Lessons from a Car Theft, Part 1

“Hi honey. The police just called – someone broke into your car.”

Not a call you ever want to get from your husband. My first thought (after I realized he wasn’t kidding): “I knew that was the Lord nudging me to go back to the car. And I knew something wasn’t right about the car that pulled in as we walked away.”

Yesterday, my friend Freda and I met at a park in Charlotte for a day of relaxation, hiking, and prayer. As we walked to our lunch spot ½ mile away, I sensed a need to go back and check the car…more specifically, where I put my purse.

I didn’t do it.

Instead, I offered up a quick, “Lord, please protect our cars” prayer, and we walked on.

While we enjoyed an awesome view, lunch, and prayer, someone smashed the passenger window of our cars. Their take? Freda’s Bible, notebook, laptop, and a favorite t-shirt; and my purse, which I conveniently left for them on the floor of the passenger seat under a towel.

If you’ve ever had your purse (or wallet) stolen, you know the pains. Cancel credit cards, call the bank to block the account (which then has to be closed, new one opened, billpays recreated, etc.). Mine also had both house keys and the garage door opener, so add "change the locks on the house" to the list.

If you’ve ever had your Bible stolen or lost it, wow, I can't imagine losing the history of God speaking to me! Check out Freda's blog for what the Lord showed her through this experience.

As we cleaned glass out of our front seats, talked to the police, and made phone calls, we processed what happened. I knew I had no one to blame except myself for my lost purse. I also felt responsible for what Freda lost. The “if only’s” started.

“If only I had put my purse in the back and hidden it better.”

“If only we had parked in a more populated lot.”

And the biggest one: “If only I had listened to the Holy Spirit and gone back to the car.”

I didn’t do any of those things. 

And what happened can not be changed – no “do-overs” in real life.

But God: with Him we have redemption.

So we prayed. I apologized for not responding to God’s nudge. We prayed for the salvation of those who took our stuff. We prayed the Lord would use this whole situation to His glory. We asked the Lord to recover what was lost. We released everything to Him. We thanked Him for the opportunity to pray for people who may not have anyone else praying for them.

An hour later, as we finished taping plastic on our windows for the ride home, we spontaneously declared in unison, “What the enemy intended for harm, God intended for good.”  (Genesis 50:20, paraphrased)  That continues to be our prayer as we reflect on what happened and take care of the practical things.

I’ve already seen good, and what I’ve seen so far is amazing. Stay tuned for Part 2…

TODAY’S CHALLENGE: What happened to you recently that seemed awful but God used for good? Please share, I’d love to hear your testimonies!