Robbed for Treasure in Heaven
The moment we pulled into our driveway, we knew something was wrong. We had just returned from being out as a family and the front blinds were up. Inside, things were in the wrong place and some items were missing. Our home had been broken into. Feelings of fear and anger sprang to the surface as we tried to figure out what had happened, who had done it, and how to respond. But as we sorted through these emotions, we felt the whisper of the Holy Spirit to look for God’s redemptive purposes in the uncomfortable situation. We gathered as a family and prayed for God to bless those who had entered the home with a revelation of Himself. Our prayers were simple and we were still feeling the negative emotions, but we had the sense that God had something specific in mind.
After praying, I (Tim) walked outside and found some elementary aged neighborhood kids sitting at our picnic table. I asked if they had seen anything. At first, they made up a story about what happened. Oh, how they underestimated the conviction of the Spirit and how He would work on those who had just recently been saved! A 9 year old who gave his life to the Lord this summer broke quickly and confessed the whole thing. The others followed in their repentance. They apologized with sincerity, gave back the cash they had stolen from Gabe’s room, and then asked if they could talk with our kids to apologize to them as well. They did, and the Holy Spirit filled everyone there with remarkable joy and peace. We sat and talked for some time about sin, God’s mercy, repentance, and more. It truly was God’s mercy that our alarm happened to be off and that the police weren’t called on them. This news gave them a taste of holy fear!
Our family is well. Tim was invited to speak at a church in Texas two Sundays in June, so a spontaneous family trip was made and Rebecca came home refreshed from the visit. Soon after, she and her sisters, mom, and a few friends met halfway in Oklahoma to celebrate her sister’s 30th birthday. This was her first time away from all the kids for that length of time (and all four kids survived!). The family visits this summer have been a blessing before things all start up again (namely, homeschooling and the public school outreach).
Thank you. We are so encouraged by the things our great God is doing that only He can do. We are also encouraged by the way He uses normal people like you and us to carry out what Paul calls the “ministry of reconciliation”–where the world is reconciled to Him through Jesus (2 Cor 5:18-21). Your love, prayers, and partnership are changing lives. We look forward to seeing you receive your reward in heaven for this!