"The Edge of the Divine" by Sandi Patty {book review}

Divine edges—“the point at which something is likely to begin.” A God, kind of something.

So says Sandi Patty in her latest book The Edge of the Divine: Where Possibility Meets God’s Faithfulness.

I’m not much on writing book reviews, not because I don’t like to read books, but rather because I don’t always operate on the time table given to me regarding the writing of those reviews. I’m pretty selective with the books I read; my time, like yours, is a precious commodity, and I don’t like to rush my reading. I like to take my time with the pondering therein. So again, I’m not much on writing book reviews. But when I was recently contacted about writing one for Sandi’s new book, I agreed. Why? Because her story, in many ways, is my story.

Not the singing part, mind you. I couldn’t touch that golden voice in a million years. It’s one of the voices of my young adult life—a voice that buoyed me along in the development of my own understanding of just how big our God is. No, the part of her story that resonates most with mine is the grace part. The part about receiving the unmerited favor of God, despite sin. If that’s the case, then I imagine Sandi’s story might be all of ours as well.

The Edge of the Divine is a book that chronicles some of the recent “edges” in Sandi’s life that required her faith and confidence in “the letting go” process so that a greater “taking hold” process could begin. In particular, Sandi walks us through her recent surgery that jump-started her journey toward weight loss… an “edge” that she had to be willing to embrace in order to deal with some debilitating issues that had plagued her since childhood. Sandi would be the first to tell us that the surgery’s benefits have far extended beyond her amazing weight-loss. That, in fact, the surgery was an edge that led her to leap into and deal with some greater issues of faith and trust and healing.

At many points along the way, I resonated with Sandi’s thoughts on “edge” living…

“Living life on the edge means we’re constantly at the point where something may begin, or not begin, depending on our choices. We’re looking around for cliff edges that hover over good futures, praying that God will guide us in choosing the right edges to step off of. But sometimes we misunderstand, or we go charging ahead without seeking God’s guidance” (pg. 26).

There’s a difference between God’s divinely orchestrated edges that will ultimately grow and extend our faith and the world’s edges—those designed to limit and diminish our faith. Knowing when to take that leap requires a heart in tune with the Holy Spirit. How many times have I been guilty of running ahead of God, taking a leap off a presenting edge, only to bear the scars of a poorly timed and loosely thought out decision!

Another highlight moment for me came on page eighty-seven. Sandi describes an edge moment belonging to Steve—her accompanying percussionist:

“Steve’s ‘point at which something was likely to begin’ was actually a gradual progression. Over time, his love for baseball faded, but his love for music never did….

He said something interesting as we were talking about edges and my work on this book. He noted that a life-edge isn’t always a sharp, defining line. Sometimes it becomes apparent as your interest in one thing wanes and your passion for something else grows. There’s no instruction manual for recognizing each new edge we encounter…. We simply ask God to be with us on the passage and to guide us in our decision making. Then we step out in faith, believing we’ll end up right where God wants us to be.”

I like the idea of gradual edges; it gives me permission to live with some of the unknowns in my life right now. A few of my deeply-rooted interests have waned over the last few years; new ones are emerging, and I am thankful for the shift. Some of yesterday’s edges are thresholds yet uncrossed by me, and in hindsight, I’m thinking that’s a pretty good thing. Why? Because some of them have become less important to me. Where as once they barked their insistence, their voices are now diminishing, and I’m grateful for some clarity along these lines. Heaven knows, I don’t need to be taking any leaps that will require a difficult climb toward healing in the end. No, when I take a leap of faith off an edge, I want it to be a divine moment, holy and completely orchestrated at God’s initiative.

Overall, Sandi’s book is a single “concept” book… identifying and giving stage to this idea of divine edges. In the process, she shines light onto some of her own edges, thus aiding readers in better identifying theirs. It’s a great thought that will linger with me for a bit longer… maybe even a lifetime longer. What are my “edges”? Where am I standing today? Are the “leaps” in front of me divinely present or are they simply a temptation for personal autonomy and authority? It’s something to think about.

Sandi’s book is an easy read, although the chapters are lengthy in nature. My undiagnosed “ADD” isn’t a good fit with lengthy chapters; my mind tends to wander a bit with so many words. That being said, I greatly enjoyed the personal stories richly embedded within the chapters. Hearing some about Sandi’s divine edges (not just weight-loss surgery but others that include a recent move to another state from her home of twenty years, navigating the sometimes tricky waters of being part of a blended family, parenting adult children as well as teenagers, etc.) helped me feel a little less “lonely” right now. Someone else has stood where I am standing, and it blesses me to know that there is abundance and joy to be found on the other side of a divinely orchestrated fall from one of God’s edges!

As a bonus, The Edge of the Divine also includes questions in the appendix to further apply the principles laid out in each of the eight chapters, making it a good fit for personal and/or small group study. I’m not quite ready to pass my copy of the book along to you, as I think there is some further work for me to do with it, but I’m happy to gift one of you with your own copy if this sounds like a good fit for your nightstand. Just leave me a comment indicating your interest.

Whew… talk about lengthy chapters! If you’re still with me, thanks for taking the time to read my thoughts; further still, for taking the time to consider your “edges.” May God grant you wisdom enough and faith enough to respond in accordance with his good and generous plan for your life. As always…

Peace for the journey,

~elaine