The Ring - The One Year Daily Acts of Kindness Devotional

The Ring

We want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-14

My sister Katrina was always a stylish woman. She loved to dress well and wear jewelry. In fact, she designed a ring early on in her marriage that became a favorite, one she wore every day. A few months after she died, my mom got a gift from my brother-in-law. Inside the box was the ring. Tears were shed as my mom put the ring on her own finger, a beautiful reminder of my sister.

But that wasn’t the end of the story: my sister Kristin and I each received a box from my dad, and inside each box was a ring, just like Katrina’s. We found out then that after she died, my dad went back to the same jeweler my sister had used, and he bought the last three stones the jeweler had of the type that was used in my sister’s ring. He then had three more rings made—two for my sister and me, and the third to give to Katrina’s daughter on her eighteenth birthday.

At this point we were all crying. We were so touched that my dad would think of such a thoughtful and kind gift to give my sister and me. I wear the ring to this day, a constant reminder of the sister I lost and the dad who has helped to keep her memory alive.

Do you have a special way to remember a loved one who has died? Maybe it’s not a particular item, but a place that brings back memories, or a certain scent that reminds you of that person. No matter what helps us when we are lonely or missing someone, we can take comfort in knowing that Scripture promises us the hope of seeing our loved ones again. It’s an incredible reminder of God’s kindness for us as we grieve.

—Kendra

— Today’s Act of Kindness —

Think of someone you know who is grieving, and do something to commemorate their lost loved one.