I would guess that almost everyone has had a possession or two stolen by someone who had no business taking it whether it be a stolen wallet, purse, something in their car or their home.
We've all been there. When this happens depending on the item(s) it can be a very violating experience. How dare someone take something of mine they had no right even touching?
When my husband and I were building our first home we had a whole pallet of roof shingles stolen along with a brand new door and a few tools left at our construction site. My husband had worked all day up until midnight and then was going to return early the next morning at 7 am. This site was in the middle of nowhere so we had no idea that someone would drive up with a pickup and take the newly delivered, that day, shingles.
He was so tired from working so hard and I felt so bad for him and mad at the same time. The gall.
Then years later while parked in a church parking lot my car window was smashed and my pocketbook and phone was stolen. It was dark, late and I wasn't gone long but long enough. It was a cold winter's drive home with no passenger window and my credit cards and cash were gone. The gall.
Then on the tee in Boston while I was holding onto a pole, A very large man humming in my ear distracting me attempted to steal my wallet right out of my zipped pocketbook. As he was exiting, I looked down, saw my pocketbook unzipped, and looked up in time to see him on the steps with my wallet in his hand. I grabbed it right out from his big black hand as he was going out the door. I was young and stupid but that was my wallet. Thank you very much.
Well they hit again. This time it was my son who was the victim.
My son received his doctorate last week after five long years of hard work. He and his new wife were to drive across the country to CA to start his new career. They packed up their meager belongings in a rental truck, put a lock on it as we suggested and headed out. They stopped in Iowa, Nebraska, Wyoming, Utah and had no trouble. They made it to CA quite well and picked a motel to stay in while they went apartment hunting.
They quickly found a rental, their credit history is excellent and they got approved within three days of moving to CA. So far so good.
The last night staying in the last hotel in their new adopted city they got robbed. Welcome to CA! They woke up to find the rental truck was broken into. The lock was cut and all their electronics were gone. He lost his Wii with the games. He lost an extra computer, two external hardrives, a bunch of remotes, some brand new unopened dishes and other incidentals.
What bothered him the most besides the gall of someone taking what didn't belong to them was the fact that his little firebox with all his personal information was missing. In that box there were their SS cards, their birth certificates, their wedding license and extra checks. Identity theft was now on his mind.
They tried to call the SS office but it was constantly busy. They called me and I supplied the numbers to all three credit bureaus so he could get a fraud alert on his account. They immediately went to the bank to cancel their checking account.
We issued a prayer chain alert and my friend and I prayed over the phone for him. He was very very upset with the thought that his credit history now could be compromised after taking such good care with it. The landlord told my son as they started to unpack the truck that his credit history was very very good. Not after today thought my son.
But the prayers were answered. He found the box way deep into the truck near the cab and not where he thought he put it. So somewhere along the way while packing he must have moved it not even thinking but was prompted to do so, we believe, by God himself who knew what was going to happen on this trip.
He doesn't care so much about what was taken, even his new Wii, now that he knows his identity was protected. God is good!
But somewhere in CA there is a thief or thieves who are rejoicing in the loot they stole from an unsuspecting young couple who are just starting out. Most likely getting away this time they will strike again.
All I have to say to them is what is secret on earth is a scandal in heaven and God sees it all. One day the piper will be paid.