Retrieving my Axhead

I am looking at the last blog that we posted (which I am embarrassed to say was June 29th) and it is funny that it follows a birthday celebration.  This post is also about a birthday celebration.  Being a man I couldn’t use “Pink Crayon” in the title, however, it is also about the insignificant things that God places value on.

2^nd Kings 6:1-7… “As one of them was cutting down a tree, the axhead fell into the water.  “Oh no, my lord! It was borrowed” he cried out.  Elisha asked, “Where did it fall?”  The man pointed to the water, Elisha cut a stick and threw it in and made the axhead float.  “Lift it out”, he said.  And the man reached in and took it out of the water.” What?  Why?  There are some things in the bible that seem out of place and this is one of them.  Who cares about an axhead?  Apparently this guy did.  But why this story among all the others in history?  Because God sees and cares about the small things.

My axhead was Michelle’s 30^th birthday.  Birthdays have never been big to Michelle.  She once said that most people don’t even know what day they are born thus birthdays are not a big event.  But this one was different, my bride was turning thirty.

Last year I turned thirty and she pulled out all the stops. Michelle invited friends from all over, catered my favorite Mexican food and drink and made a special book that brought tears to my eyes.  I have THE BEST WIFE in the world and she did everything to my birthday special.  So when we decided to move to Mongolia, I started planning for Michelle’s birthday.  If we were going to be thousands of miles away from friends and family on her birthday I was going to do my best to make her feel like the most special woman in the world.  Well, everything I tried went bust.  I couldn’t come up with anything.  But, God cares about the seemingly insignificant things and used friends and family all over the world to make this one of Michelle’s most special birthdays.  So…

Thank you Scott.  My brother helped me come with the idea of a happy birthday video from our friends and family that Michelle could watch on her birthday.  He worked day and night, right up to his vacation, to put this together and Michelle watched it with tears in her eyes.

Thank you Normandy.  Our church sent us a box of thirty different items that we can’t get in Mongolia and words of encouragement to go along with each one.  Normandy, you have been a tremendous support and encouragement.  You have an inheritance in Mongolia!

Thank you Mongolia Team.  Our team here in Mongolia, led by Sagana Crosslin, put together money and bought us a night at the Ramada hotel, the nicest in UB.  This was epic!  A night in a comfy bed, an American breakfast buffett (no dishes afterward) and the best of all… we could flush our toilet paper!  Hallelujah, we just spent time flushing toilet paper.

Thank you to our Mongolian friends.  When we got back from dinner, Michelle was surprised to find a house full of her girlfriends singing Happy Birthday.  They all encouraged her and one girl said, “I thank God for you because I use to be so lonely in my heart but you came here and told me about Jesus and now my heart doesn’t hurt anymore.  I wish I would have met you earlier in my life.”

Once again, Jesus showed that he cares about the small things.  Again and again, I am amazed that the God who created the universe wants to take care of the little things that are only important to me and my family.  Romans 8:32 “He who did not spare his own son but gave him up for us all, why would he not also, along with him, graciously give us ALL things?!”