The couple shopped for wedding rings. He was sixteen, she a few days past fifteen but they'd been a couple since they met two years before. There wasn't a lot of money to shop with, in fact the young man had to buy both his and hers since she hadn't had the opportunity to work a paying job yet. As they walked from store to store around the square in small town America, they dreamed of their future together and smiled as they practiced using the terms "husband" and "wife" to refer to one another.
There were many rings to look at but few in the right price range. One thing was imperative, it must be real gold. One set in particular caught the young lady's eye. A beautiful gold set of bands; not too glitzy but formed by a string of hearts joined bottom to top all the way around. The engagement ring held a small round solitaire diamond, the wedding band also had a smaller set. The jeweler removed the box from the case and the young lady was amazed to see they were a perfect fit. The price however was another story. At over four hundred dollars, it was out of the question. Disappointed but careful not to show it to her fiance, the young lady suggested they return to a previous store and get the set they'd looked at earlier.
There was nothing wrong with the thin ten karat band they chose. The tiny diamond chips sparkled and she wore the rings with pride. It was the love behind it that mattered anyway.
The wedding day came and went and they began to learn what marriage was about. Starting out in a small studio apartment with borrowed furniture, she returned to high school while he worked in his father's carpet shop. The next summer, she rode his old ten-speed bike to City Hall to work a special summer job for teens. The young couple learned how important it was to talk to each other and work out difference, reminding each other they were on the same team.
They moved in with his family for a few months then found an unfinished two bed-room house to rent. After some fixing up they moved in, happy to have their own space once again. The following year they both completed their GEDs and she also began to work full time. They purchased a car which she too soon wrecked but without permanent damage to herself. It was replaced with another economical model and life moved on.
Somehow between the rent, heating bill, groceries, gas and other expenses, they saved some money to buy some real furniture. The plan was thwarted when the young husband came home one day with the news his job had ended suddenly. He took the first thing he could find. Hard work for just eighty dollars a week. The savings slowly disappeared. Another better paying job was found several months later and they both began to work the night shift. Meanwhile the heating fuel ran out before the paycheck got in so they heated and cooked with a borrowed kerosene heater until payday.
Three years seemed to pass with hardly the blink of an eye. It was in this little rent house they received the news they would soon become parents. With some apprehension but with both reasonably well employed they searched the real estate ads for a home.
A mobile home on four acres became their first "real house" when the now eighteen year old wife was eight months pregnant. The young husband came home one day with a surprise for her. A complete set of matching living room furniture for their new home! He'd gotten a deal on it while in town at a second hand store. His wife was thrilled and happy to see things looking like a proper home.
With a little more work it quickly felt like home and a pretty little baby girl joined the family. What a blessing she was but as the parents soon learned, babies are expensive. A new washer and dryer followed and life was busier than ever. Little sleep and constant working to try to get ahead took it's toll and the couple realized how important it was to make time for their faith and each other.
An injury at work and a dishonest workmans compensation manager suddenly ended the husbands steady employment. Baby girl wasn't just over a year old and there was no way they could make it on the wife's wages alone. Facing surgery, recovery and questions about his physical ability to perform heavy tasks the husband finally announced his plans to his wife. He would become a long haul truck driver. This require a three month training at a voc-tech school.
How to afford the tuition when he was out of work was the question. A small loan was obtained and the funds carefully divided to last while he completed the training course. Immediately after graduation he was employed again. It was a blessing for sure but so hard so wave and smile as he left for another long stint on the road. Baby girl was now eighteen months old and the wife now had a day job. Life was a bit easier, except for the fact that it was lonely and a lot of work to take care of everything with her husband gone so often.
Baby girl enjoyed growing up in the country, playing with her puppy, kitty cat and later her pony. She learned to talk to daddy on the phone and was soon old enough to start school. Daddy continued to be gone three or four weeks at a time and the strain on the relationship was evident.
He came home and took a job at the carpet shop which had grown into a successful business. When he'd come home from being a long-haul truck driver, his wife had given him the ultimatum she would leave if he ever took another job that required him to be away from home for so long. It only took two years for her resolve to be tested. The stress at the shop was unbearable and a trucking company that guaranteed their drivers would be home every weekend was hiring. Of course they weren't all the time but it was OK. God had reminded the wife of the definition of true love found in First Corinthians chapter thirteen and challenged her to love her husband that way. This was just another test to make the relationship stronger. They were learning.
Not long after this, the company the wife now worked for was looking for a driver that would be home every day. Working together on his resume they submitted it and held their breath. It was a good company with great benefits and excellent pay. Within a couple of weeks they had the answer. He was hired.
Over the next few years they paid off the little trailer house. The baby girl was now nearly ten years old. Time just seemed to slip by in a muddle of work, sleep, chores and very short weekends but it was nice to look back and see the progress that had been made and the deepening relationship that had been built with sweat and tears.
