Sometimes the most entertaining stories of the week in TCI don’t involve our patients, but the interactions with our amazing staff. Here is a funny and loving story from last week. I hope you enjoy this as much as Shes, our staff, and I did. 

After several weeks being away from ASELSI, I returned to our therapy program for Tuesday morning announcements and prayer before starting the day. As we greeted one another, one of our workers noticed the ring on my finger. She quickly pointed it out to the others. 

Before long, they were all giggling and laughing, “It’s a promise ring.” I didn’t pay much attention, but later that day I decided in the morning I’d give them the full story. Before I could, they were sharing stories with me and wondering what guy I had met in Canilla. They seemed convinced the reason I kept spending so much time in Canilla, instead of ASELSI, must be because I had a boyfriend there. One of them even concocted a story about my getting a flat tire, and a tall, dark and handsome man coming to my rescue. They might be watching too many movies. Ha! Ha! Quite entertaining, but in it all I sensed their love, too. 

After hearing their stories, I asked if they’d like to hear the real story of the ring. I told them that several years ago while I was an intern and Bible school student at my home church in Corpus Christi, I heard the Lord say to me in prayer, “I am your husband until or if I give you one here on the earth.” I sensed a need to purchase a ring to remind me of those words. I found one but didn’t really like it, so several months later when visiting my grandmother in South Dakota, I was drawn to the jewelry section of a store and felt as if God handpicked the ring He wanted for me.

When I moved to Guatemala, I stopped wearing the ring regularly because I didn’t want it to be stolen, for one thing.  I also didn’t want to scratch a child or adult patient while working with them. A few years ago, I had brought it out for special occasions, but after a conversation with a missionary this weekend about God providing for her as her husband, I sensed a need to wear it more.

So there you have it, too, the promise of God’s faithfulness and love for me is what is held in my ring; a physical and visual reminder of His word spoken to me in prayer and through His word in the book of Isaiah. So if you see me with a ring on my finger, you will know why I have what our workers thought was an engagement ring.

“For your Maker is your husband, the Lord of hosts his name” (Isaiah 54:5a ESV)