Seeing the big yellow buses rumble through my neighborhood picking up children waiting at their stops took me back in time to when my daughter attended school. I recalled a popular, spiritual piece of jewelry kids wore in the nineties -- WWJD bracelets. The acronym stood for What Would Jesus Do?
Some youngsters stacked them up their arms. When they went to school, sports arenas or friends' homes, the bracelets kept Jesus' teachings close to them. For instance, if one of the young men found himself in a situation where he grew angry and wanted to punch someone in the nose, he had a bracelet to remind him that Christians should be “…quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.” (James 1: 19 - 20).
Perhaps one of the young ladies heard gossip about a friend. A bracelet she wore might have Scripture from James 1:26: “If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.”
Before a student at school fell prey to an argument or a disagreement grew heated, he could look at the bracelet and recall II Timothy 2:24: “And the Lord’s servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful.”
History records Janie Tinklenberg, who created the first cloth bracelet for her youth group, chose a bracelet format because beaded bracelets were popular at the time.
It’s not likely all of the youngsters recalled the verses word for word. Even though some probably did, I imagine many committed the jewelry's spiritual instruction to memory. More than likely the essence of the words remains with them still.
Jesus was a great teacher. And the prompt “What would Jesus do?” encourages Christians, youngsters and adults, to learn his guidelines for a fulfilled life in a world so often lacking in spiritual, moral values and love. The bracelets helped those who wore them live each day, each moment for Jesus.
BOOK NEWS
Coming soon: Treading Water: Barely above Water, revised edition.
I'm excited about this edition. While readers can revisit the same sweet romance and the fun, rag-tag swim team in Barely above Water, the heroine, Suzie, finds hope for her mysterious illness in Treading Water.
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