I do not wear much jewelery. When I do it is for a short time. I have grown accustomed to wearing my wedding ring for longer periods of time, but there are times when I don't like to wear it. Those times would include, but not limited to....1) when I sleep 2) when I exercise 3) when I am getting ready/showering and 4) when I am cleaning. I admit that I have been careless with it and in my old age, absentminded. That leads me to sadly say that I had misplaced it. I have no memory of when I misplaced it. All of a sudden it was gone and I had no idea where it could be. There are 3 places that I place it when I am not wearing it and it was not in any of those places.
When I realized that it was missing, I didn't worry. I knew it would turn up. Besides, I was busy getting ready to move, working, and being a mom. However, after a week went by I started to get worried. I checked everywhere. It occurred to me that I have been throwing so much stuff away, perhaps I accidentally tossed it out? Unfortunately the garbage collector came the day before and it was too late to dig in the garbage. That is when I got sick to my stomach. I didn't have time to search for my ring. So I did what I always do when I realize that something is too big for me to do myself.....I pray. I prayed and then I prayed some more. My husband was not angry with me, he was wonderful. He probably knew that I was giving myself a hard time. He simply said that it was only a ring and that if I wanted a bigger one I should have just told him.
I WAS berating myself for being so careless. As I was packing I ran across some things that I had forgotten about, but instantly thought of what I would give if I had only found my ring instead. I think that God was using this time to teach me the value of things. I started out telling God that I would rather have my ring than ........ However I realized that really to God my ring is worthless. Instead I should say that I would rather have a girl be saved from sexual slavery than for me to find my ring. Or, I would rather someone accepts Jesus as their personal Savior than for me to find my ring or that just one child would be saved from abortion than for me to find my ring. There are so many other things that are more precious than my ring. At that time, I felt a peace within me. I still wanted my ring, I still wondered if I threw it away, I still prayed about finding it, but I also knew I had a task at hand - the task of moving - my ring had to be left in God's hands. I only had a week to pack up my house, finish work, and say good-bye to friends.
This story jumps to 2 weeks later- we had packed up our house in a moving truck, traveled through 5 states, arrived at our new house, and unpacked. Friday night I had a dream that I opened up a box and there was my ring. All day Saturday as I was unpacking I was expecting to find it, but sadly I didn't. I told myself that I was just getting my hopes up. Sunday we traveled to my brother's church to listen to him preach. I had grabbed my Bible that I had just recently unpacked. As I was opening up my Bible in church I knew that I needed a pen. I dug in the pocket of my Bible cover to find one. Instead I found my ring. (I had packed the Bible with my other books and I had been using my pocket Bible - I am not sure how long that Bible was packed.) I am amazed at my own response. Crying is not my usual immediate response, and yet that is what I did - I cried. I was amazed and thankful. I still have no memory of how it got there.
I am not saying that God magically put it in my Bible.....He could, but I don't think that is what happened. I do think I carelessly put it in there. I can't tell you what God's role was in me finding my ring, but I can tell you a few things for sure: that God does care about His people- He wants you to come to Him with anything that might be bothering you and He does give you peace even if your situation seems small. In reality, the losing of my wedding ring is very small.
Moving has been not just a journey through 5 states, but an emotional journey as well. We have had many blessings along the way. Finding my ring was just one of them. I am thankful for all those who have prayed us along this journey. We couldn't have done it without those prayers!
