The Story of the First Encouraged Bracelet
What started as a word of the year party…
The first Sunday of Advent in November 2023, my mom, sister, mother-in-law, and sisters-in-law gathered to make word of the year bracelets. In previous years we had made a habit of sharing the word the Lord was calling us to meditate on at the beginning of the liturgical year. This year we thought it would be fun to make tangible reminders of these words and pooled together beads, string, and prayed in advance on what word, song, Scripture, and/or Saint that we felt called to. With snacks to share, we talked about what we received in prayer, designing bracelets that we felt reflected our theme. Little did we know just how impactful these bracelets would be.
I felt I had one for each category. I felt pulled to the word Childlike for sometime. I heard it on walks with my kids as I basked in God’s creation. I felt it as I prepared for the birth of my son that previous July. It was a word that described a necessary attribute for launching my ministry. I leaned into it. Each bracelet I made with the exception of the scripture one, was metallic themed. Childlike was silver letters and silver square beads. My song was “Tear Off the Roof”by Brandon Lake. That bracelet was gold letters with gold geometric beads. St. Therese stuck with me another year and that one was black and white letter beads with rose gold circle beads. Lastly, the scripture from Genesis that shares the name Yahweh Yireh meaning “God provides/God sustains” hit me. That bracelet had black and white letter beads with black arrow beads and emerald green marbled beads. With the exception of the green bracelet, these were not exceptionally high quality, but God would work within them anyways.
A few weeks later…
I wore my four bracelets without fail. One morning at mom’s group we welcomed someone new. She jumped into the conversation eagerly, but her kids were ready to go before we finished. As she packed her stroller and began to say her goodbyes I heard the Lord clearly say, “Go give her your childlike bracelet.” In my head my response was, “Excuse me?” Admittedly, I was a little bummed because I had prayed about this word and thought it was going to be with me through the rest of the year. Again His voice resonated in my head, “Go give her your childlike bracelet.” Gentle, but firm. This time a plethora of excuses about not wanting to get up, being unsure because I don’t know her well, and a little bit of not wanting to be seen ran through my head while I fiddled with the bracelets on my wrist. Finally, with one more gentle prompt, He convinced me this was an opportunity I wouldn’t want to miss. With a sassy thought about hoping she hadn’t left yet, I walked out of the room and found her standing in the entry way of the parish center.With cautious optimism, I approached her saying, “I’m not sure why, but I feel like I’m supposed to give this to you.” I handed her the plastic silver bracelet and watched the emotions run across her face. She told me thank you and shared some of the things she was experiencing specifically how it related to the call to have childlike faith. It was a beautiful moment. We both left elated at the Lord’s work.
After Christmas break…
I was thrilled to be getting back to mom’s group and shared with the ladies some of the things the Lord placed on my heart in prayer. After we finished up our content, I caught up with the mom I had shared the bracelet with the month prior. She shared with me that she felt prompted to give the bracelet to a friend. The first time, she hesitated too because the word resonated so much with her, but the Lord presented another opportunity and she handed it off. This friend immediately received clarity about a big point of discernment she was facing. We celebrated the work the Lord was continuing to do through a simple little bracelet.
Becoming the Encouraged Bracelets
After this I ended up giving away one more of my four bracelets to someone else who needed encouragement. I realized that I had seen the way my mom collects bracelets and shares them as she feels prompted. This made me laugh when I noticed the Lord inspiring the same pattern with me. I began to share with her these experiences and the sheer fun I had seeing how God loved others through something so little! This gave me the desire to create more opportunities for sharing His heart with others.
This inspired our line of Encouraged Bracelets. I prayed over the words and designs much like these word of the year bracelets. Each one has been curated so that when you purchase a bracelet, I will pray over it and ask the Lord to expand on what that word means for you. You’ll receive a note in the package with what I received. As I began to share the prototypes with friends they told me these reminded them of the bracelets that Taylor Swift fans trade at her concerts. While I’m not a Swiftie, this is what the Lord used to help me recognize that these are like friendship bracelets with Him. By sharing His heart with one another through these little bracelets we become captivated by the ways He can speak and begin to encourage others in their spiritual journey.
Since then, each of us who made bracelets in November have worn them faithfully. We’ve watched as the Lord has helped us to know, trust, have zeal, be F.R.O.G. (Fully Reliant On God), and transform spaces around us. He’s moving mountains with mustard seeds of faith! These little reminders of the whispers of His heart have inspired us into deeper relationship and greater awareness of His work within us.
I pray they bless you as much as they’ve blessed us!
