Psalm 33:16-17

"No king is saved by the multitude of an army;

A mighty man is not delivered by great strength.

A horse is a vain hope for safety;

Neither shall it deliver any by its great strength."

Last night someone smashed in the passenger side front window of my car, broke in and stole several items of personal possession. I never saw any broken glass as I walked up to the car, but immediately noticed some papers on the floorboards were in a different place than where I left them the morning earlier but didn't give too much thought to it. Upon sitting in the driver's seat, I felt a breeze of below freezing air and noticed the window was open. I couldn't believe I would have done such a thing. It was open all-right; it was obliterated into thousands of tiny little pieces scattered across the seat and floor. Then my mind began to race. And it raced, and it raced, and it raced all over the place. After calling Victoria and asking her to call the police, I stood there and examined the damage. My brand new GPS, given to me as a birthday gift from my parents, was taken from my glove compartment (together with some CD's and all my automobile owner's manuals/registrations/insurance certificates), my brand new drum bag with sticks and mallets, and my old leather backpack that I loved and cherished (in a silly way - it's the inexpensive and worn things that seem most valuable and sentimental). Puzzlingly, they deliberately took one of the favorite things I possess out of that backpack and left it behind, my Bible that I've had since high-school with a personally made/engraved leather cover.

When I went to bed that night and sat up to chat with Victoria before falling asleep, she asked what troubled me most about the incident. I replied, "That I'm troubled at all is what troubles me most." Moments before crawling into my horizontal position, I had to turn to the one thing I knew would steer my thoughts and heart in the right direction, the Word of God. So I flipped to Matthew 6 and got another gut punch from Jesus right where I needed it most. "Do not lay up for yourselves treasure upon earth... where thieves break in and steal." (Matthew 6:19) If the things that were stolen were not treasures in my heart, then I wouldn't have been burdened by the incident. I've put my trust in horses and chariots more than I think or thought. Not for my salvation, mind you, but for my joy. I thought my car was a safe haven, meaning it was impenetrable, with an alarm system and all. Not so, obviously. Nothing on earth is impenetrable, nothing.

I've lost my joy lately. This incident didn't prompt it, it just served to put a spotlight on it. I recently heard a sermon that emphasized the fact that I'm on my way to a wedding feast. I don't feel like. Seems like I'm more on my way to a funeral, walking in step with to a dirge. I wish now I never possessed the things I do. They've distracted me my entire life. The good has stolen what's best.