The Inscription

Posted on 07 June 2010

When I was going through wedding preparations and getting so many things together in the last few months, there was one task left before me that only I could be responsible for — Kevin’s ring. I knew he didn’t want anything flashy. No diamonds, very little adornment. He’s just not into that kind of stuff. So I found a simple white gold ring with a milgrain edge and called it a day. But I knew it wasn’t done. I had wanted to have something inscribed on the inside of his ring, but I had struggled with finding something that fit — both the occasion AND inside the ring.

Then the verse hit me. The verse that Kevin and I first memorized together whenever we were still doing that.

But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me.” – Ruth 1:16 & 17

I’ve kept it a secret from almost everyone until now and I’m only telling because it feels particularly timely.

Where you go, I will go…

This little Oklahoma girl’s heart is right here. It does not want to leave. And I think that inscription felt safe because I never expected it to be challenged. I meant it, but I didn’t imagine “going” might mean “leaving.”

How a year can change a situation. Within two months of our wedding we were both working in the same local school, both happy, excited, and getting acquainted with our new jobs. It wasn’t until about 6 months later that we heard rumblings. And then rumors. And then concrete bad news that some people would not be coming back. The first people to feel the cuts would be the first year, temporary contract teachers (Kevin).

Our jobs are up in the air. At this point, neither of us know if we will be coming back and won’t know for possibly 2 weeks. I won’t lie, it’s scary. Not scary because I think we’ll starve or lose our house or our cars or anything like that. We are already blessed beyond measure to have a support system that simply would not allow that to happen. But it’s scary because I’ve never been there before. Never been without. Never truly in need.

The thing is though, both my husband and I have faith. Sometimes I’ve wondered if I have it easier than other people because I can’t remember a time when I doubted that God would come through. I know not all people see that as a positive, but I don’t care. Kevin and I have made it to this place where we don’t know what is going to happen, but we know that we’ll make it through, no matter what we have to do to make that happen. Things may not go as planned, but we will be okay. We may not know where we are going right now, but we are going together.

Related posts:

1. Sunday Morning Coffee: Wedding Duties GALORE Edition
2. Thursday Thirteen #42 – Engagement Edition
3. The Future Mrs. C.

1 Comment to The Inscription

Becca says:

June 7, 2010 at 10:26 am

I’ve been there. When I first got married I didn’t even have a job, and then I got one after a month (we were living off of savings and Gray’s job), held it for six weeks and quit because of the anxiety it was causing me. I didn’t have a real job for another six months, we lived off of Gray’s job and loan money. It wasn’t a fun time and even now that we’re both in school and working, there are times when money is tight or we don’t know where the extra bit is coming, but somehow, God always provides.

I think it’s great that you both have such faith because that’s what truly matters and God always brings us through whatever he brings us to. (hah that rhymed) I look forward to hearing what God ends up doing/providing for you guys.