Dear Readers,

there is beauty in being Black. I never saw this my whole life until I started attending Elm City Vineyard church. I was captive by this young baby only 2 wearing a white dress and a mini afro. She was free. It set me free into my own beauty. I wanted to tell her you are beautiful and now that I know her mom who is the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen I’m seeing and loving my own black beauty.

When I was female, I was never told you are beautiful. I was told your too dark go wash your face. I remember telling my grandma who took a washcloth with bleach to scrub my face and I said “Grandma, grandma I’m just dark.” That’s how I ever saw myself as just “dark” until I met this baby playing with toys and my eyes cried because I saw Jesus through her and she was just being herself a child playing with other children and unaware of the power she holds because she is the reflection of the creator himself. I wish I was taught this.

At home in the mirror just pj’s and said, “You are handsome, beautiful, radiant, and chosen.” I wept. I felt this impression in my soul saying, “I hear you, I’ve always heard you, and I am near you.”

Sunday, I saw another young black girl who made a mistake, and her mother went over simply kissed her cheeks, nose, and forehead; and the child went playing. I felt Jesus giving me the kiss of a father and mother that I have never gotten. I felt my inner child finally begin to heal.

Then I noticed this strong voice singing in the worship team, giving God her all so beautiful, lovely, and pure. I felt drawn to her in a spiritual and when I learned her name and her daughter’s name. I realized the first little afro I saw was her Princess, and she was the baby girl’s Queen. I prayed that night before I knew her name Lord send me a Surrenity. To love and hold, to grow old with, to have children of different races, and raise a kingdom of many nations. I later found out that the mother’s name was Surrenity.

I didn’t make a mistake in spelling her name for that is how she spells it, and God placed an impression on my heart and questioned my rationale and intellect with when, will you Surrender so I can send you a king or queen to loved and behold, marvel at their beauty and raise a multi-ethnic family of many nations? My answer today simple and yet complex: Dear Lord God of the heavens my answer is “now, and yes.”

There’s a sermon bubbling within me. There are messages I have to preach for all young beauties Kings and Queens to listen then see. I have a word from God swelling in my heart, the Holy Spirit swelling and jumping in my soul. A message for the nation for the LGBTQIA+ nation not to condemn; however, to say who you love is not wrong, who you become to be is “beautiful” but that theres was once a man who died on a wooden cross for you to see yourself as beautiful and not mistake! To see yourself a noble person, a chosen person, and a whole person.

I, as a transgender man, was fragmented for so long and ‘n some ways still am. But I know my calling. I hear the Lord saying “this is the way; walk in it.” I hear the voice within myself saying “I see you, I hear you and I need you.” My simp[e and complex answer to this God that I have never seen but His Holy Spirit within I witness first to myself in saying “yes and amen!”

This all started with a beautiful young princess and her Queen her Momma! That God is saying to me “yes, you I choose you” I’m not the best writer and there are often grammar mistakes but I want my readers to know I write from my soul for it is my voice. I want readers to know You are Chosen and Will be made whole. For thy God is with you, and he’ll leave the 99 for you the 1!

-Domenia