The wife went back to the little jewelry store on the square looking for a good watch for a gift for her husband. She made her selection with the help of the shop keeper and had a look around the tiny space. Something caught her eye and a second look confirmed that the rings with the hearts that formed the band were still there, after all these years.
As the husband admired his new watch, she shared the fact that the poor shop owner still hadn't sold the set of rings they'd looked at years ago. The setting had been remade into a larger one, now a third of a carat for the engagement band. Other than that and a new price tag over seven hundred dollars, it was the same.
Just the thought of the wedding rings sent her mind back what seemed like another century now, the time they were just starting out as newlyweds, full of wonder about what the future would hold. A smile and shake of the head were all she gave when she remembered her original plans to build a house a couple of years after they married. It had been nearly fifteen years and they were still in the mobile home but now had a house full of furniture, a barn and two good vehicles. Most importantly, they were still together and had learned more than they thought possible about keeping a marriage together and parenting.
Date nights for the couple were welcome but rare. It was so hard to find the time but anniversaries were special events to be celebrated. This particular anniversary was a bit of a milestone since it was the fifteenth. They made plans to dine at a beautiful restaurant on the lake. It felt so good to be together, alone again. The conversation was peppered with comments about how the time had gone so quickly and how fast the baby girl was growing. Life was good.
Somewhere between dessert and the bill the husband reached across the table with a tiny box. "I got you something." he said. She stared at the rings glittering in the dim light. Such a ridiculous sum of money to spend on jewelry she thought. "I can't believe you did it!" she whispered. "You're worth it." he replied. "I'll still keep my old ones....they'll always be the ones we got married with" she murmured as she slipped them off and slid the new set on. It still fit perfectly.
The next time she saw the little jewelry store on the square there was no sign in the window, just an empty store. All those years the rings had waited, through tears, arguments, hugs, celebrations, moves, the birth of a child, seasons after season for fifteen years. Now the shop was closed.
Was there a deeper meaning? Could it be that God was trying to show this couple that there's a reward for the work? Marriage is work. Not without enjoyment or rewards of course but sometimes a sacrifice of ones desires or hurt feelings that have to be resolved to work towards a greater goal of sharing both the joys and sorrows of life "till death do us part" in respect of the marriage vows and the God that ordained marriage.
Each time she saw the rings she thought how the trials of past years seemed small now that they were past. She thought of the future happy moments they would share in spite of the mountains yet to be climbed and felt a reassurance that there would be another fifteen years to add to the first because they had God's word and a strong desire to honor their commitments.
So far it's been nearly twenty six years since they married and every effort to keep the it alive has been worth it. I know because I am that wife.
There were many rings to look at but few in the right price range. One thing was imperative, it must be real gold. One set in particular caught the young lady's eye. A beautiful gold set of bands; not too glitzy but formed by a string of hearts joined bottom to top all the way around. The engagement ring held a small round solitaire diamond, the wedding band also had a smaller set. The jeweler removed the box from the case and the young lady was amazed to see they were a perfect fit. The price however was another story. At over four hundred dollars, it was out of the question. Disappointed but careful not to show it to her fiance, the young lady suggested they return to a previous store and get the set they'd looked at earlier.
There was nothing wrong with the thin ten karat band they chose. The tiny diamond chips sparkled and she wore the rings with pride. It was the love behind it that mattered anyway.
The wedding day came and went and they began to learn what marriage was about. Starting out in a small studio apartment with borrowed furniture, she returned to high school while he worked in his father's carpet shop. The next summer, she rode his old ten-speed bike to City Hall to work a special summer job for teens. The young couple learned how important it was to talk to each other and work out difference, reminding each other they were on the same team.
They moved in with his family for a few months then found an unfinished two bed-room house to rent. After some fixing up they moved in, happy to have their own space once again. The following year they both completed their GEDs and she also began to work full time. They purchased a car which she too soon wrecked but without permanent damage to herself. It was replaced with another economical model and life moved on.
Somehow between the rent, heating bill, groceries, gas and other expenses, they saved some money to buy some real furniture. The plan was thwarted when the young husband came home one day with the news his job had ended suddenly. He took the first thing he could find. Hard work for just eighty dollars a week. The savings slowly disappeared. Another better paying job was found several months later and they both began to work the night shift. Meanwhile the heating fuel ran out before the paycheck got in so they heated and cooked with a borrowed kerosene heater until payday.
Three years seemed to pass with hardly the blink of an eye. It was in this little rent house they received the news they would soon become parents. With some apprehension but with both reasonably well employed they searched the real estate ads for a home.
A mobile home on four acres became their first "real house" when the now eighteen year old wife was eight months pregnant. The young husband came home one day with a surprise for her. A complete set of matching living room furniture for their new home! He'd gotten a deal on it while in town at a second hand store. His wife was thrilled and happy to see things looking like a proper home.
