Heart Reflections Live

Many moons ago (about 11), a certain Night in Shining Armour (my hubby) proposed marriage to his fair maiden in a mountain top inn after a delightful meal. Poetry was recited:

Roses are red, violets are blue, my heart belongs truly to you.

I pray you will always stay in my life, which is why I am asking if you'll be my wife

Yes, I'm so sentimental, I'll remember that poem for the rest of my life! Then came the ring-carefully concealed near the window ledge... A gasp of delight... A beautiful red garnet set in a victorian style filigree yellow gold setting.

I adored the ring, as I adored the one who placed it on my finger. My then, fiancee had been trying to establish his own business at the time, and there were not many dollars to spare. I knew the lovely dinner and the precious- to- me ring had been paid for with sleepless nights cleaning. It came at a cost, was given in love, and was worth more than any diamond to me. (Personally I don't think engagement rings HAVE to be diamonds anyway!)

Two children later, we spent a year living in Beerwah, Qld, near Australia Zoo. (As an aside, how weird is this? We only spent 12 months in Beerwah, it turned out to be the year Steve Irwin died, and he died on my hubby's birthday.)

Anyway, I was doing some heavy cleaning and decluttering, hubby was preaching overseas, and as I prepared lunch, I caught sight of my ring and went cold, when I realized the garnet was gone. I checked everywhere I was working, in the vaccuum and the garbage to no avail- the stone was no where to be found. Hubby rang from overseas to find me in tears over the missing garnet. I put the damaged ring away, and put an emerald ring of my Grandmother's on the finger next to my wedding band, as my hand felt like something was missing...

A few years later, we are living in the hills we love, we've celebrated 9 years of marriage in October, and I've not long had my 42nd birthday...

Hubby wrote in my birthday card "To my lovely wife, I love you very much, so I thought it was about time you got this gift again."

What was it I wondered. I was speechless and tears flowed, as I opened my gift- it can't be I thought- There it was, another garnet ring set in gold, different this time- a sleek design with a heart shaped stone. I'm still looking at it a few weeks later, as it sits under my wedding band, and my Grandmother's ring now graces my right hand.... SOMETHING LOST HAS BEEN RESTORED!!!!

Does this remind you of anything? God creates us in love, handcrafts us in beauty, like my first garnet engagement ring, and then, things happen and we realize something is missing- there's an emptiness, a longing, a hole in our hearts, because of our sin. Our loving creator, sent Jesus, His Son, to pay the penalty of our sin, so that when we realize our unworthiness before a Holy God and repent, we can be restored, and have a new heart... just like my ring.

Isn't that just like God, to bless my socks off with my birthday present and give me a parable to share as well! Praise His Name!