My Gay Pride Bracelet

So I was out to eat with a female friend awhile ago at a local Chinese restaurant. We were eating and minding our own business amongst  several other parties in the dining area. One was a middle aged man in a wheel chair with a slightly younger woman.

On one trip back from the buffet line the man in the wheel chair was appearing to get ready to leave. He said “Excuse me” as I passed but I ignored him assuming I had been too close to his path and he was wanting me out of the way. Well lo and behold, moments later he appears at our table. “Excuse me” he repeats. He then goes on to tell me that he liked my bracelet. Slightly caught off guard I ask which one. I have a grey one that says “Pray for China” and another one that says “Good News”. The latter one I discover is what has caught his interest. As he points he says semi hesitantly, “I assume that’s a *pause* gay pride bracelet”. “No”, I reply, “It’s a Good News bracelet”. As I’m answering I’m rotating it on my wrist with my mind spinning and momentarily unable to remember what color to start on.

As I finish enlightening him that it isn’t a gay pride bracelet I find the color I’m looking for and without missing a beat continue. “This yellow represents God. Only He is perfect and (turning to black) our sin separates us from God but He sent His Son to die for us on the Cross (transitioning to red) so that we may be washed clean (white). Because of this we are a new creation (represented by green) and have eternal life and can be in fellowship with God (back to yellow).” He was fading past after I was going from red to white in my explanation but I pressed forward anyway without pausing to breath. With that I was thanked almost apologetically and he motored his wheel chair swiftly away.

My friend and I sat there in a slight stunned silence asking ourselves what just happened. Then we began to process everything. What are the odds? It had totally been God. At least fellow Christian came to mind when contemplating how others would have reacted. Unfortunately too many Christian’s lack of understanding in regards to homosexuality, they would have possibly focused on the gay pride issue instead of the opportunity to share the Gospel, albeit briefly. Then while processing everything you go through the coulda, woulda, shoulda’s. Could I have threw in there “Just like He cleansed my sin which just so happened to be homosexuality”?

Should I have said something more? Dunno. God knows. All I can do is trust in Isaiah 55:10-11 where God assures us that His words do not return empty to Him. Now my prayer is for this stranger!