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Almost two years ago, Sara Groves released an album with a title that hinted at what she'd been going through: The Other Side of Something. That "something" had been essentially a long, dark night of the soul, as Groves wrestled with faith and fear, going for long stretches without reading her Bible or feeling God's presence. Then Dr. Phil, of all people, helped put her back on track to rediscovering the wonder of faith, and it wasn't long before Groves was off and running. Now that she's fully emerged on the "other side," Groves is not only embracing the kingdom of God, but seeking ways to enhance and expand it—primarily through service and social justice. In this wide-ranging interview, she talks about those who have influenced her—from Dr. Phil to the Apostle Paul, from fellow musicians Charlie Peacock to Bono—and how she's discovering ways to put the title of her new album, Add to the Beauty, into practice.

Last time we talked, you were emerging from "the other side of something." Looking back on it now, how would you describe that something?

Sara Groves I was choking on the sovereignty pill. But I grew from it. And now, I think it would be unfortunate to go through your whole life, talking about the ideas of the kingdom of God and going to church, without going through what I experienced from 2000 to 2003. I think it was just a coming of age, or maybe just maturity—just figuring out if I really believed this thing. Having kids triggered it, because suddenly everything mattered more.

Would you call it a crisis of faith?

Sara Groves In a way. I had built this construct of what my faith was, and when the weight of real life and the chaos of the world came and lit on that structure, it wasn't strong enough. So with the help of good friends, and getting back into the Word, I feel like I've come to understand more about the bigness of God.

Here's a story that sums it up. I was watching Dr. Phil on Oprah. He was counseling a woman who was always afraid. She couldn't even have a dinner party because she's always, What if? What if the food's cold? What if people don't have anything to talk about? What if …? Dr. Phil says, "Let's take these what ifs to their end." By the end of the show, the woman felt kind of silly and she thought, Yeah, I can have a dinner party without falling apart. I thought, That's fine and well for you, Dr. Phil, but my fears are, "What if my kids get abducted? What if I get a virus that there's no cure? What if killer bees migrate north? What if cockroaches outlive human beings?" As a new mom, I've got a long list of what ifs. All kinds of fears. Terrorism. Floods. Hurricanes. Just life.

So how'd you get over it?

Sara Groves I had to sit down and take my what ifs to their end, just like Dr. Phil did. What if the worst-case scenario happens? What if I'm out on the road, serving Christ, and something happens to us? What do I believe about that? What happened over the last few years is I finally got a chance to really flesh out what I believe, and to get on the other side. On The Other Side of Something, I was able to say, "I believe there's a kingdom. I believe this fairytale."

You know how a child will push the boundaries because they want to know you're there? They're trying to figure out, Are you going to catch me if I fall? I think that has been the most unbelievable feeling for me, to realize that God says, "Yes, I will catch you when you fall." That falling may mean the worst-case scenario for me is not the same worst-case scenario from God's perspective. He looks at my life in the scope of eternity; he has a much worse worst-case scenario in mind to protect me from.

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