Ring Around The Marriage

Last night, as we were driving to Starbucks, Leona’s wedding ring was shining through her fuzzy, pink gloves.  It was awesome, so I had to take a picture:

It reminds me what a great symbol a  wedding ring is for marriage:    Gold (purity of our commitment & love) , Endless Circle (Endless commitment) and a Ring (of protection)

Once on our honeymoon I took my wedding ring off  and left it in the shower.  When Leona discovered it a few minutes later, she freaked out.  Which of course,  caused me to freak out.  It scared me silly that I might have accidently left it there or lost it down the drain!

So from that moment forward, with the few exceptions when I have taken my ring off to illustrate the symbolism of baptism, I have not removed my wedding ring.   Actually, I don’t think I can even get it off of my finger, at this point!

Here’s why I’m sharing this with you.  With the stress of the holidays,  the economy and other pressures right now, slipping into a danger zone in our marriages is always a possibility.  Just like the ring, our marriages need a hedge of protection around them so that they are not left behind or lost down the drain.  We need to keep them close at hand.

Marriage is a covenant between you, your spouse and God.   Why not take a moment  and ask God to place a ring around your marriage, right now?  Ask for His protection, for a renewed commitment to your spouse, and the ability to love like He loves.

Twenty years and three kids later, Leona and I are doing great.  But our marriage will only be strong for the next twenty as we commit ourselves to God and each other – and place a ring around our marriage.  I hope the same for you.

For inspiration, here’s  a short talk I did a few years ago that I go back to every now and then, just as a reminder: Affair-Proofing Your Marriage