Dear Poppy,

I lost my wedding ring today…at Oceanside…at the beach…in the surf.

Gone.

I told you the moment I noticed it was not on my finger, but you didn’t believe me. It had probably been in the surf for at least 15 minutes when I noticed it was no longer on my finger. You see, I subconsciously touch and twist my ring throughout the day. I never take it off. It’s always a reminder of who I belong to. I wore it in the ocean on our honeymoon in Bermuda (Island, not Dunes). I wore it in the river while cave tubing in Belize on our first anniversary. I’ve wore it during every round of golf I’ve ever played since I said, “I do”. I joke about a lot of things, but I would never lie about my wedding ring. It’s way too valuable to me because you gave it to me on the day we were married. I’ve never lost it before; not until today.

Some would say, “It’s just a ring”, right? Lots of guys have lost their rings for all kinds of reasons. I didn’t do it on purpose. I was just tossing the football around with my nephew Patrick when it slipped off my finger without me noticing. My ring would be easily replaced. White gold. Smooth band. No diamonds or bling of any kind. Simple and clean, just the way I wanted my ring to be.

After our initial shock, we hugged and you said that you would buy me a new one that was bigger and better. I truly appreciated how calm you were in that moment. All of our friends and family had their eyes combing the beach where I believed I my ring had been lost. The surf continued to roll in and out it seemed like we would only have about 5 seconds to look for it until the next wave rolled in. How far out was my ring in the surf? Was it constantly moving. Was the ocean throwing it this way and that?

In the next five minutes of the search, the golfer in me thought it was best to call it off the search party and officially declare it lost. No need to have all my friends search in vain. “Time to tee up a new one.” Maybe I need to to put it out of my mind by taking a long swim in the ocean. No, I’ll keep looking. “Dear God. You know where my ring is. Help me find it.”

My sister Glenda told me that another friend was coming to join us tomorrow and he had a metal detector. “Oh”, I said. “That would be great.” But in my head I thought, “I want it now! I need it now!”

Glenda: “Are you sure you were wearing it?”

Me: “Yes, I always wear it. I know for a fact that I was playing with my ring and constantly touching it. It’s what I do.”

Time to retrace my steps again…nothing but sand, surf, and shells. WAIT! Katie, remember the bee? It was close to you in the sand and you asked me to get rid of it. I picked it up with my ring hand and flung it up by the road. Maybe I’ll look up by the road. Maybe it’s there.

Nothing.

Glenda: “I went back and looked at the photos I took of you and Patrick playing catch and yes, your ring was on your hand.” I love my sister. So CSI of her. Well, I only moved a total of 15 feet from playing catch to sitting down in my chair when I discovered it gone, but I can’t find it.

“God, please help me find my ring.”

Another 5 minutes…nothing. “I wonder what is going through Katie’s mind?” You were just standing there on the edge of the surf, watching Aden and Ava splash through the water, but you seemed distant. Did you think about our wedding? Did you feel loss? Did you feel that somehow things would always be slightly changed?

“God, please help me find my ring” I turned my back to the ocean. I was done looking. The surf continued to roll back and forth, back and forth, back and forth.

And just like that, there it was, between your feet. The edge of the longed for ring, barely breaking the surface of the firmly packed, wet sand.

Rejoice.

The entire time it was right there, lost, but within reach. I couldn’t help to thank God for giving me back my ring. And it made me wonder how often we as people are lost, separated from God, as He desperately wants to reconnect with us. How far out are our lives in the surf? Are they constantly moving? Is the ocean throwing them this way and that? How often do we get pulled away from the One who loves us the most? How often does He tell us to open our eyes and hearts because He’s always within reach?

You picked up my wedding ring today…at Oceanside…at the beach…in the surf…found.

All my heart, MAX