peace . love . joy

Yesterday I lost something that I placed great importance on: a rainbow-coloured cloth bracelet with the words "God keeps His promises" printed in black bold letters along its length, held shut by a yellow & black plastic clasp that has a cross cut out from it. The words ring with a special resonance within me because there are promises He makes that I hold very dear and it is because of them I am able to walk bravely into my today and tomorrows. But not only that, the bracelet was given to me by A.Mag, someone whom I truly admire and respect and love.

It mattered so much to me that after I visited Nelson in hospital, I made my parents drive me back to that coffee shop so I can ask around and look for it, even though my brother and Cindy and Daena all told me that it's highly improbable that I'll find it.

Well, they were right. Nobody saw it and I could not find it.

I felt quite miserable. I am sorely missing my littlest brother, Elwyn, who's away in Japan for a school band trip. Plus I have just lost a material item that I really treasure. And nobody seems to care. My father was not too happy with eating at the coffee shop for dinner, my mum's mind was caught up in making a mental list of everything I need to bring with me for my UK exchange trip, my other siblings couldn't care less how I was. I almost cried there and then in the middle of a noisy coffee shop somewhere near Daena's house.

So I decided to message someone whom I know will care. And he told me not to be sad and not to worry. It didn't make much sense what he said, but I was glad that he cared enough to reply my sms.

In between the first and second round of sms exchange, I talked with God.

And He told me that there really was no cause for worry.

The words on the bracelet was indeed true of Him, that He is a God who keeps His promises. And that I really did not need a material thing to remind me of that because it's there in my heart, written in permanent ink. And should I ever forget to look and remind myself, He'll remind me.

He also said that He is not a God who can be contained in a material thing, like a large, magnificent temple, much less a cloth bracelet nor a phrase. And here I was reminded of Timmy's sharing about learning to let material things go. Funny how looking back, it seems as though God was giving me a sneak peak as to what He had in mind to teach me next.

He showed me a picture in my mind of the bracelet on a cube of rubbish about to be discarded into the incinerator, and revealed to me that I need not be sad.

So I prayed in response. I asked that wherever the bracelet is right now and wherever it is going to be that it encourage people who see it and read it or even touch it along its way to its final destination. I asked that the words, the cross cut out, or even the colours speak to whoever's path it crosses and build them up and remind them that He is God. I asked that God show His creativity in using the bracelet for His glory, and that the bracelet would be a blessing to more than just me.

I do miss my bracelet, afterall, it was only yesterday that I last wore it. But it's not a sad, cramping, gnawing sense of loss that I felt before God spoke to me. Instead, it's a hope that wherever it is right this moment, God will grant me my prayer request.

And today, I flipped open my Bible and the first thing I read was Isaiah 26: 3-4. Boy did that bring a knowing and expectant smile to my lips and happy tune to my vocal chords to execute.