Mariah Carey: “Faith has defined me” 

While many people know Mariah Carey’s hits that span over three decades, fewer probably know that she is a devout Christian.

The American singer released a memoir called “The Meaning of Mariah Carey” on September 29th, and throughout the pages, she describes a strong relationship with God.

In the book, she writes that her first experience with God happened after a family argument, where Mariah Carey was calmed by her great aunt, Nana Reese, who was a minister in Harlem.

“It was as if she looked directly into the essence of me. In that instance, we were not a frightened little girl and a consoling elder, but two souls ageless and equal,” the singer writes in her book and continues:

“She told me, ‘Don’t be scared of all the trouble you see, all your dreams and visions are going to happen for you. Always remember that.’ As she spoke, a warm and loving current spread out from her hand to my leg, gently coursing through my body in waves and rising up and out of the top of my head.”

Mariah Carey further writes that this experience awakened her faith in God.

“I had something that would guide me through any storm”

The experience made Mariah Carey believe that anything was possible.

“I did later learn that people called Nana Reese, a prophetess. I also learned that she was not the only healer in my lineage. Beyond all that, I believe a deep faith was awakened to me that day. I understood on a soul level, that no matter what happened to me or around me, something lived inside me that I could always call on. I had something that would guide me through any storm,” she writes in the book.

Faith has continued to be a big part of Mariah Carey’s life, and she describes how her faith has helped her out of several unpleasant situations.

She also adds that her song “Anytime You Need a Friend” is about how she believes that God has saved her.

“I wrote that song thinking of what God would say to us in times of fear,” she writes.

The meaning of her life

Toward the end of the book, Mariah Carey describes what she believes is the meaning of her life.

“In the middle of a violent storm, very young, I was given a glimpse of God’s vision for me and as a child awakened to my dream. I believed with my entire being in what I was meant to do and who I was meant to be, long before anyone else did, and holding on to that belief required everything I had. Along the way, I was given signs of hope, but mostly I faced chaos and calamity, heartbreaks and betrayals to derail me, some almost killed me or worse, almost killed my spirit. In the end, and in the beginning, it’s all about faith for me. I can’t define it, but it has defined me,” she writes.

“The Meaning of Mariah Carey” can be purchased on Amazon.