Month: September 2018

Every day there is a ring on the fourth finger of my left hand. It is not a decoration. It is a declaration of the commitment I made to an amazing woman, and the experiences we have shared together for the last 30 years.

This band of gold started out shiny, unblemished, and beautiful. However, through the ups and downs of life it was bent out of shape many times. Twice it was soldered to repair a crack. I have worn my wedding ring through garden weeding, home remodeling projects, cleaning out diapers, and auto repairs. My wedding ring has had a challenging “life”. Through the skillful work of a jeweler what looked dull and worn became new again.

Once the ring was stolen off my finger after a motorcycle accident overseas. When we returned to the US for a furlough we went to a jewelry store to look for a replacement. Cathy found one with diamonds to replace the plain band I had previously. As she placed it on my finger like on our wedding day she shared her thanks that I was still among the living.

My relationship with my wife is a treasure, but it has not always been shiny and glistening…just like my wedding ring. There have been times when it has experienced dirty jobs, bends and breaks. Through these experiences the God that joined us together has taken the eternal values of love, grace, and commitment to take what looks worn and tired, and make it shine like it’s first day.

As my wedding ring “speaks” of my marriage, it also reflects on my relationship with God. There have been times when my Christian faith has been bent out of shape through my struggles with sin. At times it has seriously fractured. The shine is sometimes diminished through suffering and trials. There have been moments when I thought I had lost it in the dark night of depression. But, our God is a amazing craftsman when it comes to our lives. He understands how to take something that is bent, broken, and looks like junk, and transform it into a thing of beauty.

My ring is priceless to me. It’s value is not based on the current price of precious metals or gems. It is a treasure because it represents two journeys that have shaped my life; my marriage and my faith. The ring is a testimony of a faithful God that can take the challenging experiences of my life and transform them into something glistening and beautiful.

My youngest son started something new this year. His second favorite sport, after football, is summer baseball. He usually plays third base. This year he added the position of pitcher to his resume. While watching his games I recalled the wisdom that my father gave me during my little league years. When pitching his advice was always about “focus”, that where your eyes were focused is where you would throw the ball.

This idea of “focus” applies to many areas of my life; where I focus is where I tend to go. A lack of focus affects my driving, like drifting off the road while trying to read a sign. When I am fixated on the negative aspects of a relationship I tend to see only the faults in another. When I am discouraged life appears hopeless. What I focus on will rule the moment. This even applies to my spiritual life.

I am “a sinner saved by grace”. This is my history. I was forever separated from God, trapped by the sinful nature that is an inheritance from those that have gone before me. But contrary to what my life should have been I received Christ’s gift of grace, mercy, and redemption, transforming me into a saint. This is what characterizes my life now.

I continue to fall short of what God calls me to, which emphasizes the “sinner” part of my past. However, if this is my focus that is what I will constantly see. If I am destined to focus on my failures I will continue to be drawn to that path and will continue to struggle with overcoming my sin. I am discovering that my focus needs to be on Jesus. If I truly want to cooperate with God’s transformation process I need to shift my focus from my history of sinfulness to my progress toward sainthood.

If my life is consumed with walking in the direction I need to go my faults from the past have less control and influence. I should learn from my past but not allow it to direct the focus of my future.