Friendship Bracelets

“He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor, His righteousness endures forever; His horn will be lifted high in honor.” Psalm 112:9, NIV.

It is amazing the power that a brightly colored rope bracelet can have, especially when people with open, God-filled hearts give it. One volunteer team brought hundreds of bracelets. The team had prayed that God might use the bracelets to open doors... When a team member gave a bracelet to someone, he or she would tell the recipient that the bracelet stood for friendship and then touch the bracelet to their heart. As the team traveled around to villages, the friends they had made would hold up their bracelets and shout hello.

The giving of bracelets to friends has continued with each subsequent team. Just the other day a nurse gave a bracelet to a child that was crying. The child had survived the tsunami with her mother, but the child's father did not survive. As the nurse slipped the bracelet onto the little child's wrist, she stopped crying and began to admire the new gift. A gentleman, who had watched the whole scene, gave the nurse a quiet, approving thumbs-up. It was only later that the nurse discovered the gentleman was the Imam (religious leader) of the village.

Then a couple of days later, the same nurse noticed an elderly lady sitting somberly by herself.  The nurse, hoping to bring a bit of happiness to the woman, grabbed a bracelet and walked over to her. As she gave the bracelet to the woman, the woman began to cry and stumble out some words. After the nurse found a translator, she discovered that the woman was overwhelmed by the fact that the nurse was willing to empathize with her, even though they were from such different backgrounds.

Pray that:

The bracelets may serve as a reminder of love given freely and unconditionally.

The relationships that volunteers make will be continued by new volunteers, and that the bracelets will serve as a bridge, even when the faces giving them change.

The little child, the Imam, and the woman touched by the love of the nurse will know that her love comes to them from God.

Pacific Rim is a region of the International Mission Board, SBC.