Like a Thief in the Night

It was beginning to get dark when the awful mario brothers song thundered through the house, which meant the doorbell had been rung. A combination of horror films, my mother, the news, and my own naivety of "city" life has given me a slight complex about answering the door when I am home alone. Whoever invented peep-holes is a brilliant person, or maybe, they have a slight complex as well.
When I answered the door I was greeted by a tall, white skinny kid who was probably in his highschool years. Husker came out and I held the large dog back as the bare-chested kid asked me if I had a gas can.
"Uhhmm, no, I am dog-sitting and I don't think they have one. Sorry"
"Okay" As he walked away I saw a white/silver car with two other shirtless guys in the front seats. He got in, and they drove off. I was a little confused at why they needed a gas can if their car was fine. And if they didn't need it for their car, they could have used their car to go buy one at Walmart. I locked the door behind me and a sense of slight fear began to rise in my chest. I knew Amanda was coming over and I tried preparing myself for her arrival, for that knock on the door, that I hoped wouldn't be the boys coming back. Why did I tell them I was dog sitting? Now they know I'm alone! I kept thinking. I shut the shades and sat on the couch, texting JB my worries. I knew they were up to something, but I didn't want to be that person who jumped to conclusions about teenagers.
Amanda got to the house and I told her my anxiety about the boys and that I was scared they were going to return. A suspicious car had shown up in front of the house and I assumed they were back... which sent a shiver up my spine. (I found out later it was a different white car, and a neighbor had a friend over... right then would have been a great time to know the difference in car models!)
As we began to forget about the boys and I made a close to successful banana bread the mario brothers theme song jolted my heart as it echoed through the house once again. It was completely dark now, and I just stared at Amanda.
"Go answer the door!" she said..
"Heck no! Its probably the boys again. I'm scared!"
"Go answer it, its probably not them."
"You!"
"No, you. I'll be right behind you!"
I contemplated grabbing a knife off the counter, but didn't want to appear too ridiculous. I walked to the door and opened it slowly. No one was there.
But someone was walking away, and I saw cars with lights on down the street.
Oh no. Something did happen.
"Hi" the woman had turned around and came back to me, "I live down the street and my house was broken into. They stole our computers and wii and money and maybe my jewelry. Did you see anything suspicious?"
"Oh my gosh. Yes, I did." and I proceeded to tell her about the boys.
"Are you willing to tell the policemen?" she asked with hope.
"Of course, let me get my shoes on."

The next few hours I was in a daze and in slight shock at what had just happened so close to "home". I had looked into these boy's faces, these burglars, just a few hours before committing their crime. The policemen said this is how they work. They go door to door searching out homes that have no one there, and then they strike.

I have seen thiefs on the news and in the movies. I felt like I had protected the house well, and I'm sure the neighbor felt like she had as well. But they had broken in.. a thief in the night. We know it can happen any time, but when it happens, it is a huge shock. I felt for the neighbor and the fright it would have cost. I'm sure the computers were no match for the unsafe feeling of sleeping in that house that night. The strange feeling in the pit of her stomach knowing she was robbed in an instant.

I kept thinking about this today, a mixture of feeling sorry for the lady and then the kids who obviously were hurting psychologically somehow, enough to do something so serious. And the word thief kept repeating in my mind. Didn't the bible state something about how Jesus' return would be like a thief in the night? And so I plopped on the couch and opened my bible and found these two verses.

"Now brothers about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, "Peace and safety", destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape." 1 thessalonians 5:1-3

"Behold, I come like a thief! Blessed is he who stays awake and keeps his clothes with him, so that he may not go naked and be shamefully exposed." Revelation 16:15

It is crazy to imagine Jesus coming back like a thief. We all know it can happen any day. Any night. But are we prepared? Will we be in shock and caught off guard when He gets here? Or will we (figuratively) come back to a robbed home? I can't shake the imagery of what could have happened to me, and what happened to the neighbors. How real it makes it. How vivid life smells after something like that. And how real Jesus' return will be.

Are we ready and prepared for that day that no one on this earth knows about?
Because unlike the teen boys, I don't think God will give us any warning signs.
He has plenty of "gas cans" in heaven...