Faith or just coincidence?

 

 

 

 

In case you don’t know I am still sort of a newly wed. At the time of our wedding Henrik and I decided to keep following in the Danish tradition, that is to wear matching wedding bands. Henrik is a big guy with big hands so it was no small size we had to order for him. And of course we had to go fall in love with a substantial gold/white-gold combo that weighed a ton and cost a small fortune. Well,  since we were going to do this only once we decided to do it in style and the rings have looked great on our fingers ever since..... that is until one fatal night out in Copenhagen.

We had gone to a Kebab restaurant down on the famous Copenhagen walking street Strøget, and then to the movies at a very popular theater just next to Tivoli garden. Both super busy places.

It was a great evening that we both enjoyed, but the next morning when Henrik woke up he noticed that his finger felt bare and lighter. Long story short his ring was missing. We turned the house inside out looking... and no results. He was devastated and totally worried. The only time he could think of that this ring was lost was the night before in either the restaurant bathroom when washing his hands or the movie bathroom.  While drying with a paper towel it could have slipped off without him noticing.

He was convinced that it would be of no use to even go to Copenhagen and search these two places.

 

We went to Church and he was literally in tears and crushed.

(For those of you who don’t know us well. Henrik and I married 3 years ago. A third marriage for me and the first time for him at age 45. He has waited a long time to get married and this ring really meant the world to him.)

 

At Church Jeanette, my friend mentioned in my earlier entry, saw something was wrong with him and came over and talked.

She is notorious for helping people pray for their lost things and believes so much. My husband did not believe he would ever find this ring. She told him: ”I know you will find this ring. Heavenly Father has just told me so.”

 

After a depressing afternoon we finally convinced Henrik that the window of opportunity to go search for this ring was quickly closing. So Michael and Chris and he drove to town on a mission to find his wedding ring.

 

The excursion was fruitless, but gross. They had to brave two disgusting containers. One from a restaurant and one from the movie theater...... no further explanation will be necessary for you to get the picture.

 

A few more effort was made in searching here at home. With every pillow turned and even the removal of our mattress.

 

Days turned to weeks and months and the sad fact was that we couldn’t afford to go replace the ring.. and he didn’t really want to because it wouldt be the same. And truly I could not comfort him in regards to the loss of this ring.

 

Many Sundays Jeanett would come to him and ask if he had found it, and the answer was always no.

 

Fast forward a few more months..... we, the party people were yet again hosting some event or other. I think actually Amy’s farewell to Denmark. In our somewhat small living room I had lined up a few chairs in front of the TV across from the rooms only, but big and comfy, couch.

We never sit there because it’s silly to sit in front of ones TV hence blocking the view for anyone else.

At the end of the long party and with a few of the guest still lingering in the room, Henrik sat down on one of these chairs and his eye caught something glittering just under the couch. He thought it was odd and went to check it out..... Voila! it was his wedding ring. The happiness knew no boundaries... he was truly elated and so was I and the boys... and the guests who were still there probably thought the excitement over one little ring was a bit excessive.

And that could be the end of the story, but it’s not.

It was now past midnight and we were super tired, but I just had to call Jeanett and tell her about the ring. So in spite of  it being poor social etiquette etc. I dialed her number and hoped that I didn’t wake her up.

 

Jeanett answered and I told her we had found the ring. I expected her to be super excited and chime in with her usual energy and happiness.

She just said: ”I know”. ”How could you possibly know this?” I asked.

She told me that she and Henrik had talked that previous Sunday and that once again she had told him that she really felt he would find it soon. Their small sunday talks were of some comfort to Henrik, but really he had given up hope of finding this ring again. 

Then during the week she had thought of Henrik and his ring many times for some reason. She had prayed (sadly to say more than us) that he would find it. She was disturbed that she had felt a clear message that he would find it and she was confused that he hadn’t. But Thursday morning she felt inspired to call the temple in Copenhagen and ask them to put Henrik’s name on the prayer roll. She followed her inspiration and did it.

And the next day Henrik found the ring in our living room.

 

You decide! Faith or coincidence? Really in my mind there is nothing to decide. I have had yet another personal experience to confirm to me the powerful tool that prayer and faith on behalf of others can be.