Stolen!

I am so thankful that NOTHING can snatch me away from my Heavenly Father. I am His, and that will not change.

One of the things I learned when my daughter started high school is that the $5 calculator we've always used wasn't good enough anymore. "Free, public" education was expensive! No, we had to buy an expensive algebra calculator, one that came with a book, just to understand it. :) I waxed eloquent about how when I took algebra, I didn't have a fancy calculator ... The stores all seemed glad that Algebra now requires a high tech calculator, and the prices were not "Dollar Store" level. I was giddy when I found it on sale. We put our name on it, even scratching initials into it to be extra safe. JoHanna used it at school for the first half of the semester, until ... it was stolen! She backtracked her steps. She questioned students. I questioned the office. We prayed. She searched again & again. The teacher was sympathetic and tried to help, but admitted it probably ended up in the pawn shop. I wouldn't have felt bad if the $5 calculator was in the pawn shop, but this one was precious! We entertained thoughts of going from pawn shop to pawn shop, but our whimpy side won that contest.

It was stolen! My young daughter felt violated and offended that someone took something, something of value, that belonged to her.

Just a couple of weeks ago a young wife was surprised when she found her keys were missing. When she went to see if they'd been mistakenly left in the car ... and the car was missing! Her purse and cards, etc were taken, too. Stolen! She felt violated and offended that someone took something, something of value, that belonged to her. Someone out there was using what was hers, as if it was theirs.

God is very clear that no one can steal us from Him when we are His:

John 10:28 (NIV)

I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.

Imagine how Jesus feels when we give in to Satan's enticement and go to him as if he is our master. God must feel violated, offended, that the Enemy would be embrace those who are His, His precious children whom He bought and wrote His Word on their hearts. He wants us to live in a way that reflects who we belong to!

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NIV)

Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.

I've been bought with a price, and my Owner wants me to live like I'm His. The Holy Spirit in me makes it possible to resemble Jesus; God's grace covers over me to make me righteous before Him. Otherwise, it would be an unattainable goal.

We never found the calculator. We bought a used one through ebay ... and it had initials scratched into it, too. We wondered if it had been snatched away from its rightful owner... God's Word is written on my heart, and my name is etched on His hands, because I belong to Him, and He will NOT ever let me be stolen!