Determined to Bless Me

Yesterday afternoon, my phone was stolen from me.

It was a determined effort to steal. Once I had sensed them trying, I had moved my bag out of reach, and the designated snatcher already moved away. But another member of the gang would not let him give up, and finally resorted to actually grabbing my arm and twisting me almost 180degrees.

I had not encountered such determination to do wrong before.

Or maybe I have.

I have seen a beautiful woman betrayed by a friend of 18 years — a friend whom she had tried to protect and help, but then she was beginning to get in trouble for his sake, and tried to call him to account. And in an effort to protect himself, the friend began spreading damaging stories. But for some reason, most of the people he called refused to take sides. But again, he was determined to do harm. And while he succeeded up to a certain degree, the truth has begun to trickle out from other sources.

And this morning I find myself asking the question: what am I to do against such determined evil?

I can live in fear. On our way home last night, I was in fear, clinging to Irl, finding a way to hold my bag so that I could protect it better, starting to shiver. I was thinking: “I have to get my truck fixed so I never have to ride public transport again!”

I can also live in anger and suspicion. But I’ve been there (for different reasons) and I hated it. And I have people around me now who live like this. I don’t like it at all.

Right now, as I process this, the nervous, fearful energy is finally dying down. My heart is slowing down, and part of me now wants to grieve. That phone was something I had prayed for, something we had invested in for the network business we had joined, which is starting to pick up, slowly, but surely.

But I also cannot deny the protective presence I was sensing all throughout. Yes, something got stolen from me. But we actually had much more with us yesterday, and all they made off with was a China-made android phone. Yes it’s a good phone — a great tool! But in the end, that was all they took. And it wasn’t like we were stupid. We fought. Maybe we could have done more — but I will not waste my time regretting what I could have or should have done.

I choose a different response. I choose to believe that God IS for me, and He is still in control. And no matter how determined evil is to harm, my heavenly Father is even more determined to bless and do good to me! Here’s what I wrote to my dear Christian friends on FB:

Hello princesses!!

My android phone, which was our heavenly Daddy’s gift to me, was stolen yesterday. It had my Smart number, and all your numbers. But Daddy protected my more precious phone, my old myphone, which had my Sun number (for family purposes).

I am just waiting for my load wallet to get credited so I can load up my new Smart number and text you all. Naka-save pa rin kayo sa myphone ko. : )

Please pray for me. Part of me feels shy about asking for prayers, in the light of the requests that we have here. I mean, what’s a phone compared to cancer, di ba? But I know that Daddy doesn’t think the sudden fearfulness I am battling now is a trivial thing compared to Diane’s and Joanne’s situations. And I know we have all been learning that if it matters to us, it matters to Him. So I’m asking that you pray for my peace of mind, that I will not give in to paranoia in public transpo, that I will not look for loopholes to blame and condemn myself for what happened to me.

Throughout the whole ordeal, I was sensing God’s protection. It was only when I felt that one of the gangmembers – maybe he was the leader – was really determined to steal what he probably thought was an iPhone did I sense God say “Let it go.” And that moment was when they also let me go and got down, with only the Flare. Considering that I had another phone in that bag, and I also had my DSLR with me, and Irl had his laptop, because we were on our way first to Diane’s house, then to our network’s webcast (we stayed with Diane and Norman na lang. They really ministered rest to us. And Noah is a fantastic cook! SOOOO GRATEFUL FOR THEM!).

I thank the Lord He kept the girls safe at home, and even that it was me and not Irl, that I was between them and Irl, because I know Irl was also protecting me, and I’ve heard of how when it’s a man who struggles, they can go as far as stabbing him before running off. I know we were under His protection, and as with Job, He limited the harm that was meant for us to just one little item that He Himself had provided for before, and He can provide for again.

Thank you for your prayers. I thank God for you!

And to you who read this, I thank God for you as well. Thank you for letting me share.