December 2007
ashleycummins@gmail.com
The weather has been so mild that my Mom and I have been working with the kids outside at the park. While the other kids were off sliding and playing tag Dominique and I sat doing math problems. I wanted to tell her about Jesus, but how?. I looked through the holes in the table at the trampled ground below and saw something red and shiny. I tugged at the bead and a bracelet that had 6 different color beads came up.. Dominique looked over at me and my treasure. "Oh! I want it!" She urged me to give it to her. I tied it to her tiny wrist and asked her if she knew what each color represented. She didn't. Her eyes locked with mine as I prepared to unlock the secret of the bracelet. I pinched the first bead, "This is gold. Think of Heaven, Glory and God." I moved to the next bead. "The blue one represents forgiveness. When you give your heart to Jesus and ask him to forgive you of your sins he will because he loves you."
"Ok." Dominique shook her braided hair and her colored clips clapped together.
"The green one stands for everlasting life. If you ask Jesus to come into your life you'll have a place to live when you die."
"What place? A grave?" Dominique's face crinkled confused.
"No, HEAVEN. With angels and Jesus."
"Oh..." Her lips pursed together in understanding.
"This bead is all white. It stands for purity. Clean and free from sin. Do you know what sin is?"
"Nope."
"Sins are the bad things that separate you from God like stealing or cheating."
"Oooh." She squinted her dark brown eyes and nodded.
"The red bead stands for the blood of Jesus when he came and died for your sins." She gave a grossed out face.
"The black bead here is sin. See how far it is away from the first gold bead, Heaven? When you ask Jesus into your heart you go to Heaven when you die. If you don't then you live in Hell."
"Ugh! I don't like the black bead. I want to be like this one." She pointed at the white bead.
I asked her to go over the beads with me again and she seemed to get it.
The whole time this was happening I was thinking, WOW! Thank you Lord for giving me an opportunity to share my faith. What are the odds that we'd be sitting and find a Salvation bracelet right there sticking out of the dirt! I get chills just thinking about all God's wonderful miracles - Like Christmas! Thanks for your support!!
With love,
Ashley