My Remarkable Birthday Gift

A few weeks ago I had my 21st birthday. Okay. Scratch that, but you ought to know that women take off a decade in their 30's and two decades in their 50's. Since I am not the latter you can do the math.



My sweet little girls made party hats for the occasion and my eldest son gave me a present I will never forget.
In August, Alex asked if he could use some wood. For those who don't know I love to salvage things. I have boxes full of odd pieces of lumber and a head full of ideas on how to use it someday. I pulled out some pieces for Alex and took out the chop saw. He told me he wanted to make a cross. He designed it and nailed it together.
Then he took out the paints. As he was painting he asked me what that acronym was about "Jesus..something...me". Oh, yes. He meant JOY: put Jesus first, others second and you last. My children tend to be bearers of conviction in my life.




This is what Alex wrote on the back. I think his choice of Romans 3:23 is perfect. Every year I become more aware of my sin and more amazed that Christ could and does love me despite of it. When Alex gave me the cross, he said, "Maybe you could hang it on the wall with your other crosses." Dear young man, it hangs on the wall, but your thoughtfulness and its pure message hangs in my heart and makes my spirit glad.