Circle of Faith

Several years ago, my husband had a routine x-ray which came back suspicious. I’ll never forget coming home from a fun Friday evening out to hear the doctor’s voice on our answering machine, advising us to contact a surgeon immediately. My knees gave out as I listened. We tried to keep the news to ourselves at first, but soon the emotional wear and tear was evident on our faces to the people who knew us.

I prayed like I’d never prayed before (commonly known as “foxhole prayer”). Family and friends offered to pray. I called the church and asked them to include us in the prayer chain requests (which I’d never done before). At the suggestion of my mom, we attended a healing mass. I remember how fragile our little family was and our young son (K)—so terrified. We stood before the priest and asked for his healing blessing. We held hands and fought back tears. The day of the surgery came. I tried to be strong for K, but I was crumbling when the surgeon called me into the private room for families. Feeling nauseated, I noted the placement of the trash can. Then he said, “Your husband is fine. It’s not cancer.” There was no shred of doubt in my mind that God had heard our powerful circle of prayer.

I made a promise to God during that time. I promised him that every day, for the rest of my life, I would wear some symbol of faith to honor Him for His infinite power and grace in my life. That’s how I started making bracelets. To me, the simple designs represent the power of love that surrounded me during those darks days, and graces my life today. Like a little circle of friends and family—past and present—it comforts me. It reminds me that God cares about me. I once read that the translation of “Christian” is something like, “little Christ.” So that’s what I try to aspire to. I’m rarely good at it, but I’m only human. There is always an opening for improvement. Maybe that’s why my favorite bracelet (one I didn’t make) is a band—not quite a circle. There is an inscription on it that reads: When you have faith, all things are possible.

Who is in your Circle of Faith?