A Story Gem

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A Story Gem

Jacob served seven years to get Rachel, but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her.

Genesis 29:20

In 1980, the newlywed Molly looked at her ring finger and exclaimed to her husband Richard, “I’ve lost my ring!” Shopping in a local Conroe store, Molly had glanced at her hand-held grocery list and found the familiar shimmer of her engagement ring missing.

Richard and Molly abandoned their grocery errands, and they walked back and forth in the aisles, staring at the floor. But they never saw any gleam of her diamond. Since they didn’t know when the ring slipped off Molly’s finger, they later looked through their car’s carpet. At their apartment, they flipped throw pillows over, shook out rugs and felt behind couch cushions. Molly even requested Richard remove the drain trap from under the kitchen sink. The young husband had the heart to do the job, but not the tools.

That evening was a sad one. Molly cried over the loss of her beloved simple ring, a symbol of Richard’s love. She even asked Richard if he would get on his knees and pray that they find her ring. So on his knees he went, and he prayed.

The next morning, Molly, with very puffy eyes, went to her job at Gulf States utility company. Her supervisor recognized the look of overworked tear ducts and inquired as to what was wrong. Molly told her sad story.

Early that same morning and unknown to Molly, Richard went back to the grocery store. The store had not opened, and he knocked on the door. After his explanation, the manager let him in, and he retraced their grocery cart journey from the previous day. At the meat department, he remembered the choice cuts they had looked at, but had abandoned because of their tight budget. He decided to look there.

Leaning over the bin of beef, his fingers grew cold as he shuffled the Styrofoam packages. About to give up, his eyes glimpsed a sparkle among the plastic wrapped meats. The ring! Under a rump roast!

Richard shared his good news with the store manager then drove to his bride’s workplace. Elated, he couldn’t help smiling the whole way. Arriving, Richard explained to the supervisor about his find. Leading him to his wife’s office, the supervisor walked over to Molly, who had her back to the door, and announced, “Guess who’s here?”

Molly swiveled around in her chair to find a smiling Richard. An unmistakable love shone in his eyes, and without a word, he held the ring up for her to see.

When this Christian couple shared their lost-and-found story, I saw evidence that their love is up-to-date. Even after 28 years of marriage and rearing five children, the diamond sparkle is still there.

It’s in their eyes.