Having had some time to process through denial, confusion, disbelief, disappointment, hurt, and then anger, my heart has settled into sheer pity and finally hope for the family member who deliberately put their hands in my mother’s purse, stole the cash out of her wallet, and tossed the wallet in the women's restroom trash at this past week’s FAMILY REUNION. That’s right, folks, there's a thief in the family. Might want to secure your personal belongings next year because someone in the family wasn't taught as a toddler not to take things that don't belong to them. Wow, ok, so maybe there’s still a trace of anger, but I will keep working on it.
It’s personal. When my mom married into the Martinez family, she really married the entire family and embraced you as her own. She has been there consistently over the years for anyone who needed her for any reason. She is well known for having given of her time, her energy, her emotions, her resources, her home, you name it, it has been on the table as an open heart OFFERING as much as (if not more than) any blood family member. She has never withheld anything she can give freely to anyone in the family, and never once has she done anything out of expectation for something back. If you needed $100, she would have given it to you if you had asked.
But I don’t think you really needed it. I think you are probably a slave to some sort of addiction. Maybe it’s drugs. Maybe it’s just the thrill of getting away with taking in a matter of minutes what may have taken several days for someone else to earn. Whatever it is, ironically, shame kept you from just asking for it, but didn’t prevent you from stealing it.
Whoever you are, you were meticulous. You were crafty. You were stealthy. You pulled it off in broad daylight in a room full of people who trusted you. No one saw you do it…. which leads me to believe that you’ve done this many times before, that this is a regular part of life for you, and you will likely do it again. Please don’t.
Someone has tempted you to believe you’ve gotten away with being a thief because no one caught you. But that is a LIE. DON’T believe it! You haven’t gotten away with anything. God knows the intentions of your heart. And it’s not looking so good for you at the moment. You may have a false sense of satisfaction, accomplishment, pride even. Misdirected revenge for a life that has been hard for you. My heart aches for you that you are enslaved to such a life of dishonest gain, self-centeredness, and shame. I’m sad to consider that you have trusted in something so counterfeit. It’s like being perfectly happy playing in the sewer when it’s free admission day at Disney World right behind you if you would just turn and look. I wish I could look you in the eye and tell you that Jesus is better. He’s the real deal. He’s better than money. He’s better than drugs. True satisfaction in life comes only through a relationship with him, and he’s more thrilling than anything this world has offered you.
Please. For your own sake and for the sake of those you love, who are no doubt influenced by your lifestyle: Turn away from a life of slavery to counterfeit pleasure and look to Jesus to be free. Don’t let dishonest gain, addiction, and self-centeredness be the legacy you leave behind. Let Jesus be your legacy. Invest in a relationship with him. Get to know him.
Mom has kissed that money goodbye. That’s not what this is about anymore. This is about a window into your soul that has revealed darkness. My hope for you is to let Jesus bring light into the darkness. There were thieves on either side of Jesus when he hung on a bloody Roman cross. One mocked him and is now paying an eternal debt for his sin, while the other one turned to him and is now experiencing an eternity of freedom from it. As long as there’s breath in you, there’s hope for you. But why on earth would you want to wait until your last breath to experience freedom from slavery? Turn to Jesus, be forgiven, and be at peace.
Love covers anger.
