Thief

My body trembles, my heart pounds. Adrenaline still races through my body.

Tonight was a delightful Sabbath. Friends came over to play guitars, sing, and eat with us, and we enjoyed sweet fellowship. After dark we prayed together and went to our separate homes.

Then...well, wait. First I must tell you what happened yesterday.

Yesterday, I did something atypical. I reached out for support on FB and asked for prayer. Heaven heard about us yesterday and today in earnest.

Last night, I could not sleep. I cannot make it well past 9 p.m., but I was keyed up and didn't know why. After 11, I heard someone grab our doorknob and try to wrestle it open. The lights were on in the house and the curtains open. What if we hadn't locked it by that time?

Yesterday, the builder for our brick wall came to our house. At 2:45 he asked if he could help me in the house with a project while his men removed dirt where we need to build the wall. “Sure, Kenneth. Do you have time to fill the holes in the washroom? It opens to the outside.” He said that he had time to begin, pulled in an assistant and went to work. The concrete made a big mess, and he moved most of our stuff to the attached garage, which connects to the house through the washroom. When he was finished he pulled everything back into the washroom, except one thing. He left the bin of cat food in the garage, but I didn't know that...

until this morning. After church I went to feed the cat, and I couldn't find his food. “Oh, Kenneth must have moved it to the garage,” I thought, but then became distracted by something else before feeding Grady. I always feed him in the morning, but for some reason didn't today.

Tonight after everyone left, Jamie and I were getting ready for bed. He picked up Grady the cat and took him to the washroom where he sleeps. I told him that he needed to feed him. “Where's the food?” he asked. “It must be in the garage,” I replied.

Jamie went into the garage, using his phone torch. He usually walks in the dark but heard a sound. He quickly returned. “Call Marty right NOW!” he whisper-yelled. I tried to call Marty but couldn't get through, so I called Sharlene. She sent her husband with some big friends down, and by then I had reached Marty and he came with Alex. “Someone is breaking into our house. He's in our garage right now!”

Trembling with fear, I waited in the room with my sleeping children.

The guy hid behind some boxes, so no one saw him. Jamie said, “He's there! I was within one foot of him!” The men tackled him, laid him on the dirt and taped his legs together and his arms behind his back. The business manager and his guys took the thief to the police. He was wearing Jamie's old work jeans over his pants. It will be a bad night for him at the police station.

Now there are three guards with machetes patrolling my yard.

We have many unanswered questions about the thief, but also some others.

Why did Kenneth leave the cat food in the garage? Why didn't I feed Grady this morning? Why didn't Jamie turn on the overhead garage light as he often does? Why didn't the guy hit him when Jamie was right behind him? Why did it happen tonight when Ryan and Sharlene had several big man friends who speak the local language over?

I believe it's this: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28.