Lightning

I know they say that lightning doesn't strike twice in the same place.  Try telling that my racing heart.  Yesterday morning at this exact time I'm typing now, someone came into our home through the back sliding door and stole my wallet.  This was after Mike had left for work, but before I woke up with the girls.  Sometime between 4:30 and 6:30am.  Someone who was uninvited came into our backyard (probably hopped a fence), opened the back screen door and roamed the downstairs (I hope that's all) before leaving with my wallet. You could say I'm slightly freaked out--even now.

Suffice to say that I couldn't fall back asleep after Mike left for work this morning.  I had a hard time coming down the stairs too.  Every sound, every shift, every time the wind blew at the front doors... I shuttered in fear.  That's when I decided it was time for coffee and blogging and PRAYER--lots of prayer.

Of course I have my theories, but they're just that.  Was someone watching our house and knew when Mike would leave?  Was it a stranger or someone who's been here before?  A kid?  Did they get scared or hear Emma crying?  Is that why they left the screen door wide open and grabbed one of my knives off the kitchen counter only to put it back in the wrong way?  How did they know to look in the diaper bag for my wallet?  Did they see it sitting on top of the washer?  Why didn't they take this laptop or the tablet?  Yep, makes me think they definitely hopped the fence for a quick get-away.  So many questions...

Yes, we learned our lesson.  We're locking up from now on.  We won't be the easiest target anymore.  Sadly, we won't leave our sliding door open when we're upstairs to let the cool island breeze air out our house.  But that doesn't help the fact that it happened and it's creepy.  Our backyard.  Our safe haven.  Our private place where we felt so secure was taken away (for now).  We'll get it back.  No one was harmed and I'm so thankful for that.

It's 5:30 now and getting light already.  So, there was a very small window to sneak around in the darkness.  But darkness does that.  If you're doing wrong, it gives you a sense of security, that all your wrongs won't be found out... but they will.  Maybe not this side of heaven, but you'll be exposed.  You, me... the person who stole my wallet.  There will be no hiding.

That's a sobering fact.

The Bible says to love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.  Only I've never felt like I had any enemies, until now.

So whoever you are, where ever you are.  I forgive you.  I'm praying for you.  I pray that God stirs your heart toward repentance and that you feel the guilt of your sin, but more so that you experience God's undeserved grace given to sinners like you and me.  And that you'll share your testimony one day of how God grabbed your heart after you stole someone's wallet.  That's my prayer and my hope.

Lock your houses folks.  And love your enemies :) And when you're getting a new license at the DMV, make sure to bring at least four other forms of ID.  That's right... FOUR.

Thankful/Throwback Thursday.  The backyard has come a long way though...

1 Thessalonians 5English Standard Version (ESV)

The Day of the Lord

5 Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers,[a] you have no need to have anything written to you. 2 For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3 While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 4 But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. 5 For you are allchildren[b] of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. 6 So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. 8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. 9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him.11 Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.