Right before 2020 gifted us with isolation via COVID-19, I had a chance to escape to Paradise Island.
Paradise Island, nestled offshore of New Providence and connected by a bridge to Nassau, Bahamas. The Atlantic Ocean cradles Paradise Beach in her bosom washing burdens of reality away with the tide. White sand of plenty coupled with bright smiles and kindhearted gestures. They say Paradise is for lovers, I would agree. Paradise for me, is also a place for wounded warriors seeking solace.
You see, Paradise too has had to weather the storm.
2019 Hurricane Dorian had his eye set on Paradise. Why wouldn't he right? She's gorgeous, charismatic, and her essence is unmatched. Dorian hovered over her for a day. Then attacked her for 2 days. Dorian tore Paradise to pieces, destroyed what she had built, damaged her livelihood, and even killed members of her community. The world watched, whispered, donated, and gave their op-Eds. I think y'alls President even "Nasty Girl" Twitter fingered her. No one knew if she’d ever recover. She would never be the same.
That was September 2019. February 2020 she was back breathing life into lovers and healing into the wounded. She herself proved to be a wounded yet healed warrior. And yes, she would never be the same but what she birthed out of her wounds was far greater. I was there February 2020 wounded and seeking escape from the burdens of reality. I was exhausted mostly. But I also had been facing the Hurricane Dorians of life by way of human indecency. I was in Paradise seeking solace and I found it. In the stillness the island brings I could hear God's voice clearly.
Today, I along with the rest of the country and people across the world have been forced for months now to sit still and listen to God's voice. This time I don’t have the luxuries of Paradise Island but occasionally a breeze will saunter through the living room window giving me deja vu. We all now are left to find solace in our own reality. I realize we all are warriors healing wounds. Some seen and many unseen. Many have been Hurricane Dorian and inflicted these wounds.
We can't go back to the way things were.
Why would you want to?
What we lost during this time deserves the best of what we will birth moving forward.
The healing, the answers, the guidance, the next step is in the stillness of the isolation.
Be still.
Stay home.
Pray.
Meditate.
Listen.
Listen.
Listen.
The answer is far greater than what's outside.
