Rings
Not Quite What We Ordered
When my husband Rich and I became engaged he cared a great deal about my engagement ring. It was important to him that I have exactly what I wanted, so we placed a special order with a trusted jeweler in Los Angeles. We asked that the ring be shipped to my office, as he works at a large plant and receiving a parcel there is a hassle.
I called him the day the package arrived. “May I open it?” I asked. He hesitated. “I won’t try it on,” I promised. “I just want to take a peek!” He chuckled and relented.
I hung up and opened the box. Inside the cardboard box was a smaller cardboard box surrounded by packing peanuts. I pulled out the smaller carton. Inside was a ring box wrapped in bubble wrap. I impatiently tugged off the bubble wrap and opened the ring box.
Inside sat the ring Rich had ordered, just the way we pictured it.
Except it was made of white gold. We’d ordered yellow gold.
I called Rich back. “It’s white gold!” I exclaimed. “Ohhhhhhhh,” he replied.
I returned my attention to work. Every now and then I pulled out the ring box and studied the ring.
It was not exactly what I expected.
Yet it was magnificent.
Rich dropped by my office that afternoon. “Are you disappointed? I’m sure they’ll remake it in yellow gold.”
“I love it,” I told him. “It’s perfect. Let’s keep it.” He slipped the ring on my finger as I sat at my desk.
Last weekend Rich and I attended The Art of Marriage at our new church. One of the first concepts introduced at this marriage-building event was the idea of receiving your spouse as a gift from God. As the text explains,
“Receiving your spouse” means more than “accepting” him or her. It means you embrace the God-given differences He’s built into each of you.
I giggled. My engagement ring, a precious gift from my husband, wasn’t quite what I expected, but it is gorgeous. It’s just right for me.
So it is with my husband. Sometimes he’s not quite what I expected, but he’s just right for me–a perfect gift from God.
9 “You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? 10 Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! 11 So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask Him.”Matthew 7:9-11 (NLT)
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