One day my soul just opened up
and things started happening
things I can’t quite explain
I mean
I cried and cried like never before
I cried tears of ten thousand mothers
I couldn’t even feel anything because
I cried ‘til I was numb.

One day my soul just opened up
I felt this overwhelming pride
what I was proud of only God knows!
Like the pride of a hundred thousand fathers
basking in the glory of their newborn sons
I was grinning from ear to ear!

One day my soul just opened up I started laughing
and I laughed for what seemed like forever
wasn’t nothing particularly funny going on but I laughed anyhow
I laughed the joy of a million children playing in the mud
I laughed until my sides ached
Oh God! It felt so good!

One day, my soul just opened up
There were revelations, annihilations, and resolutions
feelings of doubt and betrayal, vengeance and forgiveness
memories of things I’d seen and done before
of places I’d been, although I didn’t know when
there were lives I’d lived
people I’d loved
battles I’d fought
victories I’d won
and wars I’d lost.

One day, my soul just opened up
and out poured all things
I’d been hiding
and denying
and living through
that had just happened moments before.

One day, my soul just opened up
and I decided
I was good and ready!
I was good and ready
to surrender my life to God.

So, with my soul wide open,
I sat down
wrote Her a note
and told her so.

Iyanla Vanzant, 1998, “One Day My Soul Just Opened Up” Published by Touchstone