Ring Story

So, remember how God put Jeff and I together the summer of 2011? Then we fell in love? Then he proposed? Well that proposal happened a year ago today. We got married about 7 months ago and I'm more confidant now than ever that Jeff is the man for me. God's faithfulness astounds me when I think about it.

But I never told you the story about the ring he proposed with. The one I'm wearing right now. 

When we were on the first leg of our trip in Sept 2011, visiting my Granddad in Georgia, he told me he wanted to marry me. (!!!!) But that in order to save for the kind of ring he wanted to get me, it would take awhile. A long while. Unless, of course, a miracle happened. I was all over that miracle idea. We prayed right then and there, not knowing what would happen. I would've been happy wearing a ring pop, but Jeff had (and usually does have) bigger and better things in mind.

A day or two later, we were in Michigan with his parents, for the final part of our vacation. I hadn't met his mom Lynne until then. On one of the first mornings there, Jeff was up early with her, drinking coffee at the kitchen table, while I was still asleep. She asked him if he was going to marry me. He told her when he gets a ring, he will.

So Lynne, who had probably thought about this moment for years, took her wedding ring off of her finger and set it on the table for Jeff to give to me.

And there we had it. The ring. He had known it was on his mom's finger for years, but he never really noticed it or thought about it. He didn't know she would do that. But she had probably planned for this moment for a long time. And then generously gave something that meant to much to her, to someone she knew so little.

Then she told Jeff the back story: this was a family heirloom, and I would be the fifth woman in her family to wear this ring. The diamond was cut about 200 years ago in Paris (before the Eiffel Tower was even built). And the setting was from 1915ish, art deco and all. She felt so bad that she didn't have a black, satin ring box to put it in, because isn't that what all engagement rings are given in? But what she did have was even better. The beautiful, old, green, snagged, silk, original box that the setting came in.

She went and got the box to give to Jeff. They opened it up to put the ring in, and saw that on the inside of the box was the word ROSE. She hadn't remembered that!

Yep. ROSE. Me. The ring. Wow. I think my brain exploded when Jeff told me about it. And when I finally saw it a year ago today, there were definitely tears and gratefulness. As if we needed one more reason to believe that God set us apart for each other.

He completely answered our prayers by giving how only a Father can give. Personal, lavish, unexpected and completely wonderful. He's using all the little stories that tie Jeff and I together, and turning it into our defining story. That God is good. His ways are perfect, even when we don't see past our own two feet. He's weaving us into the tapestry of a Godly heritage that began way before us. I couldn't be more grateful or in awe of how He does things.

Adventure isn't missing,

Rose