With a little more work it quickly felt like home and a pretty little baby girl joined the family. What a blessing she was but as the parents soon learned, babies are expensive. A new washer and dryer followed and life was busier than ever. Little sleep and constant working to try to get ahead took it's toll and the couple realized how important it was to make time for their faith and each other.
An injury at work and a dishonest workmans compensation manager suddenly ended the husbands steady employment. Baby girl wasn't just over a year old and there was no way they could make it on the wife's wages alone. Facing surgery, recovery and questions about his physical ability to perform heavy tasks the husband finally announced his plans to his wife. He would become a long haul truck driver. This require a three month training at a voc-tech school.
How to afford the tuition when he was out of work was the question. A small loan was obtained and the funds carefully divided to last while he completed the training course. Immediately after graduation he was employed again. It was a blessing for sure but so hard so wave and smile as he left for another long stint on the road. Baby girl was now eighteen months old and the wife now had a day job. Life was a bit easier, except for the fact that it was lonely and a lot of work to take care of everything with her husband gone so often.
Baby girl enjoyed growing up in the country, playing with her puppy, kitty cat and later her pony. She learned to talk to daddy on the phone and was soon old enough to start school. Daddy continued to be gone three or four weeks at a time and the strain on the relationship was evident.
He came home and took a job at the carpet shop which had grown into a successful business. When he'd come home from being a long-haul truck driver, his wife had given him the ultimatum she would leave if he ever took another job that required him to be away from home for so long. It only took two years for her resolve to be tested. The stress at the shop was unbearable and a trucking company that guaranteed their drivers would be home every weekend was hiring. Of course they weren't all the time but it was OK. God had reminded the wife of the definition of true love found in First Corinthians chapter thirteen and challenged her to love her husband that way. This was just another test to make the relationship stronger. They were learning.
Not long after this, the company the wife now worked for was looking for a driver that would be home every day. Working together on his resume they submitted it and held their breath. It was a good company with great benefits and excellent pay. Within a couple of weeks they had the answer. He was hired.
Over the next few years they paid off the little trailer house. The baby girl was now nearly ten years old. Time just seemed to slip by in a muddle of work, sleep, chores and very short weekends but it was nice to look back and see the progress that had been made and the deepening relationship that had been built with sweat and tears.
The wife went back to the little jewelry store on the square looking for a good watch for a gift for her husband. She made her selection with the help of the shop keeper and had a look around the tiny space. Something caught her eye and a second look confirmed that the rings with the hearts that formed the band were still there, after all these years.
As the husband admired his new watch, she shared the fact that the poor shop owner still hadn't sold the set of rings they'd looked at years ago. The setting had been remade into a larger one, now a third of a carat for the engagement band. Other than that and a new price tag over seven hundred dollars, it was the same.
Just the thought of the wedding rings sent her mind back what seemed like another century now, the time they were just starting out as newlyweds, full of wonder about what the future would hold. A smile and shake of the head were all she gave when she remembered her original plans to build a house a couple of years after they married. It had been nearly fifteen years and they were still in the mobile home but now had a house full of furniture, a barn and two good vehicles. Most importantly, they were still together and had learned more than they thought possible about keeping a marriage together and parenting.
Date nights for the couple were welcome but rare. It was so hard to find the time but anniversaries were special events to be celebrated. This particular anniversary was a bit of a milestone since it was the fifteenth. They made plans to dine at a beautiful restaurant on the lake. It felt so good to be together, alone again. The conversation was peppered with comments about how the time had gone so quickly and how fast the baby girl was growing. Life was good.
Somewhere between dessert and the bill the husband reached across the table with a tiny box. "I got you something." he said. She stared at the rings glittering in the dim light. Such a ridiculous sum of money to spend on jewelry she thought. "I can't believe you did it!" she whispered. "You're worth it." he replied. "I'll still keep my old ones....they'll always be the ones we got married with" she murmured as she slipped them off and slid the new set on. It still fit perfectly.
The next time she saw the little jewelry store on the square there was no sign in the window, just an empty store. All those years the rings had waited, through tears, arguments, hugs, celebrations, moves, the birth of a child, seasons after season for fifteen years. Now the shop was closed.
Was there a deeper meaning? Could it be that God was trying to show this couple that there's a reward for the work? Marriage is work. Not without enjoyment or rewards of course but sometimes a sacrifice of ones desires or hurt feelings that have to be resolved to work towards a greater goal of sharing both the joys and sorrows of life "till death do us part" in respect of the marriage vows and the God that ordained marriage.
Each time she saw the rings she thought how the trials of past years seemed small now that they were past. She thought of the future happy moments they would share in spite of the mountains yet to be climbed and felt a reassurance that there would be another fifteen years to add to the first because they had God's word and a strong desire to honor their commitments.
So far it's been nearly twenty six years since they married and every effort to keep the it alive has been worth it. I know because I am that wife.
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