I’d been in the HOLY LAND for only 48 hours on my recent trip when I felt the urge to buy a souvenir. I’m fond of jewelry; it’s easy to pack and then it reminds me of my journeys each time I wear it.

A simple black and silver ring with a cross on it caught my eye at the gift shop at the Basilica of the Anunciation. I tried on a few and the size 7 fit me perfectly.

I was pleased with my purchase; it was a simple statement of the reverence of the cross and the trust that Mary had in God. However, by late evening, the two bands had already come apart. I thought, “What do you expect for $4.00? A little super glue and the ring will be as good as new!”

The next day on our morning bus ride, I started fiddling with the two pieces and found there was a little ridge on the inner band. When the two pieces were in just the right position, the ridges connected and the ring slid back together as one.

My ring has become a symbol for my faith. My faith goes along well for awhile where I feel like I am growing in Christ and then one day, I get up and it feels like my faith has unraveled. I thought that once I became a Christian, my faith would be on a steady trajectory up and I would continue to feel the presence of God more each day. Instead my faith is a lot of two steps forward, one step back.

There isn’t any “superglue” to being a Christian, where life magically becomes perfect. But each time I feel like my life is spinning out of control, I slowly mend my faith back together again with calmness and discipline, relying fully on God’s love, mercy, and grace.

Blessings,

Agatha

The Ring- (click here for MP3 file)