There is a story of a girl in the Bible that had many many problems. When Jesus saved her, it made a radical change on the inside of her. At the last supper she anointed Jesus with an expensive oil. The people around her were asking why she would do this. They had said that they should sell the oil and give the money to the poor. Jesus said that it was necessary for her to do this. She also washed His feet with her tears and dried them with her hair.

    Well, CeCe Winans sings a song about her. As a young girl I would often dance to this song for church specials. I had long hair, and at a certain point in the song would always bow my head, as if washing Jesus' feet with it.

     There came a point in my life where I had become very rebelious. I was going to visit some of my relitives, when my mother and Nana said to me, "DO NOT TOUCH YOUR HAIR!!! Do not cut it, dye it, or anything else!" Now, they weren't saying this just because of dancing. My mother loved my hair to be long and did want me to touch it. Because I had been dealing with rebelion, she knew what I would do to my hair the first chance I got.

     So, I left. What do you think I did?.... I cut it!!! My hair had been probly to the middle of my back... I cut it to my chin! When I got home I got into trouble. After a while I went to something were I was going to dance. (My hair was still gone.) It was the song I mentioned previously. Well, when the part of the song came when I would normally reach for my hair, came, I realized... IT WAS GONE. At that moment, I felt such shame. I saw how I had acted.

     After that time I had continued to dance to the song, but when I did it was very sorrowful. I identified with the girl in it. I told myself, "This is who you are. An out cast. Shameful! Disgusting!" I danced to it worshiping God, while hearing all these things in my head at the same time. I had come to the conclusion that I would probly be that way for the rest of my life.

     Now, let me fast forward several years. Lets say... about to January 18, 2009. I was in a meeting that my Nana was preaching at. She asked me to dance. We had decided on the song Alibaster Box (the same song I have been talking about). Before I was going to dance she told me what she always tells me, "Just make sure you worship god, Baby." She gave me a hug and gave me a reasuring smile. At that moment Brooke, my sister, while looking at me tilted her head and very sweetly smiled. With a twinkle in her eye she said, "And...your hair is long." This small statement said a thousand words to me. To me it said, "You are not that person. You are different." I pondered her words. Image after image started flooding my mind of who I had been and who I was now. They weren't even the same person. Opposites, really. With every beat of my heart, thanfulness became stronger. 

     I danced. It was so different. I did not feel weighted down by shame. All I felt was love for the One who set me free. Afterwards my sister came up to me. She said, " I don't know if it was because I haven't seen you do it in such a long time, or what, but it seemed so different!" I looked at her and said, "That's because it was different. Before, I was dancing to get the breakthrough... This time I was on the other side. I Have the breakthrough."

     "Fear not; you will no longer live in shame. Don't be afraid there is no more disgrace for you. You will no longer remember the shame of your youth and the sorrows of widowhood." Isaiah 54:4

To read part of the story of this girl go to Matthew 7:46-50

If you would like to listen to the song, it is posted on the forums under music.