I prayed, asking God to heal my locs and allow them to grow. However, I did not realize that in order for them to grow, God would have to heal many broken parts within me. What I did not know was that healing began on the inside because what we see on the outside is a direct result of what is occurring within our bodies.
July 16, 2026, will mark 10 years since I began this loc’d journey. I began about 2 months before my 30th birthday, and I vowed to rock them for my 30s, before giving serious consideration as to what I would do next. Over the course of my almost 40 years on earth, my hair has worn pretty much every style a 4c can try.
I had a Jherri Curl in my youth.
I was relaxed for the majority of my life after giving up on Jherri.
I rocked box braids, conrows, French rolls, finger waves, and a crocheted fro.
There was even that horrible time in my life when I tried bangs. (Y’all, my face was not made for it.)
Around 2011, I gave up the creamy cr@ck and embraced my natural coils.
I’ve been blonde.
I’ve been a redhead.
Simply put, I have tried it all (except for wigs and tracks… they aren’t my thing). Yet with every previous style, my decision could be easily reversed or hidden. But these locs, oh, they hide zero secrets, and they do not lie. My locs hold the truths of my last 10 years- all of the highs, the lows, the tears, and the screams. Every weight gain and every weight loss; when I chose to eat to live, and when I chose to live to eat. Breaks in their strength reflect when my physical health wasn’t the best, and the grays that are starting to form show the wisdom of my years. From root to tip, my 140-ish locs tell the story of my life, but now, I am changing the narrative.
Last year when I cried out to God in prayer, asking Him to heal every part of me, I did not know the weight of my prayer. I did not realize that God would have to completely overhaul my entire life in order to heal me. I’m definitely not complaining, yet I am saying that piecemealing my healing was no longer an option. Instead, this was a complete gut-out demo reno (demolition renovation) where God had to completely hollow out the inside of me, repairing everything, so that healing could occur.
It started with my schedule. I was working full-time as a high school teacher and part-time as a tutor and program coordinator. Additionally, I was an advisor (or co-advisor) for three clubs at school, one of them being the Senior Class (you know, helping to assist with ALL things related to graduation). I also served on various committees and with professional learning groups inside of my school, my district, my state, and my CTE content area. And let’s not forget the fact that I served on my church’s ministerial staff. My phone had no less than five synced calendars, all directing my schedule and helping to keep me on track. I was booked and busy- always on the go and never having enough time to just stop and breathe. So when I cried out to God, it was no surprise when He called me to step away from many of the activities and commitments that once guided my entire day. While I wasn’t upset, I low-key mumbled, “But did I really need to leave the things that actually paid me???” Yeah, I did…
Once my schedule was clear, God then began to work on my mind. Right before leaving for Japan, I finally conceded to myself and decided to consider medication for my ADHD. At the time, I didn’t realize that my ADHD was that bad, but I think it was because I didn’t truly know much about the disorder that had been my companion for my entire life. Everything- from my sleeping habits to my financial condition could be explained fully by those four letters/words. As it turns out, ADHD was more than just having a limited/short attention span. People with ADHD are neurodivergent, and they have a mind that is truly different from that of a neurotypical person/a person without ADHD. I have a different concept of time, importance, value, rejection, acceptance, fear, etc. All that I had believed was horrible or “normal” within me was actually a symptom of ADHD and could be muted with proper mental health treatment. I felt relieved and as though I could finally breathe for the first time in life…. and I fully believe that God was finally able to help me address that part of me because my schedule was clear enough to have real time with Him.
Next up was my health. Clearing my schedule and my mind allowed me to see that while my health wasn’t 100% jacked up, it could be better. What started as getting a routine lab report for a Nutritionist grew into me needing to meet with a hematologist and to start taking iron supplements. I started both the medication for my ADHD and the iron pills around the same time, so it was interesting (to say the least) to watch how my body reacted to both new pills. My concentration improved, my nails started to grow faster, and they were less brittle. The random rash that I would often get near my monthly flow stopped coming, my memory changed (which has also been interesting), and my propensity to overload/overwork myself was eliminated. My life was improving little by little, and I was grateful for the growth!
Fast forward to last month, when I started medication for my acid reflux and my vitamin D deficiency, I truly began to feel like I was finally alive. Last week, I had another eye-opening moment when I realized that I had to change my diet. My therapist had mentioned the benefits of protein with my ADHD, and that caused me to completely revamp my eating habits. I moved from a passive focus on reaching protein to an active one that allows me to prioritize consuming my plant-based protein before I eat anything else. Now I am tracking my macros, making sure that I get the 90-100 grams of protein and 25 grams of fiber that my body needs to function. Since gaining 60 pounds in this post-COVID world, I have also reignited a desire to lose weight. As such, addressing not only the foods that I eat and WHY I eat has become a huge priority to me. Coincidentally, I also identified that the fat on my body was just like me- resilient, defiant, and a rebel… with a cause. In order to lose it, I had to be intentional and deliberate with my food choices and my exercise habits. Today, I am proud to say that my improved health has sparked an increase in my overall well-being and a decrease in my debt. To God be the glory!
But back to my locs. You see, while I may have asked God to help with my hair’s health, God’s actions revealed that growing my hair would require growing me. Since releasing the reins of my schedule, my mind, and my health, God has been able to make phenomenal progress that continues to leave me in awe of His goodness, His mercy, His provision, and His omnipotence. I was seeking an external change, but my omniscient Abba wanted to change everything about me… for His good.
Beloved, whether you are praying for a miracle at work, a blessing in your life, or God’s guidance on the next step(s), please remember this: healing starts within.
Be blessed.
God Happened To ME Ministries, LLC 
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