We had been married no less than a year, maybe two, still attending college. We had a decent-sized apartment and were living off of government grants, Husband Man's meager salary, and five dollar pizzas. Our life wasn't overly busy, but there was one day where Husband Man realised he had somehow misplaced his wedding ring.
It was afternoon, and we spent a good chunk of it searching for the ring. We treasure our wedding rings and their symbolism, so we certainly wanted it back sooner rather than later. Living room, kitchen, bathroom, bedroom-- even the large vent in the floor outside the bathroom, and the two extra bedrooms upstairs... pockets of all the dirty clothes turned inside out... places that made sense, and places that didn't... no ring. Nothing. I felt heartbroken as we wondered whether it was even in the house.
Finally we sat down to pray. I remember we had the thought, and knelt right there on the cool tile of the front entryway. Husband Man said the prayer, and asked Father in Heaven for help to find this ring because it meant so much to us. He ended the prayer, and got up to search again. I just knelt there, arms still folded. Where on earth could it be?
Then I stood, and wandered back into the bathroom. He had taken a shower that morning, and usually left the ring on the counter. Almost without thinking I reached down into the little trash can that sat on the floor by the cabinet. I moved a few tissues and revealed Husband Man's wedding ring, nestled right in the trash. I snatched it up--thank goodness we had looked then instead of waiting for it to turn up! We would have thrown the trash (and the ring) out and been none the wiser. We knelt right away and said a prayer of Thanksgiving.
Shortly after the incident I found a small dish to put on the bathroom counter where we could put rings when they weren't being worn.
Fast forward three or four years, to about a week ago. We have just celebrated five years together, with one (ridiculously adorable) son and a baby on the way. We have lived in no less than four different apartments. The ring dish was replaced by a different one that could also hold my earrings--but it was still keeping rings safe during showers.
I've picked up the habit of taking my rings off when I'm in the kitchen. I rinse my fingers often when I'm cooking or baking, and my wedding ring especially sort of holds water and leaves my finger wet for a while. I'll remove it and lay it on the counter to dry, and then put it back on when I come across it next. If Husband Man is home, he'll usually pick it up and take them to the dish in the bathroom (which is where they should go, really).
At some point on Sunday evening I had taken the rings off, and never gotten around to finding them again. It wasn't until I was getting to leave the house Monday afternoon that I realised I wasn't wearing my wedding ring. No problem--I went to the bathroom, where I knew I would find it. All my rings were there... except my wedding ring. A spark of panic lit in my stomach. I rushed to the kitchen, but I had just finished cleaning it and hadn't come across the ring. Oh no, what if it was in the garbage disposal?? Can't look now, I'm supposed to be leaving... I dashed around the house, pleading in my heart to find the ring, but no luck. I took GB to the science center without my ring.
Husband Man came home, and asked if I had found the ring. I told him I hadn't, and ended up being more emotionally upset than was probably necessary (thanks, pregnancy). He calmed me down and sent me to the store with GB while he searched the house. The hour I was gone I kept telling myself he would find the ring--he finds lots of things. When I returned home, the only thing he had found was a missing screwdriver (thanks, GB). I again felt heartbroken. I love my wedding ring, how could I have lost it?
Trying to pray in my heart while I searched wasn't enough. I finally went into the bedroom and knelt down before my Heavenly Father. Whenever I pray, I know I'll receive an answer... but I often doubt that I'll understand the answer, that I'm somehow incapable of getting it. A scripture we had just talked about in companion study popped into my head--from Alma, where he is teaching the people and says something to the effect of, "If you have no more than a desire to believe, a tiny seed, then the Lord will hear you." In a "help thou my unbelief" moment, I pleaded with Father to not only help me receive an answer, but to overcome my weakness. I needed to know where my ring was, it was so important to me.
I ended the prayer, but before I could have time to ponder an answer GB came running in and found me. Trusting that Heavenly Father would help me, I put the matter in His hands. He had helped me before; He would do it again. I helped GB with his toys, and then went back to the kitchen to finish cleaning up. Again, I went through in my mind where I had been over the last 24 hours, when I might have taken the ring off... the kitchen was the only place I thought of...
Then I remembered Husband Man's habit of picking up after me. Every once in a while he'll put the ring in his pocket before he gets to the bathroom. I asked him if it was possible the ring was in his pants pocket. He replied that he didn't think so, but if it would help me feel better he would go and look in his pockets from yesterday. After a few minutes he came into the kitchen--the ring had been in his pocket the entire time. He felt bad, but I was just happy it was found. I hugged him and thanked him, (I knew he was happy too). Then I quickly went back to the bedroom to say a prayer of thanksgiving. My heart swelled with joy and gratitude that my Father in Heaven had heard me and answered my prayer.
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