Burglarized again

(A friend asked me to post this note here. It happened 6 months ago and I wrote it then.)

I think this is the 3rd or 4th time this has happened to me. Today’s burglary was the first in a long time. I was at work and got a call about 2:15 p.m. from my neighbor to tell me that he had Trudie my dog sitting on his couch. At first I couldn’t figure it out. The cleaning people were coming but they said they probably wouldn’t be there until 4:00. Plus they’re used to letting her out the back door to roam in the fenced back yard while they work. No, if Trudie had gotten out and went to a neighbor’s house she had to get out the front door. Someone had to have opened the front door.

I drove toward my home and my neighbor called me back to say indeed, the front door was opened and obviously not with a key. He called the police and they arrived shortly after I did. Not much appeared to be gone; a TV, DVD player, a gold ring and my “gig bag” filled with microphones, cords and other musical stuff. All the guitars were here and the place wasn’t ransacked. My neighbors showed up with Trudie and I was grateful for their kindness and glad to see my dog.

Now as I sit on the couch wondering about the events I think, how is Christ glorified in this? I remember a conversation I had with another neighbor last Saturday. He said he was a Deist. He believed a Creator began the entire world and cosmos but basically stepped back at that point letting us humans live out our days as we willed. I guess if I was a Deist I would not think about Christ in this situation. At best I would just have a que sera sera attitude and go about replacing my stuff. I would also hope the perpetrator got what he deserved. But I am not a Deist. I’m a Christ-Follower. A disciple. The Bible doesn’t leave room for Deism. It says that my times are in His hands (Ps. 31:15) and that He searches me and knows me and knows when I sit down and rise up (Ps. 139:1-2). He perceives my thoughts from afar and knows what I’m going to say before it is on my tongue (Ps. 139:2,4). Well, basically when I read that entire Psalm 139 it blows me away with His intimate closeness.

So I pray. I thank God for sparing my little dog today (you non-dog people may not get it) and I thank Him for the kindness of my neighbors. I thank Him for the possessions I do have left and secretly wonder if His grace would carry me through if the Martin D-42 guitar was part of the robber’s booty. I think of the guy using the crowbar on my door and start to get angry. Then I think of the things I have stolen when I was younger and I soften a bit. I think of the rock I hurled in juvenile delinquency through the window of Russell Lapre’s house and I’m ashamed. I think of the more secret sins that I’ve spoken of to only a few and I picture Jesus bearing them all. He deserved everything good and got the worst. I imagine His Father pouring His wrath like a torrent on Christ because of what I did. Because of what I am.

“Father, forgive the robber. Open his eyes and lead him to Christ, call him to yourself”. I imagine him somewhere, when the light of God’s love and forgiveness dawn in his heart. I can see the tears streaming down his face as he knows the touch of a Savior whose gentle touch can wipe away every sin. And I long for Christ’s heart to be formed in him….. and me.