The Benefits of Crime, 2

Last week I began listing ten of the benefits the Lord has brought into my life as a direct result of the burglary at our house last month. Here’s more:

3.   God dealt with the idol in my heart of false treasure. Jesus expressly warns: “Do not lay up treasures on earth, …where thieves break in and steal” (Mt 6:19); but I’ll be doggoned if I hadn’t gone and done just that! The break-in forced me to ask myself, “What did this guy take that death will not take from me someday?” Nothing! Which means, if I don’t have a treasure that transcends death, I don’t have anything! But it also means that if Jesus is my treasure, my greatest joy, and my all in all, then neither death nor burglary can rob me of what matters most.

4.   We received unexpected money for some needed home repairs. I had been praying for a few months for some extra cash to fix our septic system, and voila! Somebody took some of our junk, and our insurance company came through with the cash. I will confess that God’s method for answering my prayers wasn’t quite what I expected, but I’m not complaining!

5.   My love for my family has deepened dramatically. I’ve always loved my wife and kids greatly, but the break-in brought all of us much closer, as you would probably expect. It’s always been pretty routine for me to walk through the house before bed, checking windows and doors; but now I’m much more prone to pause by the kids’ bedside and thank God for them. I guess you could say that my evening vigil has become an act of worship.

(continued next week)