Part of My World: What I’ve Learned from The Little Mermaid about Love, Faith, and Finding My Voice

by Jodi Benson

God may have given me the gift of music, but He never asked that my voice always be perfect. All He has ever asked is that I listen, do my best, and go wherever His voice leads. That’s all He asks of any of us.

I really do believe that when God gives you a gift, He’s going to give you a way to use it—not just for your own enjoyment, but to bless others as well. There’s a great verse in the Gospel of Matthew that says, “No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house.”[2] For whatever reason, God blessed me with the gift of song. That’s my light. And as much joy as I got singing just for myself growing up, the only way for me to truly honor that gift was to develop it to the best of my ability and try to find some way to use it to bring that same joy to others.