Book Review for Look What You’ve Done by Tasha Layton
Last month I finished reading the book Look What You’ve Done: The Lies We Believe and the Truth that Sets Us Free by Christian music artist Tasha Layton, and I loved it!
Before I dive into my book review, though, I want to tell you about how I met Tasha. My family was able to meet Tasha and her family last summer at the Blue Skies Ministries cancer family retreat we went to at St. Simons Island, Georgia. She was the worship leader for the camp, and words can’t describe how blessed we all were to have her there.
Each day she and her husband (who is also an award-winning professional musician, BTW) serenaded us with beautiful music. She shared her touching testimony and devotionals with us. On top of her amazing talent (her soaring voice gave me goosebumps every single day), Tasha shared her heart with us.
You might think that such a successful woman would be standoffish—just there to do her job and then retire to her private quarters. Not so. Perhaps even more than her incredible singing voice, I was beyond impressed with how down-to-earth, sweet, and involved she was. Tasha, her husband, and their two adorable children joined everyone in all of the activities. They got to know the families whose children were going through the childhood cancer journey (ours included, obviously). They served us. They laughed and played with us. They treated us as their friends.
When Tasha started asking for reviewers to join the launch team for her book, it was a no-brainer. Get an advanced copy of a book to review? YES!! A book by someone I love?! DOUBLE YES!!!!
In her book, Tasha takes us along on her journey as she revisits key moments and periods throughout her life that brought her closer to God. Even though Tasha walks a unique path in the spotlight now, her story is incredibly relatable. She’s so vulnerable. She even shares what led to some of her darkest moments, including a suicide attempt. Her life hasn’t been all sunshine and rainbows, but she’s persevered through her trials and now uses her experiences and gifts to light others’ paths.
In this book she does a wonderful job of not only chronicling her life but also helping her audience learn the lessons she herself learned—in particular, that God is with us every single step of the way—through the wonderful, the horrible, and everything in between. The questions she includes at the end of each chapter also help the reader reflect on his/her own life. Her vulnerability paired with her beautiful writing kept me eager to read more day after day.
I highly recommend this book—especially to Christians and/or anyone else seeking a story that details how following the little nudges from the universe can bring forth great blessings. Reading and engaging with this book can be a truly transformative experience.
Here are My Favorite 18 Quotes from the Book:
- “For a long time, I wondered why God was withholding good things from me. I was confused and frustrated, and I couldn’t hear His voice or understand what He was doing. Little did I know that He was working behind the scenes, accomplishing everything in His good and perfect time.”
- “How special are we that God not only made us but has dreams of His own for us?…There’s a special kind of alignment that happens when we listen for God and ask Him to show us the way. When our dreams sync up with His, amazing things will happen.”
- “Whatever you’re afraid of, I guarantee God can help you overcome it…If you’re feeling held back, shackled by the thought of what others might think of you, ask God to remove this burden. You may not receive an immediate answer, but God is not in the business of fear. He’s in the business of courage, and He wants you to feel bold and free.”
- “Churches are full of imperfect people, all of whom need God’s redeeming presence every day. I just pray you will be able to see beyond the imperfection of humankind and set your heart on the One who can pull you out of the muck and the mire.”
- “These days I understand how depression works—that it drives the sufferer toward isolation. We fear our messiness will be too much for other people, especially other Christians who appear to be doing ‘just fine’ themselves. So instead of telling the truth, we hide.”
- “If you hear nothing else I have to say in this book, I hope you will hear this: The Enemy will tell you every lie imaginable to bring you to your knees. He will whisper in your ear that you are unlovable, useless, and undeserving of life. If given the chance, he will convince you you have nothing to offer this world. But I’m here to tell you that not one of those lies is true. God loves you more than you can possibly understand, and He wants you to live. He wants to be your refuge, your ‘stronghold in the time of trouble’ (Psalm 37:39). And He wants to rescue you from any notion that you aren’t loved. You are loved. Your life matters. You are God’s. You mean everything in the world to Him.“
- “If you are feeling stuck today, I encourage you to schedule some quality time with God. Ask Him to reveal your wounds to you, and He can bind them up. Ask Him to expose your pain to the healing light of His truth…There is freedom, and there is hope—but we must let Him in, let Him love us. I want you to know that joy waits for you on the other side, and Jesus lived, died, and rose again to make the journey with you.”
- “It can be so frustrating to find peace in the moments when you can’t see what God is up to, but hindsight is twenty-twenty and a delight. Living long enough to see what God has done is an enormous blessing.”
- “I worried less and less about how I was perceived by others in every…arena of my life. What mattered to me was God’s opinion—and feeling supported, known, and loved by Him allowed me to feel freedom.”
- “If we loosen the grips on the things we think we need, He will map out journeys for us that are more grand than what we would have ever designed for ourselves.”
- “Don’t be afraid to ask God to reveal His presence to you if you are feeling forgotten or alone. He will uncover Himself in His way and in His time. Don’t be afraid to share your grievances with Him either because He already knows what they are. And if you are feeling unsure of your purpose or stuck in a spiritual desert, present your questions to the One who made you. Hang on for a little while longer. God will show up.”
- “God is the one who saved my life, but He has used counselors and other professionals to do it.”
- “Making time for self-care, reflection, prayer and growth for any mom is already hard. For working moms, it may feel daunting or even impossible. But I don’t believe that God expects you to carry on in a way that deprives you of your needs. Jesus tells us, ‘Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. (Matthew 11:29)’. The sentiment of His promise remains: handing Him our burdens means a lighter load for us.”
- “Loving and serving people is what matters to me most! But loving and serving them is not the same as pleasing them. Giving too much weight to others’ opinions of you forces you to compromise your authentic self—the one-of-a-kind person God made you to be.”
- “Running errands and taking care of my home are important tasks, and they must be done. But there’s no shame in asking for help when I have something more pressing or of eternal value to do.”
- “I want everyone to feel the kind of confidence and peace I’ve discovered as I listen to God and follow His voice. As I’ve learned to trust Him with my heart and my life, I’ve learned that He loves the real me, not some photoshopped version that looks good on a concert promo. He’s promised to be with me all the way, and He’s promised to be there for you. He loves us, He wants good things for us, and He is with us.”
- “‘Look What You’ve Done’ is not only the name of one of my songs; it’s also the theme of my life. It captures how God has taken my broken pieces and made them whole. God has also blessed me beyond measure and given me experiences and adventures I will never forgot, but those are all secondary to the power of His saving grace.”
- “He’s already sent His Son to save you; now it’s your choice to accept His gifts and welcome the one-of-a-kind life He has planned for you.”
Do yourself and/or a friend a favor, and buy this book! I hope you’ll get as much out of it as I did. If you do read it, let me know what you think!