With This Ring

Yesterday, I went to town to get things going on Grant's wedding band. He's had mine for a month now and with "the day" only 65 days away, I thought it was time for me to get going. :) For those of you who do not know, I've had a plan for years about my future husband's wedding band.

You see, seven years ago, my parents presented me with a purity ring. On my seventeenth birthday, they gave me an outward symbol of the promise I'd inwardly made years before. I remember that morning, opening up the box and taking out my beautiful ring. It was a gold band with a cross inside of a heart. I've worn it ever since that day. It has raised questions, to which I've gladly answered. It has received various remarks leading up to me giving my purity testimony. It's been as much of my body as my skin, so taking it off yesterday and handing it to the jewelers was a sad experience. But I have had this plan you see.... :)

For years I have said that when it comes time to marry, I wanted to take my purity ring and have it merged in with my husband's wedding band. And that is what I'm doing! They will be taking the heart out (sad and graphically explained, I know) and molding it to the wedding band that we picked out. I'll get my band back and I hope to, one day, make a mother's ring for my daughter if God ever decides to bless me with one.

I'm going to miss the feel of my ring, but it will be worth it when I slip it on his hand. To me, it will be like saying, "I saved myself for you - I saved everything. And this was an outward symbol of what I saved...and now I'm giving it to you...with this ring."

In closing, I'd like to share with you this poem that came along with my purity ring.

This ring's a special symbol
of the promise that I've made.
With Your help, O Lord, I know
it's glow will never fade.

With Your help, Lord, I'll stand firm
though some may criticize.
For whose opinion matters,
if I look good in Your eyes?

Who can give me anything
to take the place of You?
Who on earth can justify
a love that isn't true?

So, I make my statement,
on my hand and in my heart.
I know, one day, I'll hear You say
I chose the better part.

The world calls this old fashioned;
still, I'll wait - it's just a while.
For Honor, Truth, and Faithfulness
are never out of style.

Whether you have an outward symbol or not, let me just encourage you to SAVE YOURSELF! And do whatever it takes to remain pure. On your wedding day, when you slip a ring onto your spouse's finger, I hope you, too, will be able to say, "I saved all this for you..."  :)