April 8 – “Burgled”

We got some bad news regarding Chris' Mom.  She has reached the point in her journey with cancer where the chemo does her more harm than good.  It was an expected announcement, but such news always comes too soon.   I was working out in the front yard today trying to get the lawn ready – or at least presentable – before home group tonight.  Actually, I think the bigger concern is the baby shower for Christina that Chris is hosting Saturday.  She wants it to look nice for the ladies.   Well, I got it mowed, and I was well into the edging when I got sidetracked.  I noticed what looked like stickerburs all over the grass.  That is one thing I have a real hard time putting up with.  I want the kids to be able to walk across the yard barefoot.  I don't remember ever being able to when I was growing up.  I set the weedeater aside and knelt down.  From this vantage point I could see that these weren't the regular really hard, stab-you-and-break-the-skin kind.  They were softer … trickier.  Still evil.  I reached for the nearest strand and pulled.  And it pulled back.  At least that's what it felt like.  The roots were deep and my strength was meager.  Finally the strand broke off, and slithering through the grass from every direction were more strands of the same plant.  It was everywhere.  I grabbed again, and again a circle of green evilness snaked toward me.  I crawled around just in that part of the yard that's on the street side of the sidewalk for at least an hour.  There were piles and piles of the stuff.  The more I pulled, the more my finger and wrist joints barked at me, not to mention my back.  I ended up just stopping so I could finish edging.  It is so time for Weed and Feed.   While I was groping around on my hands and knees, a police car drove up.  Not that unusual lately, since they have decided to check on the house next door regularly.  Sure enough, he parked right in front of the house next door.  But he didn't go there.  Instead he started walking across the street to Mom's house.  I know, she doesn't own it anymore, but that's the name of the house.  He was gone into the house for awhile, and when he returned he was with the guy who bought it.  The officer went to his car, and the neighbor came right over to me.  To his surprise and horror, the garage had been burgled.  Is that the right word?  Burgled?  It's a lot shorter and easier the say than burglarized.  Anyway, someone broke he window and climbed inside.  They took numerous told, a table saw, a tile cutter, a compressor, and they were trying to move the generator as well.  Apparently they ran out of room or time, though, because it was just moved over by the door.  He said it had to have happened last night or his morning.  I sure didn't see anybody.  The officer got his crime scene kit out and went back to see what he could find.  I started to recommend he call Mike Bell, the CSI master crime school graduate.  But I didn't want to embarrass him.  So we'll see what comes of it.   Ephesians 1:13-14 says, "Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession — to the praise of his glory."   Father, thank you for giving us a guarantee of our inheritance.  Help Chris' Mom understand what she has as a believer.  Amen.