When Her YES Led Me to My Own: A 20-Year Journey of Faith, Healing & HOPE
by Angelia L. Stone
Last night, as I stood in a room filled with worship, listening to CeCe Winans, I found myself reflecting on something much deeper than the beautiful music or the incredible atmosphere.
I was thinking about the power of a YES.
Twenty years ago, CeCe Winans said yes to me. At the time, I don’t think I fully understood what that yes would mean in my life. I was a woman with a vision, a dream, and a story that was still unfolding. I was also a woman carrying things that I hadn’t yet fully learned how to process or heal from.
What I didn’t know then was that her YES would eventually become part of the journey that led me to say YES to myself.
Yes to my purpose. Yes to my voice. Yes to my healing. And yes to becoming the woman God created me to be.
Twenty years later, I am not the same woman.
And I say that with gratitude.
I’ve learned that healing doesn’t necessarily mean everything that hurt you has been erased. It doesn’t mean certain memories won’t resurface or that moments won’t remind you of chapters you thought you had closed.
Sometimes healing simply means those experiences no longer have the same power to define you.
It means recognizing how far you’ve come, even while acknowledging that you’re still becoming.
And that’s where I find myself today.
I’m learning to embrace my journey with more grace, more understanding, and a deeper appreciation for the woman I am now.
Last night’s worship experience was a beautiful reminder of God’s presence and faithfulness. There was something incredibly moving about being in that atmosphere, surrounded by women worshiping, celebrating, and simply allowing themselves to experience His presence.
For me, it was more than a concert. It was a moment of reflection, gratitude, and spiritual renewal.
And then came another beautiful full-circle moment: finally meeting my very first HOPE Magazine cover girl and YES Sister in person.
To embrace someone who has been part of HOPE’s story from the beginning, while celebrating 20 years of this journey, was something I will never forget.
I thought about all the women who have said yes along the way. The women who believed in HOPE, shared their stories, opened doors, offered encouragement, and helped this vision continue.
But I also thought about the woman who started it all.
Me. The woman who didn’t have all the answers. The woman who was still figuring things out. The woman who needed encouragement, affirmation, and perhaps even permission to believe that what God placed inside her mattered.
Today, I understand something I couldn’t fully appreciate 20 years ago.
Sometimes someone else’s YES is the encouragement we need until we’re strong enough to say YES to ourselves.
That doesn’t mean the journey will be easy. It doesn’t mean healing happens overnight. And it certainly doesn’t mean we arrive at some perfect destination where nothing ever hurts again.
It means we keep growing. We keep trusting. We keep allowing God to meet us exactly where we are.
Last night, I wasn’t just celebrating an unforgettable evening of worship.
I was celebrating the woman I’ve become, the healing I’m still walking through, and the faithfulness of a God who has never stopped writing my story.
Twenty years of HOPE.
Twenty years of becoming.
And perhaps the most beautiful part is knowing that there is still so much more ahead.
Her YES mattered. But so does mine. And so does yours.
Angelia L. Stone is the Founder and Publisher of HOPE Magazine, a platform dedicated to celebrating, inspiring, and empowering women through authentic stories, meaningful conversations, and the art of living well.
