Walk to Beautiful by Jimmy Wayne

I had never heard of Jimmy Wayne before picking up this book, but now that I know his story, I doubt I will ever forget.  This is an auto-biography of a boy who went through unbelievable hardship as a child, was transformed by the love of an elderly couple, ascended to country music stardom, and then risked it all to help raise awareness for foster kids.  Most people blame their past for making them bitter.  Jimmy chose a better path and allowed his experiences to make him better.  It is a beautiful story.

Warning: you may want to keep a box of tissues nearby!  It really was heartbreaking to hear the details of Jimmy's childhood.  I can't even fathom a child having to go through even a few of the events Jimmy had to endure, much less all of them.  As a substitute teacher, I think his story has increased my compassion for students.  I may wonder now about that student who has bad hygiene and comes in with dirty clothes.  What time of home life does he have?  How can I be an instrument of kindness?  I desire for God to use me in some way to help change someones life like the couple changed Jimmy's life.  Maybe some day He will.

The section of the book concerning Jimmy's music career was interesting, but sometimes too detailed for my interests.  I'm sure people in the music industry will get more out of it.  The thing I loved is that he rose from poverty and was living his dream, but his music career was not the most important thing - he remembered where he came from and dedicated himself to making a difference.  This is a lesson we could all learn from.

The photos in the middle of the book add a nice touch, allowing us to share in some of Jimmy's treasured memories.  This book will touch your heart and inspire you.  As Jimmy wrote "it's not where you've been, but it's where you're goin'; it's not who you were in the past, but it's who you are today - that's what really matters."

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from BookLook Bloggers in exchange for an honest review.

I've included a video for those of you not familiar with his music: