A Good Nap!

It's amazing what a good, long, deep-sleep nap will do to a person's perspective on life! Numerous activities, meetings, and responsibilities have kept me running for the past few weeks, and I haven't been getting a good amount of sleep. Our plans for today changed (weather-related!), so I got some work done in the morning, and decided to go take a good nap in a very quiet room, with some fresh air blowing in (via window fan) and snuggled under the covers. What a difference a good, comfy nap makes to my mood and my outlook! I'm now ready to face the rest of my responsibilities for tonight and tomorrow morning without dread and without feeling exhausted and yawning for hours on end!

Trust Issues

It's difficult when you are used to writing/typing everything out in order to figure everything out, and yet there are restrictions. Sometime in the past seven days, we experienced a weird sort of crime, and even had to call the police. Because I read a lot, and because solving puzzles intrigues me, I keep trying to figure out who may have committed this crime (I'm really not counting on getting anything back. We consider it long gone by now). Those who have been told (a few select neighbors--although they didn't notice anything suspicious; some close friends) always come to the conclusion that it had to have been done by someone my son knows, or someone who knows him, has heard him talking about his hobby, and knows where we live. That (the fact that it's probably someone who knows us) bothers me more than if it had been a random act. I've been racking my brain trying to figure out who has been in our house lately, and Abby and Joel are usually too busy with their lives to have their friends over (Anna has neighbor friends over, but they never go upstairs, and they're too young---and Anna's friends are still very innocent---to even think of accomplishing what was done), and we haven't had any repair people in the house.

And how did he/she/they know we would not be home for awhile? Sure, I left the porch light on (won't do that again), but have they watched our weekend patterns? And why did they take what they did, but leave several other (even similar), highly visible temptations untouched?

Sure we'll take more precautions from now on (stern orders from the officer not to be so trusting, even in our nice little neighborhood in our corner of town---although this happened when all our doors were locked and we were gone for hours, not while we walked to the park or around the block, when we sometimes used to leave the back door unlocked), but I find that I'm having a few trust issues. I have always been a trusting person, and always willing to share and to serve those who have a need. Last night, we had a community event, and a cute little girl needed to use our bathroom. Before this past weekend, I would never have even hesitated for a split second. Now since Anna was finishing up her shower, and since we only have one bathroom, I did tell her (and her teenage companion . . . the teenagers have connections to our family through Scott and their dad, and they are totally the trustworthy type) that I needed to check to see if Anna was done before they came in the house, and while doing so, I made sure to close all the bedroom doors, etc. And I find that it's more difficult to be totally open with some neighbors. I hate having a mental "suspect" list, but I find that I'm having a difficult time trusting certain people. I find myself making sure that anything of value (laptop, purse, etc.) is put away and hidden---not out in the open, even when the doors are locked. Maybe that's wise.

For years I've been asking for wisdom and discernment, and I know God has provided me with both in many situations. But I never thought I'd have to be so careful in my own home. A burglary (even a weird, seemingly targeted one), just makes a person think differently about a lot of things. But I don't want to become cynical. I'm seeking to be a person of mercy and grace combined with that wisdom and discernment which I seek. Our alma mater urged us to become servant leaders in whatever path our lives took. It's just a bit difficult to serve and befriend and love without hesitation when that trust has been broken by someone still unknown, yet someone who probably knows us.