My heart still flutters at the memory. Christmas 1982 was special for me in many ways. For one, it was the first Christmas Tim and I experienced as a couple. Second, he gave me the most precious gift and I still have it.
Tim was so excited about his present that he couldn’t resist giving me little hints about it. Actually, he gave me a few too many. My friends and I figured out his present was some kind of jewelry. They thought it may be an engagement ring, but I knew it was way too early for that. After all, I was a senior in high school.
While it wasn’t an engagement ring, it was a ring with a small diamond. I was blown away because I never had received anything like that from a boy.
The picture attached is the real ring. As you can see, it has two hearts with a diamond in the middle. Tim picked it because the ring’s hearts represented our hearts.
Oh my goodness, how I loved and treasured that ring. I couldn’t wait for school to start back up so I could show it off. And did I ever! I don’t think there was a friend or acquaintance who didn’t see my ring. I continued to wear it even after we married.
A few years later, we were watching a movie at my dad’s house. My uncle and grandmother were there as well. I volunteered to get colas for everybody. I plunged my hand into the ice bucket several times. After I sat back down, I glanced down to my ring and my heart went into my throat. The little diamond was gone. Too me, the ring looked empty.
Tim and I raced back into the kitchen and desperately scoured through the tiny pieces of ice in the bucket. Of course we couldn’t find it. Even if the small diamond was in the tray, how can we tell it apart from the many chips of ice?
That evening, my dad called me and said they went back through the ice tray after we left. I thanked him for doing that, but the diamond probably ended up in somebody’s drink.
I won’t expound on that.
I was so disappointed and heartbroken. Tim tried to make me feel better and suggested we replace the diamond. At that time, I was working part time and trying to finish college, so we didn’t have any extra money to replace it. The cost to do that would’ve bought a couple of my textbooks.
I placed the ring with some of my keepsakes until we could afford to fix it. That was no time soon. After we had Sara, I was a stay at home mom for a while. Again, we had to watch our money, but that was so worth it.
After I went back to work, I took my empty ring to a jeweler. I knew it wasn’t much of a diamond, but I explained to him how sentimental the ring was to me. Not only did the jeweler replace the diamond, but he reinforced the setting so the diamond wouldn’t come out again.
You know, we start out like my “diamondless” ring. We are empty inside until we receive Christ. Then not only does He makes us complete, but we are treasured and we never have to worry about being lost again.
“Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ our Lord.” Romans 8:39 (KJV)
By the way, Tim gave me my engagement ring for Christmas in 1984. This time he really wanted to surprise me by hiding the ring in something else. I will have to admit that I was totally taken off guard when I unwrapped my present and saw a box of doggie burgers.