Kindness and Repentance...

Yesterday, I lost my wallet. Actually, my wallet was stolen. It was quite the ordeal. Its easier to understand the story in a timeline, so here is what happened yesterday, though I didn't know all the details until last night.

12:50 - I pull into Walmart with my wallet in my purse. I grab my purse and walk into the store.

1:15 - Over $800 worth of purchases are made on my credit card as I'm shopping around.

1:20 - I get up to the cashier and realize I don't have my wallet.

1:20-2:45 - I search frantically through my car, the parking lot, and the Super Walmart store.

So here's what we think happen. Because the person remained in the same store to use my credit cards, and because they were able to put over $800 on the card in 25 minutes, they must have done this before. They knew what they were doing. I know my wallet was in my purse when I got out of the car. So either it fell out while I was getting out of the car, or I was pick-pocketed. My purse is big, it was unzipped, and the pouch with my wallet and gift cards was plainly visible. So its more than possible that is what happened.

Needless to say, I was a wreck. The Walmart shoppers and employees probably thought I was nuts as I  walked up and down the same aisles for an hour and a half searching. I asked the maintenance man if I could go through the garbage, which we did together. I asked customer service twice if it had been turned it, and then with tears, asked them if I could leave my granola bars there because I could no longer purchase them. It was a bad, bad day.

Once I found out the person took my wallet and used it while I was still in the store, I felt horrible. I felt violated that someone had personal information about me who shouldn't. And I felt naive for being surprised that someone would really do that.

But in God's grace, I also prayed that whoever had it would at least be blessed by it. I wondered if those prayers were wrong and stupid, but I prayed them nonetheless. I kept wondering, Would God really bless an act of stealing? But through all the thinking about it last night and this morning, I realized that God's kindness leads to repentance.

Now, my doctrine is far from perfect (who's isn't?), and I don't understand how God leads some to repentance through wrath and others through kindness. But I do know that He does both. I know that some hit rock bottom and look to God, while others meet God through circumstances of blessing. And if both are possible, then I am praying that God brings this person to Himself through His kindness. Because what other prayer is there now?

I'm not exactly sure why I'm writing all of this, except that its obviously been on my mind, and because its a reminder that God's kindness is so much more powerful than I give it credit sometimes.

I can't change a heart, only God can. But I can change how I react to situations like this, and how my attitude reflects the kindness I am praising God for.

As someone once said, "A willow deeply scarred, somebody's broken heart and a washed out dream. They follow the pattern of the wind, ya see, cause they got no place to be. That's why I'm starting with me. Im starting with the man in the mirror. Im asking him to change his ways. And no message could have been any clearer. If you wanna make the world a better place then look at yourself and make a change."

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Lesson for Today: Slow internet is frustrating...