Joel says to me, "How about I show you how to make a bracelet. It's pretty fun." They got some kind of rainbow loom bracelet making deal where you take tiny (the word tiny will be important later on) rubber bands of assorted colors and make a bracelet out of them. They are pretty popular amongst the children's age group. With Joel as my teacher, I made a bracelet with a rainbow loom for my "first."
Me and my teacher
So, Joel began to explain how this worked. I needed to loop the tiny rubber bands around these pegs and then sort of do that again backwards. At the end, I would slip them into a little (key word is little) clip that will hold it together. I think I know how to do this but it becomes quickly apparent that I don't know as much as Joel does. In fact, I don't know enough to do the bracelet. At the beginning, I wanted to just race ahead and get it done, but I kept messing up because I wasn't listening to Joel's instructions carefully enough. I thought I knew what to do, but I did not. Joel was very encouraging. He would say things like, "You are doing good, Daddy." The one time I was not encouraged was when I asked him how long this would take. We started at about 8:30 p.m. and I want to be done in 10 minutes. He says he thinks less than an hour. An hour??? Great Scott, what have I gotten myself into? As it turned out, it took about 15 minutes.
I think the hardest part was working the tiny rubber bands with my adult fingers. This was obviously made for children. I would end up knocking off rubber bands that were supposed to stay on the little pegs. But guess what? I did it and I had fun with my son. Son fun is a good kind of fun to have on a Saturday.
The deal we use to make the bracelets
Tiny rubber bands meant for smaller hands, methinks
That's a tiny clip I'm holding
Finished product
The Bible says that God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. How many times do I not pay very close attention to the Lord and race ahead thinking I know how to handle this (whatever the "this" might be on that particular day) and end up messing it up. Just because I've been through a few things in my life and have the read the Bible on more than a few occasions doesn't mean I know how to do life. I need God every day. I need God's wisdom to know what to do. I need God's direction to know where to go. I need God's presence to encourage me. I need to be filled with the Spirit so I can do what God calls me to do. As Joel taught me how to make a bracelet and I tended to mess it up by thinking I knew how when I did not, I was reminded of how much I need to depend on God each day. I've never parented a 12 and a 9 year old on this day before. I have never been a husband to Laura on this day before. I've never pastored Hopewell at this particular time in history. Sure, I've done those things a week ago and a month ago, but I need God's wisdom, strength, and direction this day. Maybe when I look at my bracelet, I'll be reminded that I need God every moment of every day. Hopefully, it will be a reminder to walk humbly with my God and not race ahead thinking I know what to do.
Humbling myself for the abundant life
Barry
3 things I thank God for today
1. The sound of laughter drifting in from the back from my children playing with their friends.
2. Joel's first baseball game of 2014
3. I don't have to worry if I'll have enough food to eat today
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