"A lot of people have been asking me about the story behind the Bible that I recently found here in G-town. Last night I had some time to reflect on the Bible and what Mike meant to me. Mike Thompson was a true friend of mine who suddenly and unexpectantly died on August 25th 2015 at just 62 years old. He was a man that was just like a brother to me.
He helped me get through some hard times in my life! We became good friends, and early on talked on the phone often. Those calls dwindled after time but we continued to text each other words of encouragement, scripts from the Bible and from time to time funny memes. We met up every Tuesday at New Life to get our weekly dose of C.R.(celebrate recovery).
When he spoke people always tuned in to what he was saying. He was the real deal! By the time he got done speaking the men were either cracking up to a funny story he told or they were on the edge of their seats leaning towards him in such awe at the story he just told. He was great at parables. No matter what he said IT ALWAYS MADE SENSE! I/we as a group always understood the point he was trying to get across. I miss him!
To the Bible......Mike's wife Rhonda Sue Thompson takes Mike's Celebrate Life Bible to church with her every Saturday evening. The Bible had priceless memories to Rhonda.
When she left church last Saturday she sat it on top of her SUV as she was strapping a kiddo she was watching in the seat. She forgot about the Bible and drove off as she headed to Chipotle to get something to eat about 6 miles away. She realized, I think that night or the next morning that Mike's Bible was gone.
She frantically started looking for it, making phone calls and posting to social media. I saw her post on Facebook and figured she'd find it in her car or someone at church probably picked it up and she'll have it soon. I really didn't know at the time how heartbroken Rhonda was.
She told me yesterday that Monday was one of the darkest days since Mike had passed. She can fill you in on who all searched and what she went through to hopefully find it.
Monday morning at work (Kdot here in Gardner) 2 other co-workers and I were sent out to clean up a stretch of I35. We got done around lunch time so we came back to the shop here in Gardner for lunch. After lunch I was sent out on my own (56hwy/Main Street) to pick up the big trash, tire scabs, tires, a couple lawn chairs, a pile of beer bottles etc etc......on my first stop I saw a BUNCH of white trash scattered all over the place at 56hwy and the New Century exit.
When I got out to start picking it up I noticed it was a Bible. At the time I didn't put 2 and 2 together that it was my ol' friend Mike's.
The next day (Tues) I saw Rhonda's post had been shared by more people to please keep an eye out for the Bible. It then dawned on me that "Were all those pages I picked up Mikes???"
I went to our dumpster and pulled out the trash bag that I put the pages and other trash in. I started going through page by page and started seeing some writing. I took a couple photos of the writing and sent it to Rhonda.
My phone rang shortly after....it was Rhonda. It was Mike's Bible. Long story short....I went back up to the area that I found the pages.....found a few more. The next afternoon I found more and more of it. I was surprised how scattered it was. The cover from the last pages I found was a couple hundred yards or better. I'm not a hero nor a saint like I've recently been told. I was just doing my job and was honored that I was able to pick up every page of Mike's/Rhonda's Bible. Out of the 1,200+ pages they could of each been $100 bills and it wouldn't of meant anything to me like this Bible was.
In the middle of this photo is a Bald Eagle flying over the beautiful sunset last night at Hillsdale Lake. It was a great evening to just sit, listen and reflect on how quickly we come and go from this planet.
Events happen in an instance. For example the spot I found Mike's Bible was the same area he was in a horrible accident a few years ago where he was life flighted to the hospital.
He should of died there. But he lived on to help people like me!
Love those around you because tomorrow might not come. I hope this made sense....I'm not an author. Just a man who loves God, his family, people and of course nature.
A lot of people think that I just like sitting and watching birds. It's not about just that at all. Nature is about the only pure/clean/true things left on this earth that God created that we can enjoy. Get out and enjoy It! It's dwindling away day after day! God bless you all!!"
The Rock
