New Girl. New Song.

During their years of captivity, the people of Israel needed encouragement.  The prophet Zephaniah reminded them of God’s presence in their midst, His power to save, and the fact that He rejoiced in His love for them, a joy that was expressed in song!

“The Lord your God in your midst,
The Mighty One, will save;
He will rejoice over you with gladness,
He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing.”  (Zephaniah 3:17)

Memoir, biography, and cautionary tale, Girl in the Song by Chrissy Cymbala Toledo encourages readers to be the girl in God’s song, bringing joy to His heart.  Daughter of Jim and Carol Cymbala of the New York’s Brooklyn Tabernacle, Chrissy’s life journey began in a loving home surrounded by a vibrant community of believers.  However, by the time Chrissy entered her teen years, she ached to be written into all the wrong songs, was finding her significance in all the wrong measurements, and was giving her heart to a relationship that would lead to darkness and disaster.  Obsessed with her appearance, Chrissy was a slave to the voice of her mirror’s daily message:  “Not good enough.”  The patterns of deception that fed her destructive behaviors eventually alienated her from her family and led to a humiliating existence of poverty, instability, and deep misery.  Tough love and the power of prayer opened Chrissy’s eyes to her own desperate situation.  God, in His faithfulness, demonstrated His unfailing love and forgiveness.

Parents of prodigals will find hope in the Cymbala family’s journey, but, more important, young women who see their own harmful patterns reflected back to them in Chrissy’s story may recognize and repudiate the lies that hold them captive:  that their happiness depends upon becoming someone’s fantasy-woman; that they can achieve perfection in their appearance; that their wardrobe and possessions define them and give them value.

When love for God became Chrissy’s powerful heartbeat, her music became a road back to rejoicing.  Her story is proof that even those who lose their way can find freedom and can rediscover the love of God who cherishes them, who accepts them, who rejoices over them with singing.

This book was provided by Tyndale in exchange for my review.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

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