In October of 2021, our home was broken into while my mom and I were out at a park with the kids. Jordan was out of town on a work trip.
I didn't notice anything was missing or that anyone had been inside when we first got home, but later that night, I found coins sprinkled on my bedroom floor. I thought that was odd, as I had just vacuumed and cleaned up the day before. So, I looked at the seashell on my dresser where I throw spare change, and noticed the entire shell was empty. Some other precious things were also taken from my dresser.
Still unsure what happened, I called Jordan to ask if he took the change. He hadn't. I wanted until the morning to talk to the police. And filed a report. But at the time, I was still very unsure how anyone had entered the home as none of the doors or windows looked tampered with.
Long story short, about a week later, I was sitting at our table homeschooling Natalie when I looked up and noticed giant handprints on the dining room window. It hit me instantly. I went outside and noticed a patio chair pulled up under the window. UGH.
Police were called and fingerprints were taken. And when Jordan got home from his trip, we set up an entire security system and new cameras.
The police officer that came to the house to take fingerprints gave me the words I couldn't find to express how shaken I was feeling. He said, "Someone came into your castle, your domain, without permission. So naturally, you feel angry, vulnerable, and shaken."
Yes, to all of it.
Thankfully, with time, and more precautions in place, we began to move forward and feel some of our sense of security restored.
Fast-forward to the following spring, I started serving with a soup kitchen in downtown Hampton once a month, and in April, I met a woman who is a Master Gardener. When she heart I have three children, she offered to bring by some milkweed that had monarch caterpillar eggs laid on it. We would get a chance to watch the life-cycle of a butterfly!
The entire month of May was spent checking on these eggs, then caterpillars, several times a day. A couple weeks ago, we were getting ready to leave on a camping trip and we noticed two caterpillars were looking fat and plump, ready to make their chrysalis. When we returned a couple days later, sure enough, we saw just one chrysalis on the plants! Natalie especially was so excited. But, where was the other chrysalis?
A few hours later, Natalie went to check on the chrysalis again, and it was half-eaten by ants! Just gone! My poor sweetie just cried big tears of disappointment.
"Mommy! I was so excited! I've never seen a monarch butterfly before," she cried. Oh, my mama heart just about broke in half.
In my heart, I just said a quick prayer for her to find understanding and maybe one more chrysalis somewhere in the backyard.
A couple days later, Jordan returned home from another work trip (sensing a theme here?)...
He was in the dining room and looked out the same window that had been broken into, and his gaze fell on a beautiful green chrysalis attached to the back of our new security camera! It was positioned in such a way that only the Holy Spirit could have guided his eyes to see it.
Needless to say, Natalie was so excited and hope was restored.
What we set up to keep our house secure, on the very window that was broken into just months prior, the Lord guided new life to plant itself and grow.
It was a symbol of protection and peace for our family, over our home.
Yes, the break-in happened. It rattled us. And with the coins and other precious items, the person stole our sense of security.
But what the enemy intends to steal, kill, and destroy, the Lord intends to protect, provide for, and breathe life into.
Read that again.
Jesus is the Way, Truth, and Life (John 14:6). Of whom shall I fear (Ps. 23)?
Amen.
