Paradise City Sign public post Explore Butte County
I can only imagine what this will be like! In a quiet daydream state of mind, I try to focus on what Paradise could possibly be. As I catch myself from spinning around in an endless circle of meaningless thoughts, I try to envision a better outcome through these many losses. It’s hard to see the distant future when we are staring at a torn down town. Paradise. It’s challenging at best, for it to be all it’s name implies. Our sweet memories are remembered like the light of day. Yet, our bitter losses can capture our thoughts & weaken our weary souls. As I walk on this imperfect path, I’m often faced with looking back in time to face my fears. I must conquer the enemy of defeat, from robbing my joy & stealing the peace, that keeps my feet from slipping again. I remember how the rage of the fire took all we had. Our memorable souvenirs of yesterday’s years gone by, like echoes in our minds. We watched the flames take our home, all our hard earned work, creative projects & a lifetime burned to the ground. The wounds of the battle left scars that grew deep & slowly stole pieces of our hearts, one by one. It was only by careful reflection & prayerful searching, that I was able to find healing, to mend & repair the damage of this heated past. Now I can only imagine what life was like before my own little world crumbled into a pile of metal & ash. But when you really think about it, we always have losses in one form or another. This is how we use loss to make us stronger, build us better & create in us something more beautiful than before. We are over-comers, who rise to the occasion of becoming all that we are created to be! We may be pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed! We may be perplexed, but we will not be driven to despair! We may get knocked down, but we will not be destroyed! Though the enemy like a lion seeks to devour us, we are NEVER abandoned by God! When I see the countless possibilities, I can envision something better than before. We may seem to be at a disadvantage, even severely disabled, but through these losses we are neither. We are just differently abled! It starts with the face in the mirror. We choose a life that rises above the ashes & believing that with God’s help, we can make something impossible become possible again! May we again, find Paradise to be all it’s name implies!
