What a surprise

When my husband was asking me to marry him, he could have chosen any ring – or none at all – and I would have said yes. He has wonderful taste, and I would certainly trust him to choose one for me. But I also thought it might be fun to look for one together. I told him that I didn’t need to be surprised.

The first jewelry store we walked into felt large and intimidating. Minutes into our trip there, I realized a salesperson with a clipboard had pounced on John and was talking him through a financing agreement.

Nope, nope, nope. 

If we had to borrow money to pay for a ring, I didn’t want one. So, we left and drove around, talking about what I was hoping for – something symbolic of our love, something special, something we wouldn’t regret buying as we saved up for a house.

We found our way to a smaller family-owned jewelry store and went inside.

“Do you have any Claddagh rings?” I asked. The owners pulled out catalogs with a few options we could order. John asked if we could add a gemstone to one, and the answer was an immediate yes.

We talked through our choices, all in a friendly, low-stress way, and all staying within our budget. Placing the order was a beautiful, personal experience, and we left feeling relieved and excited.

A few weeks later, John went to pick up the ring without me. And on Valentine’s Day, he took me to an Italian restaurant for dinner. You can make all the plans you want, but life happens. Somehow, the restaurant failed to keep our reservation, and – after giving up on an extensive wait – we found ourselves driving around looking for somewhere to have dinner.

I would have said yes over a burger and fries in a fast-food drive-through, but John wanted the proposal to be special. We drove around for a while, unsure where we would be able to find a table on Valentine’s Day – which was a Saturday that year. We made our way to a lovely romantic restaurant where unbelievably there was a table available.

After a delicious dinner, over a decadent chocolate dessert, John told me how much he loved me and asked me to spend the rest of my life with him. I said yes, and he gave me the ring. It was one of the happiest moments of my life.

Even though I had helped pick it out, the Claddagh ring was more beautiful and special than I could have imagined. And, although the evening had been carefully planned, it took twists and turns. How it all came together was still a wonderful surprise.

Even with our best plans, life is full of surprises. Whether they bring joy or sorrow, pleasure or pain, light or darkness, they offer us an opportunity to grow in love and relationship with God and others who walk life’s journey with us.

“The Spirit is the gift of God…our Father, who always surprises us: the God of surprises,” Pope Francis told us. “Just as he had the creativity to create the world, so he has the creativity to create new things every day.”

As we continue through the dark days of winter and progress toward Lent, we have such a beautiful opportunity to let God surprise us. He is always creating something new in the world – and in our lives – and he is inviting us to encounter his love in new ways each day.

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