, WAS,
I HAVE THE THOUGHTS,
AND THEN I FEEL SO GUILTY
THAT I HAVE THE THOUGHTS.
GINGER: BECAUSE OF HER
INFERTILITY TREATMENTS
TO CONCEIVE THEIR TWINS,
SHE KNEW WHAT A BLESSING
THESE CHILDREN TRULY ARE.
SO, WHEN SHE GOT PREGNANT
WITH HER MIRACLE CHILD,
DEPRESSION WASN’T SUPPOSED
TO FOLLOW.
NATALIE: I MISSED YOU TODAY!
NATALIE: GOD FORBID,
WE LET PEOPLE KNOW
THAT WE’RE ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW,
IN DEPRESSION BECAUSE
NOBODY LIKES TO TALK ABOUT
DEPRESSION IN THE CHURCH,
BECAUSE IF YOU’RE DEPRESSED,
YOU’RE JUST NOT
SPIRITUAL ENOUGH.
♪ ALIVE ♪
♪ YOU ARE ALIVE ♪
♪ LOOK WHAT MERCY’S OVERCOME ♪
♪ DEATH HAS LOST ♪
♪ BUT LOVE HAS WON ♪♪
GINGER: THROUGH HER BATTLE
WITH BULIMIA,
SHE UNDERSTOOD THE BENEFIT
OF CHRISTIAN COUNSELING,
AND WITH THIS CHALLENGE
SHE DISCOVERED THE HEALING POWER
OF TRANSPARENCY.
NATALIE: JESUS HAS ALREADY
ACCOMPLISHED EVERYTHING
THAT NEEDS TO BE ACCOMPLISHED
FOR OUR HEALING,
BUT WE HAVE TO TAKE AHOLD
OF THE HAND HE’S EXTENDING,
WE HAVE TO APPLY THAT TRUTH
TO OUR LIFE.
SO, THERE IS SOMETHING
WE HAVE TO DO.
GINGER: AND SO,
THIS INSIGHT PREPARED HER
FOR HER GREATEST CHALLENGE.
NATALIE: I’LL JUST NEVER
FORGET GETTING THAT PHONE CALL,
AND THEY SAID, “HEY,
IT LOOKS LIKE THERE’S TWO SPOTS
ON THE RIGHT SIDE
OF YOUR THYROID
THAT LOOK LIKE CANCER.”
GINGER: SURGERY COULD RUIN
HER VOCAL CORDS.
FEAR ATTACKED QUICKLY.
BUT NATALIE KNEW DELIVERANCE
WOULD COME THROUGH OBEDIENCE.
NATALIE: HE BEGAN TO SHOW ME
WHAT IT MEANS
TO TAKE EVERY THOUGHT CAPTIVE.
SO, I BEGAN TO WRITE DOWN
THE TRUTH OF GOD.
I BEGAN TO WRITE IT DOWN
ON NOTECARDS.
I BEGAN TO WRITE IT ON–
STICK IT ON STICKY NOTES
ON MY MIRROR.
I PUT IT EVERYWHERE,
AND AS SOON AS THOUGHTS
WOULD COME INTO MY MIND,
I WOULD ACTUALLY REPLACE THEM
WITH THE TRUTH.
♪ YOU MAKE ME CLEAN ♪♪
GINGER: SURGERY A SUCCESS,
VOICE INTACT, RELATIONSHIP
WITH GOD STRENGTHENED,
BUT NOT BECAUSE
ALL WENT AS PLANNED.
NATALIE: I REMEMBER
LAYING IN MY BED…
I REMEMBER LAYING IN MY BED
AND I JUST THOUGHT, “LORD,
PLEASE DON’T TAKE ME
FROM MY CHILDREN,
AND PLEASE DON’T TAKE THIS THING
THAT I USE
TO TELL PEOPLE ABOUT YOU,”
AND I WAS REALIZING THAT I WAS
ASKING FOR ALL OF THESE THINGS
FOR ME, THAT I WAS AT THE CENTER
OF ALL OF MY PRAYERS.
[YELLING EXCITINGLY]
NATALIE: I HAD TO ALLOW HIM
TO DO SOMETHING
IN MY HEART AND LIFE
BEFORE I GOT TO THE ANSWER,
BEFORE I GOT TO THE MIRACLE,
AND THAT WAS THAT HE IS GOOD
NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS
IN MY LIFE, THAT HIS GOODNESS
IS NOT DEFINED
BY MY CIRCUMSTANCES,
THAT MY OUTCOME
DOES NOT DETERMINE HIS GOODNESS.
♪ JESUS, JESUS ♪
♪ HOW I TRUST YOU ♪♪
GINGER: AND THIS
UNDERSTANDING IS WHAT SHE WANTS
TO SHARE WITH ANYONE
WHO WILL LISTEN.
IT’S ALSO WHY THIS
AWARD-WINNING SUCCESSFUL ARTIST,
WIFE, AND MOTHER-OF-THREE
DESCRIBES HERSELF AS SIMPLY
A TRUTH-TELLER.
NATALIE: VICTORIES ARE
WONDERFUL AND THANK YOU JESUS
THAT HE DOES DELIVER US
AND BRING US TO VICTORY,
BUT IT’S IN THE BATTLE
THAT WE NOT ONLY LEARN
ABOUT WHO GOD IS,
BUT WE LEARN WHO WE REALLY ARE.
[MUSIC]
[MUSIC]
GINGER: HEY,
THANKS SO MUCH FOR WATCHING.
THERE IS A LOT MORE RIGHT HERE,
SO SUBSCRIBE TODAY AND ENJOY
DAILY INSPIRATION FROM JOYCE.