that time I gave my ring away

It was about a year and a half ago when this crazy little adventure God has us on all began.  It was Father’s Day 2012.  We asked my parents to come to church with us because who doesn’t want to hang out with their dad on Father’s day?  As we were singing praises that morning I remember a new song playing.  This song captivated my heart and made my soul dance.  It goes a little something like this:  

Love unfailing
Overtaking my heart
You take me in
Finding peace again
Fear is lost in
All you are

And I would give the world to tell Your story
Cause I know that You've called me
I know that You've called me
I've lost myself for good within Your promise
I won't hide it
I won't hide it

Jesus, I believe in You
And I would go to the ends of the earth
To the ends of the earth
For You alone are the Son of God
And all the world will see
That You are God
You are God

This song met me on a morning when I needed to proclaim that truth to the Lord.  You see, I had been feeling this yearning in the deepest parts of my soul to go.  To go out into the world and make a difference for Him.  To help the hurting and the hungry and love the poor and the needy; to be His hands and feet wherever He would call me.  The Lord had begun to show me this world in a new lens, through His eyes.  My heart was broken for mamas who couldn’t feed their babies, for children being born into slavery and for all the hurt and devastation in this world.  So I prayed.  During that song I prayed my heart out.  I asked the Lord to give us the courage and strength to go wherever and whenever He wanted us to go.  The service was nearing the end and I remember our pastor talking about some missionaries our church body supports in Northern Kenya.  He said something like “wouldn’t it be cool if we could raise $1000.00 today to help build a new well for these people who need water.” 

 

{Now, rewind to a few weeks earlier…ya know how I said that God was breaking my heart for the world?  Well I had decided a few weeks prior that I really wanted to give my wedding ring away.  I wanted us to give more so more mouths could be fed, more people might hear the sweet news of a Savior who loves them madly, but we just didn’t have much to give.  Now, I have always hesitated telling this part of the story, {which is why I have told a total of four people} because a) I fear people thinking I am crazy pants and b) that I am boasting or puffing myself up with a good deed.  But I think this is a part of our story that’s so necessary to tell because God has done something with it and through it that blows my socks off.  Stay tuned!}

 

After much prayer I had asked Brian a few weeks earlier if he would give me his blessing to give my ring away when I felt like God told me where.  He so graciously and lovingly did, even though I know it was hard.  He scrimped and saved and sold his beloved '69 camping trailer {thank you, Jesus, that I didn’t have to camp in that beast} to buy that ring.  This man blows me away by his selflessness every day people.  As I sat in that service, listening about people who had a desperate need for water, I felt like God was saying "this is it, this is what I am calling you to now".  So I very sneakily pretended to fill out a prayer request form but instead of a prayer need I wrote “please put the money from this ring towards the well in Kenya.” and very, very sneakily slipped my ring off and into an offering envelope with the note.  It was bittersweet.  Ninety nine percent of me was overwhelmed and overflowing with joy knowing that this ring was going to provide a basic necessity for people that I take for granted every day.  That this well would be an avenue to bring the story of the gospel to those who desperately need it.  My hope and prayer is that it made an eternal impact for the Kingdom.  But there was also part of me that had to grieve that precious token of love and of a covenant that my husband and I made three years ago.  Scripture doesn’t tell us this walk with the Lord will be easy.  It tells us to pick up our cross and lay our lives down to follow Him.  There are times that sacrifices must be made by each of us.  Each of us is called in such unique and different ways to serve Him and in turn He sweetly and graciously refines us.  The story doesn’t end here.  What the Lord did next would change the course of our lives forever.  If you’re still reading {yay!} I want to thank you for listening to this little piece of my story and our journey.  My hope and prayer is that it all points to my Father and how loving and faithful He is. 

Oh and here’s the ring I slipped into that envelope.  Isn’t it a beauty?