Diamond's are a girl's best friend....or so they say...
Since my divorce, I have missed wearing my wedding ring. There are days I open my jewelry cabinet and there it is...staring at me. I love my ring - it represented our family, a sense of pride I had, and a symbol of love and commitment. For 15 years, it represented my marriage...the ups, downs, and everything in between. It had Play-Doh, dirt, slime, and who knows what else once stuck in the grooves and prongs. It has been through a lot. But, I loved that ring for what it represented and the memories made while committed to my marriage and family. To me, the ring / diamond wasn't a prized possession because of the diamond quality - or how big it was, but because it told a story - a story that I once cherished.
I remember taking my ring off when I knew it was all over. I remember putting it in my jewelry cabinet, knowing I would never wear it again. It made me sad. And, to this day, every time I see it, I still get sad and feel hurt. However, I truly do value the ring and the memories made - much the same way I value my failed marriage. I will always appreciate the lessons learned, good times, hard times, and happy times we had. I can choose to focus on the ending - or choose to embrace the in-between and remember the "good" times.
Following the blow of "the news" in July / August, 2021, I found out what a panic attack was. I was scared out of my mind, hurt like never before, devastated, and beyond confused. During one particular conversation, a friend asked if I prayed without ceasing. I responded with something like "that sounds like a great idea, but no...not sure that's even possible." My friend went on to suggest that we should try to pray as much as possible throughout the day - and also focus on those things that we are grateful for. Great idea...but, is it really possible right now?! In an effort to try to implement this great "idea," I made a sheet of labels that has 16 diamonds on each label. The diamond was just a random "symbol" I found to use...it had no meaning, other than to serve as a sort of check-box for each prayer. My thought was to fill in the diamonds with each prayer I said as the day progressed.
{{ I should pause here and say that, despite this plan, I'm still not a great consistent prayer warrior. This is one area of my life I strongly desire to improve upon and become more focused on in my faith journey. }}
Nonetheless, as I was putting on labels for this week, I suddenly realized the irony of the diamond. Maybe a diamond really is a girl's best friend. But, not the hard mineral type of diamond. Rather, a diamond that serves as a symbol of prayer and connection with God is a girl's best friend. Yes. That.
I don't need a rock to remind me of my earthly blessings / challenges. But, I do need a strong relationship with God to keep me grounded and growing in faith. And, one way that can happen is through prayer.
On particularly challenging days, my friend is great about saying, "Hey, did you fill in your diamonds today?" In other words, go to God...talk to HIM.
Fill in those diamonds today, friends. God's got us - even when it may not seem like it. 🔶 🔶 🔶 🔶 🔶 🔶 🔶 🔶
Until next time... Kari [xoxo]
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