On Easter Sunday I received an unexpected phone message from a Florida number. The message said, “Do you serve the Bainbridge Georgia area?” When we spoke the next day, Lee explained that he had lost his ring while cutting a firebreak on his heavily wooded property in south-central Georgia. The site was 2 hours away; as good fortune would have it, my wife and I had planned a trip to Florida so we arranged a rendezvous. Additional text messages from Lee conveyed logistic and site environment details for the search (beware of the Georgia gnats, snakes, and some very muddy conditions). We arrived at the property, which is being developed as a hunting retreat, with lodging and all the equipment to maintain the property. Lee explained the different locations where the ring may have slipped off, and I explained how metal detecting would effectively search those areas. The ring itself holds a unique story. It was constructed by a master jeweler from a platinum base with inset gold and diamonds from parts of a gold chain, a family ring, and other jewelry pieces. After considering the merits of the three locations, I suggested we search where Lee had washed all of the equipment at the end of his workday. Sweeping the wash area with my Equinox 800, I first detected a rifle casing, then a bullet casing, and then incredibly, just 10 minutes into the search, the detector chirped a loud 20-tone for a target close to the surface. The detector’s pin-pointer function directed my gaze to a bright, shiny loop segment just barely visible, like a flower pushing through the soil in the springtime. I immediately called Lee over and pointing to the location I asked him, “Is that your ring?” It’s hard for me to describe the joy when Lee plucked the ring out of the ground, but having lost and found my wedding ring in the past, I can testify there is a fullness of joy that makes such an event unforgettable. I am deeply humbled and extremely grateful for Lee’s incredible act of generosity in finding his ring. Also, as a result of Lee’s generosity a cancer patient and their family have been blessed. God is so good!
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