It was Someone's Birthday!!

Yes, yesterday was a big day here in the Sheng house. The big Kahuna had his birthday yesterday... as usual, I was not entirely prepared. That's nothing new. Of all the people I've ever known in my life, T is the most difficult one to buy presents for. I've all but given up! I have a long list of things I'd love to get him, but he thinks they are all too expensive, or that he would never use them or he goes and decides just as I'm about to buy something that he'd like something else. Really, I just want to give him something he wants, but I always fail!!

On my list of things to get him: an XBox 360, which he said he'd like, but we didn't get that. He said he also wanted a leaf blower (he ordered it for himself), new tires for his truck (he'll have to arrange that one!) and then, the night before his birthday he all of sudden developed this passionate desire for a 24 hour time zone eco-driven watch. I sent him off to buy it for himself, which is basically what I've resorted to. I mean, if he can't decide until the night before he's going to have to take care of it himself. Right? I can't research and purchase something like that in less than a day -it's just not in my nature!!

The night of shopping proved fruitless for him, so he came home with nothing. That means I spent two hours at the mall on his birthday trying to find something for him that 1) he would want, 2) cost under $100 and 3) he would want. I found pretty much nothing - it was very disappointing. Not to mention, when I finally did find something, I knew the entire time that he would return it, as he does with most every gift that I buy him. It's now par for the course. The girls are used to it as well. I do make him keep anything they've picked out and bought for him themselves, including the size medium Gap surf T-shirt Kt was so proud of a couple years ago. It's a bit small on his broad shoulders, but he's learned to love it!

Since I knew I'd failed in the gift area, as usual, I headed home, cleaned up the kitchen a bit and proceeded to make cupcakes, which is what he prefers to cake or ice cream. I bought a couple balloons, some funny cards and once he was home we all went out for Japanese Hibachi. It was fun, and yes, he's going to return the L.L. Bean fleece jacket I finally found for him. No surprise there!

It's been a crazy year for T. In a nutshell, he's survived lots of changes at work, been to Africa and lived to tell about it, finished another year of raising up more missionally, Christ minded young leaders, took his family across the country and has two children in elementary school. He looked at me at back to school night and said, "I can't believe we children who go to school!" Yeah, it's hard growing up!

Aside from T being totally picky about his gifts, he's a great leader, teacher, friend and mentor. On top of all those things, he's an incredible learner in his field of innovative missions church-doing. That's what I'll call it for now because what he likes to learn I'm not sure has a name. That's the way he likes it - always changing, for the better. It's been clear to me for a while now that the perfect gift for T is not something we can wrap up, or purchase or even shop for. It something that happens in an instant, when someone he has invested in "gets it" or someone who has witnessed what he does comes to the realization that it's working. They are God-given moments he experiences that I can't time or give him myself. Nothing I purchase can bring him nearly as much joy as one of those moments.

Ah, the leaf blower just arrived. A day late, but just in time for fall!! I can guarantee, there will be only a small look of joy in his eyes when he sees that compared to the look on his face when he comes home to tell me how so-and-so wants to devote a life to making Christ real to the nations. "Wow, look at this leaf blower!" doesn't nearly have the ring of satisfaction that "They really get it!" does!! I've also learned that God doesn't limit his gifts to birthdays or Christmas. He doles them out whenever He wants, at random times, when we may least expect it, and that makes them more special than that one day of the year!

Happy Birthday, missions man!!