Simple is...

Slavery to the world and its ways subtly slipped in and out of my life for too many years, but I'm drawing a line in the sand and saying, "No more." I used to think it was normal to spend inordinate amounts of time dreaming of a new convertible, designer watch, or luxury cruise. Little did I realize that each day I focused on the "things of this world" my heart took another step away from God.Recently, slavery came in the form of a ring intended to symbolize my love for Jesus and His love for me. I researched online, poured over catalogs for hours, and tossed up a few prayers for guidance. I finally settled on a silver and gold band engraved with "My Beloved is mine and I am His." Price: $400.

Should I spend that much on a ring? Can I afford it? I wondered. Then, I reasoned, "Nothing's too good for Jesus. It's all about Him. The best way for me to declare His worth is to wear an expensive symbol of my love for Him."

Fortunately, The Lord entered the process at that point, and I'm grateful He did. I lost the thick stack of catalogs I had saved and the pages of rings I printed off of my computer. I was frustrated and ready to restart the search when a friend from Michigan emailed to say she was having a Silpada party. Did I want to order anything?

She's a dear friend, so I felt I should at least look at the online catalog. Surely I'd find a pair of earrings or other small token to order and help her out. Little did I know that the perfect ring would pop off the page and capture my heart the moment I saw it. I didn't have to think about it. Didn't research and ponder for days. I knew it was the ring, the symbol I had been searching for. Price: $24.

When it arrived, I slipped it onto my finger and knew it was exactly what God intended me to have all along.

Several weeks later, however, temptation resurfaced. I was home alone, thinking, day-dreaming I'm sure, when the $400 ring came to mind. I thought, "I'll just get online, find that gorgeous ring, print the page, and think about it a little more." I had remembered the jewelry company whose catalog captured my attention, so I entered the name into my Search Engine and held my breath, but the ring was nowhere to be found.

"I'll email and ask about it," I thought. But their reply fell short of my supposed desire. The $400 ring was simply gone. No longer available. After my initial disappointment, I felt relief.

Isn't God good? He gives us the greatest gift in Jesus, provides exactly what we need, and saves us from temptation and "slavery" to the stuff of this world so we can enjoy a simple, joy-filled life.

I'm happy to say I have never questioned my $24 purchase again. I am struggling with a few other things, though. Perhaps you'll learn about those in future posts!