The story of the bracelet

I had this bracelet.
It was more than a bracelet.
It changed me.
It reminded me.
It helped me.
I wrote about my bracelet in another blog.
A woman gave it to me.
A woman I hardly know.
She changed me forever.
The Lord used this bracelet to speak to me
In a powerful way.
Every time I looked at the bracelet, or twirled it, or nervously took it off and slipped it back on, or ran my fingers over the delicately etched word "Loved" there in the middle, God spoke to me.
"You, my daughter, are loved."
That's all.
Over and over, God spoke those words to me.
Over and over and over again.

Now, you see, when this woman so boldly handed me this bracelet 7 months ago, she told me "You'll know when you're ready to pass it on. You're not meant to keep it. Someone gave it to me, and I knew the day would come when I was to give it away. You'll know. God will tell you."

There were days when I thought I'd NEVER be ready to give the bracelet away.
How could I?
I was still learning the words God was speaking through it.
YOU ARE LOVED.
I didn't quite believe them yet.
Sure, there were MOMENTS when I believed them. But they weren't my identity. Not yet. Maybe one day, but not yet.

So, on Wednesday, when I was hanging at Starbucks, listening to my music, reading my new Bible, journaling, and just hanging with God, He spoke to me. And I knew I was ready. He told me it was time. Those words had finally become my identity. I no longer questioned their truth, or their limits.
I am loved.
By my family
By my God
By my friends
By children
By adults
By strangers

I am loved

There's nothing that can change that. Ever. It's more than WHAT I am. It's become WHO I am. It's no longer a verb to me. It's a noun :)

So, back to Wednesday. God spoke. I listened. He told me who to give it to.
I figured it would be a stranger. Someone who I hardly knew. Since that's who gave this precious gift to me.
Nope.
God told me to give it to a dear friend. Someone I see almost everyday.
Someone who needed to be reminded
Everyday
Of her value
Of her WORTH
Of the great calling on HER life to know she is LOVED. (noun, NOT verb.)

Presented to me by a stranger. Passed along to a wonderful woman who I call a great friend. I'm excited to see how God uses this bracelet to change her life like He changed mine. I'm excited to see if it stays with her for a year, a week, 4 years... and where the bracelet goes next. I realize that God can use ANYTHING to change lives, but right now He's choosing to use a beautiful, simple, silver, delicate, bracelet with the word "Loved" perfectly carved in it.

More than just a bracelet

I have this bracelet.
It's a simple bracelet, really.
It's silver.
Real silver.
It's skinny and round and delicate.
It fits perfectly on my wrist.
It spins around a bit, and sometimes gets caught in my pocket.
It moves freely about when I'm running, or writing, or e-mailing, or blogging, or talking, or laughing, or telling a story, or shaking a new friend's hand, or texting, or facebooking, or putting on my shoes, or holding a baby (or a toddler, or a child or ANY size!).
I'm constantly reminded that it's there.
A stranger gave it to me.
She didn't know the way it would change me, the way it would help me, the way it would remind me.
But in a moment of kindness and obedience, she handed me this bracelet and told me God wanted me to remember the word that was written on it.
Etched in the middle of this beautiful bracelet is the word "Loved" in perfect cursive.
For the last 3 months I've been wearing this bracelet day and night, and every time I feel it against my wrist, I remember that I am loved.
Loved by my family, by my friends, by my God.
I am loved.
To me it's more than just a bracelet, it's truth that I can see every second of every day.
Before this bracelet, I had convinced myself I was unlovable.
I believed there was no way I could be loved, or deserved love.
But in a moment, God spoke truth that completely wiped that lie away.
In one moment, a stranger sitting next to me changed me.