Joshua and the Wristband

Our Daily Fred: If you’ve followed us for a while, you are familiar with the wristband debacle of 2013. 

Or maybe it was 2011. 

I can’t remember. 

For the past 8 years, or so, we’ve taken a family trip to the beach over Spring Break. We used to go in the summer, but then the younger boys started having summer football practices...so we started going in the Spring. 

The place we stay gives everyone wristbands, and you’re supposed to wear them while you’re on the property...or on the beach. You know, to identify you as someone who is renting a condo on their property. 

Every year, I think, “this will be the year that it’s not a *thing* with our #1 child...” and, every year, I’m wrong. 

And, every year, I’m baffled. 

Baffled at how an adult human-being absolutely cannot abide an innocent strip of plastic-y-vinyl-y material that never hurt anybody...hanging loosely on their wrist. 

Baffled at how, in a family of, say, 10 or so people, 9 people can slap on the wristband without a thought...but that 1 person sees the wristband as a declaration of war. 

We don’t put it on him too tight. We make it a point to be careful with this, so that it doesn’t “choke” his arm. And then we lull ourselves into thinking things are okay, until at dinner when someone notices, and asks, “where’s your wristband?” 

Then we get a defiant glare, along with a lot of mumbling. 

Usually, by the time we are all headed down to the beach the next morning, we’ve forgotten about it...until we notice the incredibly thin and stretched out band is back on his wrist, barely hanging on. We all wonder when the stretching-out-of-it happens, because it’s never done in our presence. Does he stay up all night? What? 

This year, I walked into our condo bedroom, to find a big bowl of chaos going on. He’d lost the wristband. 

LOST.IT. 

I was so frustrated. He.is.32.years.old and it.is.just.not.that.hard.to.wear.the.stinkin.band. But I helped him look through the room, the bathroom, his bed, THE TRASH. I even looked through the clothes in the dryer. No wristband. 

Fortunately, the nice people at the place had given us an extra one. 

I put this one on him a little tighter. Don’t worry, it still wasn’t even remotely touching his wrist. 

Later than evening, I found that band on the dresser...snapped in two. 

What.in.the.world? 

UGHHHHH. 

This past Sunday, Joshua received the sweetest gift from sweet Mrs. Renee Bond: chocolate chip cookies, and prayer bracelets for her husband. 

Joshua’s been doling those cookies out like he’s Oprah...”YOU get a cookie...and YOU get a cookie...” 

And as he slipped one of those prayer bracelets on, he smiled real big, and said, “now THIS is a band I will wear!” 

We are continuing to pray for you, Bro. David! Thank you, Mrs. Renee!

"Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere." Ephesians 6:18