I don’t remember exactly how I came across Alaiyo Waistbeads, but I won’t soon forget how they brought me closer to it.
The Cross, that is.
I ordered my first beads and the book, The New Fast Girls, in the spring of this year. Along with the awakening of the birds and the bees, the newness of the flowers and the trees–was the budding of my belief in mindfulness. I was “looking to the hills from whence cometh my help,” but I was also searching for connectedness here on earth. “What a friend we have in Jesus,” but sometimes you just want to talk to somebody with some skin. Sorority life had not provided the sisterhood I was looking for, nor men the confirmation I’d craved. So when I stumbled upon this company I thought it was the perfect fit.
I was enamoured by the beautiful pictures of different women– all races, shapes and sizes, seemingly wearing the same smile from this beaded bliss. The more I perused the creator’s social media sites the more I appreciated the ancestral art, was drawn to the geology and captivated by the colors. And so that last Sunday of spring break ended with the hope of wearing my beads by summer. I joined the Chicago Tied Tribe and ordered my first waistbeads: By the Seashore, Yemaya’s Hem and Crown. The first two, with their cool, blue hues and oceanic meanings, would remind me of island beaches and the happiness they bring me. Crown would serve as a self esteem builder, a reminder that I’m royalty.
I stalked the mailbox like Ms. Celie in The Color Purple, “Anything come for me?” Finally, feeling indeed like Christmas, Santa (the mailman) arrived with my gift in hand. But like toys without batteries, there was a hitch. One of my strands was missing, bringing my fashion foreplay to to a screeching halt. Instead the “bored” game of doubt began. I was tired of not getting what I want, when I want it. I questioned whether or not the whole thing was witchcraft, a hoax. So fixed was I on the visual of the beads, how what I picked would make me feel etc., that I couldn’t see the vision. Both my attention and intention were off. Appreciation became an apparition. If not receiving all of my order wasn’t enough, I was told to tie the ones I had myself, turning my hopes of relationship, a cord not easily broken, into a slipknot.
But in the weeks and months to come God began to deal with me.
The Creator unraveled me.
And He who The Son sets free, is free indeed (John 8:36).
When tying waistbeads it is imperative that one have open palms, an anchor, and a willingness to let go of excess. Likewise, in order to maintain my center, to truly stay connected–prayer is essential, I must rely on The Anchor, and I have to let go.
I eventually received Crown, but before then I was reminded that as a daughter of The King, I already have one. It is His garment that heals; His peace that calms the seas of my life. No longer dressed in doubt, I exchanged my grudge for grace. It is a much better fit. Forgiveness of others and ourselves is among a woman’s most beautiful accessories. And yet the beads on my belly are like a bow. When felt throughout the day I am reminded to be present, to open and use my gifts.
Check out Jasai at www.alaiyo.net. She’s selling more than seashells by the seashore.
