My left hand houses the heart of four of the most important rings I could wear. Three are my wedding bands, and the fourth is an itty-bitty sterling silver pinkie ring. Etched on top if it is a cross. My pinkie finger is molded around this ring. It's lived there since junior high. It's the only ring I never take off, not even while I was pregnant with my four children. All of my other fingers puffed to this size of sausages, but not this finger, therefore leaving my ever present symbol of my first priority to my relationship with the good Lord. This ring's physical value is maybe $10, but it's eternal value is priceless. I don't have to have it as a talisman for belief, but as a reminding symbol or for another to glance down and see. Who knows how one symbol can change someones heart and lead them towards their eternal priceless gift of knowing and believing in our Good and Gracious Lord and Savior.
As I move inward, my wedding rings symbolize my next, most important, commitment I made before God and my husband. While these are worth more than $10 they too symbolize my marriage. I don't have to wear them to know my commitment and to know I'm married, but again it's a reminder of love, integrity, dedication, trust, faithfulness and PaTiEnCe. I don't take them off to wash dishes, take a shower, while gardening, or for any reason at all. They stay on my finger, maybe out of stubbornness, laziness or fear of loosing them. But honestly, because I feel they stay on-no matter what. That's what it's meant for...no matter what. We're committed and these rings reiterate this symbol. Now I can't say that without being real. There are times I would love to huck them at my husband and hope for some cataclysmic residual thumping on the head by one sparkly band, and he whips into what I want him to do or be. But that's not my place at all, it's just real and a real feeling of being in any relationship, it's Gods place. It's fun to ponder on though, and goodness knows I'm sure he has a list a mile long he'd love for me to 'whip' myself into also.
If you choose to place your life in this order-Faith, Family and Friends, you can often be a symbol yourself. So may I challenge you...what do you want to be a symbol of or for?
Oh...And I don't have a 'friendship' ring, that to me, goes right along with the heart of the symbol on my pinkie ring.