Once, for over a year, I wore a piece of blue yarn on my right wrist. Beth Moore’s Believing God study asked us to wear a blue bracelet to remind us to believe God for what He promises. She based the concept on the Scripture where the Israelites were to wear blue tassels in Numbers 15:39 “When you see the tassels, you will remember and obey all the commands of the Lord instead of following your own desires and defiling yourselves, as you are prone to do.”
I remember thinking that for all it represented, it should be far more beautiful than a tattered piece of yarn. (I’ll be honest–I wanted jewelry.) It didn’t take long for it to go through quite a lot. It washed dishes with me, it took showers, it did the work a mother’s hands do for a whole year. It also went through a couple of paraffin dips when I got a manicure, and, interestingly, it preserved it with the wax. It started holding its own shape and became stronger, though it continued to go where I went, and served as a reminder to follow God’s commands and believe Him for His promises. It actually became more beautiful in my eyes for all it had been through with me. But then something happened, and I lost my focus.
Eventually, it became more ordinary than holy, and I took it off. I saved it, but couldn’t remember where I had left it. Many months later, I found it. It seemed so wrong for it to be abandoned on the floor, so I picked it up another time and wore it. I haven’t seen it in quite a while, and think it is in my jewelry box, but don’t really remember taking it off. I thought about what Karen at “A Time for Everything” wrote so beautifully on this Scripture mentioned above and focused on the words, “as we are prone to do.” How quickly we can abandon our God. One day we know the fullness of God, and the next day, we treat it as another ordinary day where we are not even aware of any offense we have committed against Him in our abandonment. Maybe another blue piece of yarn is in order or maybe a renewed heart would be better. The yarn was a symbol, nothing more, but it represented my heart much of the time I wore it, and also in the time I didn’t.
Yesterday, something profound happened in my prayer time. Again, it was just a symbol, but it was fraught with meaning for me. I was kneeling, face to the floor telling God I couldn’t, but He could. I was asking for forgiveness and strength, and more of His mighty Spirit to do this thing called Life better, and my necklace fell right in front of my eyes. On the necklace, I wear a dove in flight, as a symbol of His Spirit inside of me. It was as if He said, I am ever before you and I will give you that strength through my Spirit. It was a symbol, but it was also a reminder. Since then, I have clutched the dove in my fist several times. Lord, don’t let me forget. Don’t allow me to ever see you as more ordinary than holy. Amen.
a view through annie's eyes 
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