My son gave me a lokai bracelet which is a bracelet that is filled with elements from the highest point on earth and the lowest point on earth. The bracelet’s white bead carries water from Mt. Everest, and its black bead contains mud from the Dead Sea. These extreme elements are a reminder to the wearer to live a balanced life – staying humble during life’s peaks and hopeful during its lows. One weekend I was checking out at Home Depot and the cashier  commented on the bracelet saying he like it. I shared what it stood for and he thought that was a unique idea then he shared a thought that had never crossed my mind. ” I wonder if those elements are really in there?” Hmmmm, I had never thought about that, I just had always thought that yes of course the elements were in the bracelet. Why wouldn’t it be! This then gave me another thought, if it really didn’t have the water from Mt. Everest or the mud from the Dead Sea did it change how I felt when I looked at the bracelet? Did that take away from it reminding me that no matter how low I go, I can stand up with hope?  And if I get too high do I forget to humble myself? If there are no elements does this mean that the bracelet is worthless?  Then the thought turns again.  To have faith is to believe in what can’t be seen or touched.  The bracelet is not something to have faith in but is simply to be a reminder and a symbol of guidance to remain in balance.  To help us “stand tall” when the world knocks us down.  Our faith in God is based on the same belief of something we can’t see or touch but as it touches us it guides us and directs us each moment of our days and nights.  This faith is far greater than the smallest element from the highest and lowest points on this earth and as we allow it, it will keep us balanced in the strongest storms of our lives.  So I cherish the bracelet and I smile as I slip it onto my wrist each time now, as I do not think of the elements that I may or may not be wearing but of the reminder of my faith in God’s grace and love that I KNOW I have and wear every moment of the day.

“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.  Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.  Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy spirit who has been given to us.”  Romans 5:1-5