His Ring

I'm going to do my best not to ramble, but many have sent messages asking about Payt's wedding band; so instead of typing numerous lengthy messages, here is a post.....

We went to Israel back in November, and while we were there our mission and mind was set out to have Payt's wedding band mimic Pastor Mark's (the pastor that took our group and married us). We had only been engaged for about two months, therefore our conversations concerning his band had been brief. However, he had requested or mentioned wanting a wide band that was not completely solid........meaning he wanted a weave type look so you could see his finger through the metal.....if that makes sense?

So after seeing and admiring Pastor Mark's wedding band that is impressed with Song of Solomon 2:16 in Hebrew and was designed and made in Israel.......he knew exactly what he wanted.

So while we were there, Pastor Mark contacted the jeweler that made his band so that we could order and purchase one for Payt.

After meeting with the jeweler and explaining to him exactly what Payt wanted (a white gold band with Ephesians 5:25 impressed in Hebrew), we received the ring at the end of the trip in the wrong metal, impressed with the wrong Scripture, and a size too small. Needless to say, it was a bust.

We sent it back and decided we'd let the jeweler that designed my ring size him and have Pastor Mark place the order when we got home. Pastor Mark spent many weeks trying to get a hold of the jeweler in Israel to later find out, he had been put the in hospital. We were pushing mid Februaryish, leaving us with a month and a half to order a ring, have it custom made, and shipped across the world....aka crunch time!

Therefore, we were left with, what we thought, one option.

Buy a "temporary" band to give on April 9th and later have Pastor Mark order and pick up the Hebrew ring the following November when they went back for another trip......communication with the Israeli jeweler was becoming impossible.

At this point we both were highly disappointed. I really wanted him to have "the ring" and he as much as he did, but the sentimental side of both us were struggling with the thought of later replacing the ring I gave him on our wedding day.

About 3 and half weeks before the wedding, I made a visit to Brombergs in Birmingham to pick out this "temporary" ring that I was not thrilled about buying......for financial reasons (because we'd later drop another hunk on a another ring) and because it would be replaced in a few months.

I walked into Brombergs and began explaining to a jeweler our situation. Conversation continued and he began telling me about his relationship with a highly regarded custom jeweler in the area. So we concluded with the fact that if I could get him the Hebrew translation by the end of the afternoon, this jeweler could have the ring designed and completed by April 9th!

I left Brombergs excited about the ring, anxious about a price, and stressed about how and where to get the Hebrew translation for Ephesians 5:25.

I made a phone call to Pastor Mark's daughter, who I am good friends with, in hopes that Pastor Mark would have a free second to translate the Scripture for me. He was on a plane in Philadelphia and would not be back until later that night. Of course stressed out and refusing to rely on "google," I made a trip to Lifeway to locate a Hebrew translation Bible. They did not have one, and a lady I spoke to while I was in there encouraged me to call the foreign languages department at Samford. I made a phone call, left a message, and headed to my parents house. I got home, checked my email, and in my inbox was an email from Bethany (Pastor Mark's daughter) with the Hebrew translation. Somehow and some way, she had gotten a hold of her dad in the middle of his travels, and he somehow and some way researched the Hebrew translation and had it ready for me in a matter of a few hours.

I immediately forwarded the email to Ryan (jeweler at Brombergs which is my sister in law's cousin by the way :)) and the order and designing process began.

Meanwhile, Payt still had no idea I had made contacts to design the ring. I kept letting him believe he was getting a regular band and it would be November before he'd get the Hebrew ring.

It was a stressful process, but so fun and very special. In the middle of the process, I was able to view the wax and check for any imperfections..........

And no, I really had no clue what I was doing or what I was looking for.

The ring was ready for pick up on April 6th......3 days before the wedding. The original plan was to keep it a surprise until we exchanged rings during the ceremony.

BUT, I couldn't stand it, and he couldn't wait to show me my band. So the Thursday night before, we had a "moment" and showed each other the bands. He danced, I cried......definitely a top five favorite moment in our book. Words do not express how surprised, ecstatic, and overwhelmed he was!

Here it is........

"Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her."

Ephesians 5:25