A Ring and a Daydream

J C Penney recently sent me a $10 coupon which could be used on any item costing $10 or more.  Penney’s is of course hoping that I’ll find something that costs $100 and end up spending $90 of my own cash, but I went in with dreams of finding something spectacular for $10.01. 

As I passed the costume jewelry, I saw a beautiful ring with a pale green Swarovski crystal on sale for only $19.99.   When I got it home, after spending $9.99 of my own money, I decided that it looked suspiciously like an engagement ring, and the pale green had simply been a reflection of the outfit I was wearing.    Thoughts of returning the ring invaded my brain.  In general, I like my hands to look like they need decorating and avoid wearing engagement look-alikes unless I’m actively trying to discourage someone from asking me out.  These circumstances (trying to discourage someone from asking me out) are rare and rather hard to predict.  They usually occur when I’m shopping, and play out something like this. 

I’m casually putting groceries into the trunk of my car when I hear a man yelling, “Excuse me!”  I look up and see a man 30 feet away.  He has my attention; so now he flatters me with an invitation.  “Excuse me.  Are you single?  Because if you are, I’d love to buy you dinner.”

As you can imagine I don’t have time, or any inclination at this point, to flash fake rings.  I simply jump into my car and drive like mad. 

So in a fit of pure decadence (if spending $9.99 can count as such), I decided to keep the ring and pretend for one afternoon that I was engaged to a dashingly handsome man who could afford to buy me an enormous diamond.  I cleaned house with my fake engagement ring which probably doesn’t make sense.  If I was marrying a ridiculously wealthy man, I’d be hiring a maid at this point.  I felt blissfully happy in my made-up world.

When I finished cleaning the house, I decided I rather liked my new ring and that it didn’t look so much like an engagement ring after all, and I decided to wear it to work the next day. That’s when I noticed one of the tiny border stones had fallen out of the setting.  My beautiful ring, just like my daydream, had its brief moment of beauty and was gone. 

I returned to being just Laura once again – the one who goes to work and does not have a husband of any sort, including the dashingly handsome kind.  I was, nevertheless happy, because I believe Proverbs 31:30 to be true.

“Charm is deceitful, and beauty is fleeting: but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.” 

Perhaps someday I’ll have a real diamond, but the allure of what could be is nothing next to the rock I already have.  “The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge…”  Psalm 18:2

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