I began this post - like all the others - on Instagram (@toyathevirtuous) so I'm picking up from there. 

And then there's my engagement ring and my wedding band. My husband and I are married without these symbols, but the presence of them around our fingers means more to me than I realized. 

Just like my smiley ring, I lost my engagement ring before my Sweet💙 and I were married. To this day, I remember the sick feeling I felt in the pit of my stomach. I dreaded, absolutely dreaded, the idea of having to tell my Sweet💙 that I lost my ring. But I did and was relieved to be met with grace and understanding! His response was huge and made me love him even more. My ring was found very randomly and in a way where God was undoubtedly in control. I was absolutely amazed that He allowed me to have my ring again!

Now we're married.

Marriage is beautiful because, like us, God created it and wants to show Himself through it. However, we have many ways of showing our ugly flesh instead of allowing God's Spirit to lead us and marriages tend to do the same. Ours did. There was a time when I removed those rings from my finger, but my Sweet💙 id not remove his. Grace and understanding was needed again, from both of us. I prayed harder than ever during this time. I also got to see more of God's characteristics; I got to know Him in different ways and deepen my relationship with Him. The same way God miraculously brought my engagement ring back, He performed a miracle in our marriage. My Sweet💙 and I will honor God through our marriage and will not allow challenges of any size to deter us from completing the race. I'll be honest, that is easier said than done, lol - but glory to God, it CAN BE DONE!

Themes.

Something can be completely gone, but God can do the impossible. 

Prayer works. Big Prayer, Big Power. Little Prayer, Little Power (I got that from James McDonald)

How. 

This post came about after watching I Am Second videos and as I listened to worship music. The past two weeks we talked about pride and humility with the little people at church. Today, God showed me that I need to check my pridefulness. I cried and asked Him to forgive me. Then I took my rings off to wash dishes and saw that they both represented significant occurrences in my life. Situations that shook me to my core and forced me to run to my Father, my Protector, my God. 

Significance.

I thought I lost my engagement ring forever.

I felt super sick and prayed.

God brought it back.

I thought my marriage was done.

I felt despair and prayed harder than ever.

God brought it back.

I lost my joy and felt like it would never come back.

I prayed fervently for God to restore the joy of my salvation.

God restored it.

I thought I lost my smiley ring forever.

I was super sad and prayed.

God brought it back.

Pride comes in many forms and most are not obvious. God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Please don't let pride sneak up on you. When God reveals it (pray that He does), act immediately. 

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  1 John 1:9 

Tuck that one in your heart, for real.

Grace & Peace.