If you really knew me, you would know that I love bracelets. I learned how to make them with embroidery floss when I was about 10. That was a changing point in my personal sense of fashion. I very quickly had bracelets of all patterns and colors adorning my wrists and ankles.
Sadly, embroidery floss bracelets get ratty fast. So, my mom bought me some plastic ones that were more durable. I loved them. They were pretty, and I could fit more than 20 on my wrist at one time. My first plastic bracelets were all different colors. I discovered that after a few months they faded to ugly colors.
I improvised a new plan to have my favorite bracelets without having to change them so often….black bracelets. They don’t fade at all. The ones I currently have on my arm have been there for over 3 years. Throughout those 3 years, many people have commented on my bracelet and bangle clad wrists.
The most common question people ask is why do I wear so many? Answer: I like them. To me, there is nothing more beautiful than a wrist full of bracelets. The second question people ask is do they mean anything? Answer: No….or at least that’s what I thought.
The kids here love to play with my bracelets. They separate each one, tracing it with gentle fingers before moving onto the next one. I’ll often be standing talking to someone when I’ll feel little hands probing my wrists. I’ll look down to see a kid completely enamored with my bracelets. A couple weeks ago while I was praying, God brought up my bracelets. I was confused, but I let myself be open to the subject.
I want you to give away your black bracelets to the little girls by the end of the race. Every single one. You need to pray over the bracelets before you give them away.
That immediately got my attention. Giving away my bracelets is hard and easy at the same time. It’s hard because I’ve had them for so long that they feel like they’re apart of me. I feel naked without them. It’s easy because at the end of the day they are just bracelets, an easily replaceable item. So, I agreed to do what God asked of me. I had worn them for long enough. It was time to pass them on to little girls who would love them like I did.
I’ve given away 4 so far here in Guatemala. I’ll never forget the looks on the little girls’ faces when I gave them a bracelet. Their smiles looked like they had woken up to Christmas morning. That’s all I could ever want to see.
God has taught me so much while praying for those bracelets and the girls they went to. He’s taught me that a gift given freely in love is sometimes the best way to work in a heart. I’ve learned that objects only hold as much value as we give them. Most importantly, I’ve learned that letting go of something isn’t always painful.
Now, when someone asks what my bracelets mean, I can tell them that they represent little girls that God has called me to bless in my own personal way.
