Empty of the Treasure, by Lisa Beavers

Please welcome back for the SECOND time, my dear friend, Lisa Beavers!
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It was Valentine's weekend. It was also the same month that marked 10 years since my husband had gotten down on one knee, opened up a box to reveal a princess cut solitaire diamond, and asked me to marry him.



I was enjoying an evening out on the town with my coworkers as a treat from our boss who gave us tickets to see the show “Grease”. We had dinner before the show, then afterwards spontaneously decided to swing by Krispy Kreme because what's better than fresh, hot donuts at 10:00 at night? I came home giddy from sugar, bubbling over with stories to my husband. I plopped on the couch next to him, and suddenly noticed as I looked down at my left hand that something was very wrong. The diamond from my engagement ring was gone. The prongs stuck out, empty of the treasure they had held onto for 10 years.

Not the actual ring ;)

My heart plunged. One minute I was a happy storyteller, the next a devastated wife who had lost the jewel that cost my husband so much. For all the places I had been that night, finding a diamond would literally be like finding a needle in a haystack. The next day I went through the motions of hope, called all the places I had been, and reported the loss of the diamond on the crazy chance it would be found. One woman I talked to basically laughed at me for ever thinking I would find it, and hung up on me. Others were more compassionate and sincere while promising to look for it. Who was I kidding? I knew it would take a miracle to bring my diamond back onto my finger. I shared the story woefully with some ladies in my church family at a brunch the next day, and one of them said, “Well, you never know what God might be up to here. He is all about showing us how He cares for even the smallest details of our life, and He is also able to do what seems impossible.”

On the way home, I decided for the first time to really pray about the whole thing. Honestly, I didn't even think to pray about finding it because it just seemed SO impossible. As I prayed, something truly beautiful happened. I started out by telling God I believed He was capable of helping me find my diamond. I told Him I believed He knew exactly where that little shining gem was. I asked Him to redeem this sad story, and bring about something of value. I just couldn't bear the thought that this was a senseless loss that would have no redemptive meaning. Even if I never found my diamond, I asked that He would redeem this loss, and bring about something good and beautiful for me. I couldn't shake the feeling He had something for me to discover in all of this. I asked Him to show me. It was then I heard myself say to Him, “God, you are more precious to me than diamonds". Then the tears slid down my face, and with the tears came this incredible deep down peace as I let go. If I only had Jesus, I truly didn't need a single other thing in this life. Suddenly the diamond lost it's value as my relationship with the Creator of the Universe found it's rightful place in my heart as the MOST PRECIOUS THING!!

Oh readers, if I could somehow communicate the joy that filled my heart, you would be able to believe me when I tell you I told God “It's ok if I never find my diamond again. If it took me losing a diamond to re-discover my love for You, and to be reminded I can be fully satisfied in You, it was WORTH IT.”

THIS is the climax of this story. Finding my SATISFACTION AND JOY IN MY CREATOR. The way He romanced my heart back to Him so I was too in love with Him to be caught up in the loss of a diamond.

The climax of the story is NOT that He allowed my fingers to brush up against something small and hard and sparkly a few days later in the folds of my purse. It is NOT that my original diamond was returned to me and is now re-set (in a much sturdier setting!!) on my finger. No, my diamond is now all the more valuable to me BECAUSE ITS LOSS GAVE ME SO MUCH MORE as I fell in love with my Jesus again.

Engagement Day- February 28, 2006 =)