For her latest creative release, gospel music legend Sandi Patty drew upon her earliest professional memories to find the right perspective for what has become a combination book and CD release. It’s a vulnerable project that displays an honest faith journey going beyond the celebrated singer’s career into the struggles and joys of Patty’s personal life. “The idea for The Edge of the Divine came before the book or the CD,” says Patty. “I stumbled upon this idea when I was out in California a few years ago with Women of Faith and we were doing a conference there and drove right by Disneyland. It reminded me of 30 years before when I went there to audition. There was nothing I wanted to do more than be a singer and dancer at Disneyland. I thought the audition went well, but they said they couldn’t use me a few weeks later. “I was devastated so I left California and went to Indiana to go to college at Anderson University,” she continues. “I was doing studio work at Bill and Gloria Gaither’s studio and they called me one day to be a back-up singer and travel with them. I did that for several years and sang a song that was new at the time that has become a cornerstone of the some of the music that I do called ‘We Shall Behold Him.’ I can look back now 30 years and realize that while I thought I was on the edge of disaster, I was really on the edge of the divine.” It’s because of those 30 years that the Gospel Music Hall of Fame inductee says she has more patience than she did in the past. Those early dashed dreams brought on some intense emotions and panic, but now she says her spiritual history allows her to gain perspective and wait for God in those moments of worry. “I think the older I get, what I can see a little bit more than I did when I was younger is the hope in the situation,” explains Patty. “That helps me not to totally fall off of the edge into disaster and helps me to stay on the edge a bit longer knowing and seeing how God has been faithful in my life in the past. It helps me to look with anticipation and say, ‘God, I have no idea where or when you’ll show up in this situation, but your track record is pretty good. I can’t wait to see what you’re gonna do.’” With The Edge of the Divine available in both literary and audio formats, Patty’s aim is to instill hope in as many as possible—whether through her work with Women of Faith or her longtime fan base coming along for another ride. “We go through these things in our life that feel disastrous, but really if we can view them through God’s lens and see into the future, we’d be able to accept the difficult times a bit easier knowing we’re on the edge of something divine.” — Matt Conner For more information on The Edge of the Divine, check out www.sandipatty.com. Matt Conner is a music writer for the Indianapolis Star, HM, Relevant and Metromix and the founding editor of StereoSubversion.com. 60 CCM