Wrist Bands

A new employee I am training has been wearing a yellow wrist band. I asked her yesterday what it was for. Her dad died two years ago and it was to support a certain foundation related to his disease. I also learned that her uncle died almost a year to the day later and that since then, November has become a very difficult month for her. Had she not been wearing that wrist band, I may not have learned that about her.

The first time I ever saw one of those rubber wrist bands was years ago during the WWJD period. WWJD bracelets were everywhere....hoping to remind us to think about our actions in light of what Jesus would do in that same situation. I have a card on the wall in my office that is entitled...."Jesus in a Dilemma". There is a drawing of Christ looking at a rubber wrist band on His wrist that says, "What Would I Do?" It cracked me up when I bought it and still makes me smile.

I have only sported a rubber wrist band on one occasion...while my friends were in the process of adopting their children. The purple wrist bands we wore helped remind us to pray and pray we did. It was a tough process, a time of testing and questioning and wondering where God was and why He didn't jump in and fix things. Which as always, He did in His way and in His time and I have had the hugs and kisses from two beautiful children who call me "Aunt Kaki" to prove His faithfulness and graciousness.

My co-worker's wrist band has had me thinking. It seems there is a lot of pain, a lot heartache, a lot of hope, a lot of dreams represented in these simple rubber wrist bands that people wear. What if we all sported these wrist bands representing what we were going through in life at the time? I mean, we could just look at a person's arm and know how to pray for them, how to support them. Or how to judge them. I thought of a few things that I would not want to display on my rubber wrist band for the world to see. Or another problem would be the sheer volume a few of us would need to cover all the areas we were struggling through. And, I think it would become easy for us to ignore them. After all, we have busy lives, limited resources....we can't fix all the problems in the world. Can we?

I would never, ever make fun of these wrist bands. Like I said...they represent a lot to the people who wear them and I want to be sensitive and respectful of that. And I really don't believe that wearing wrist bands that state one's cares is the only way to identify the need. I believe the signs are everywhere....in the eyes, the smile (or lack of), in the voice, the sag in one's shoulders...and I believe that God's Holy Spirit directs us to those we have been chosen to come alongside. I think I will continue to watch for wrist bands and more importantly, listen for the voice that directs me. Now, if I can just work on obedience!!!!!