The red leather cube barely fills my palm. Its worn edges hint at its age. I push the tiny metal button and lift the lid with excitement having a general idea of what’s inside. The inner lining of the lid tells me of its origins: H.A. Jepsen Jeweler; Petaluma, Calif.—the birthplace of my mother and her mother before her.
Inside, I find two gold rings nestled in silk. One ring is stunning with a large square diamond at its center and two smaller squares of sparkly gems on either side. The other ring is a simple band, but when I turn it I see an inscription:“DGB PEB 17”—the initials of my great-grandparents and the year they were married.
I slip the rings on the fourth finger of my right hand. I think they will be too large, but oh, they fit perfectly! I try to remember how these rings looked on my great-grandmother’s hand. I remember the softness of her wrinkled skin and the scent of roses that stayed with me after our visits, but I do not remember these rings.
I am now the keeper of a set of 100-year-old wedding rings. I do not say ‘owner’, that word doesn’t fit. They are not mine, they belonged to another woman from an era long forgotten. I will hold them and, one day, pass them on to my own children. They are the oldest possessions in my care, and I feel the weight of their history.
Even as I think those words, I know they aren’t true. The Holy Spirit reminds me that I possess a truth much older and much more valuable. I do not know the monetary value of my great-grandmother’s rings but I know truth of the gospel is priceless. Matthew 13:46 tells me the Kingdom of Heaven is like a priceless pearl: “When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it” (NIV).
The rings on my finger are precious, a treasure I never dreamed would end up in my care. How much more precious is my faith, a gift to me at the great cost of the life of the Son of God? I let my thoughts dwell on that gift and question my heart: How much do I treasure my faith?
This devotion was originally published at Joyful Life Magazine. Sign up to receive their Daily Devotions in your inbox.
Republished with permission from Blogs.crossmap.com, featuring inspiring Bible verses about DEVOTIONAL: A Gift to Treasure — Nicole O’Meara.
