The bike-stolen-at-church adventure

June 19, 2005

Okay, Lord, just to say, I know You are in control. Pastor _____ told my son that this is one of those “character building” things. But Lord, what’s the point in letting his bike get stolen – at church, of all things! Okay, so I know You know what You are doing. Only – please help my son. He’s so upset.

I’m tired of people stealing. Well, I expect You are, too. I guess this is a “Job” moment. All his friends spouting platitudes about how bad things only happen to bad people. Baloney! This is definitely (as far as I can tell) a “when bad things happen to decent people” moment. That doesn’t “make sense.” When he worked so hard to earn money to buy the bike so he could have transportation to a better job. Ha.

Okay, I’m finished griping.

So now I’m asking You to return it – in perfect shape. (And our other missing stuff, too, while You are at it). I don’t mean to be rude. You tell us to ask our desires. That is my desire. If it is a bad one, I guess You’ll just have to ignore it. Anyway, I do love You. I do trust You. I do know You know what’s going on, and can not only control it, but also fix it. Thank You for doing that right now, Mighty God. Amen…

I don’t know, maybe I shouldn’t be trying to “second-guess” Your motives. One thing I see for sure is that Your ways and thoughts are most definitely not our ways and thoughts. Thank goodness You see the “big picture.” I am coming to realize more and more how little I see. And how that is reflected in my poor reactions (freaking out, being angry and upset, having a really hard time to “praise God anyway”) and decisions about things when these little crises occur. Please forgive me. And please help my son.

…….. _____ phoned me to say that people in the church are getting money together for a new bike! I am sorry for my anger about the bike being stolen, and my attitude toward what people said. Please forgive me (though I surely don’t deserve it) and please pour Your Holy Spirit into me. Put Your hand on me. Help me to obey You and live by Your principles and purposes, even when they make no sense to me. Help me, dear God. Amen. Thank You.

……… _____ just phoned to ask about the bike. She told me there was a man a few years back who stole a bunch of stuff from the church, and the Pastor kept praying for him, and eventually he got saved, and now is a pastor! Wow! I should be praying for whoever took that bike. Oh, goodness, I didn’t even think of it. Dear Lord, please bring that person to Yourself in a miraculous way! (Even use me, if You want to!). Thank You. (She also mentioned that it is fortunate that whoever stole the bike did not also take the offering box and debit machine and all the other valuable things that were there. Thank You, Lord. It could have been a lot worse!)