Tonight was a sobering reminder of God's protection.
We live on a main road and I won't park my vehicle on the street in front of my house - even though its perfectly legal to do so at any time.
We have been eyewitness to several accidents from out of control speeding cars in front of our house. Its sometimes very frightening to hear the screeching and banging noises of crashing cars at 3:30am.
We also live on a nearly dead end part of the road we live on. We are one of the only two houses on our block - its very quiet with the exception of the traffic.
ok ....... here's my story ...........
After going to the grocery store, I returned home and parked my car in front of my house temporarily, so I could unload my bags (my roommates are gone for the weekend).
After loading my groceries into the house, I shut the house door behind me and hopped into my car to move it safely to the street around the corner.
I didn't lock my front door, bring my purse or my cell phone with me to park my car. I never do, its only like 100 feet away.
A car pulls up in front of me. When this happens, its usually company for the neighbors or a lost driver talking on their cell phone.
I pull around him and park my car.
I get out of my car and start walking towards my house.
The man in the car gets out.
It looks suspicious. He's in my pathway to my house.
I immediately turn around and walk back into my car, jump in and lock the doors.
The man starts following me and tries to ask me a question.
I cracked the window (which I shouldn't have done) to hear what he was trying to say.
He says "Are you trying to follow me?".
I replied "No, I live right over there".
He says "Oh" and just stood there looking at me.
Well, I wasn't going to sit there and stare him down, while alone on a half dark street.
I drove away.
Mistake number two and three and four: He knows where I live now, my front door is unlocked and I have no cell phone. I'm screwed if he's one of those psycho killers we read about on www.cnn.com.
I drove off and turned down the wrong way on the one way street directly behind my house, hoping to find an empty spot and run like heck though the backyard to get help.
No empty spot.
I see my neighbor with his wife and kids. This guy is one of those hardcore Italian guys from the Bronx. Nice guy. Never smiles.
I ran over and I told him what was happening.
He said in his Bronx accent "No problem. Where is this guy?? I'll make sure ya get back ok".
(I'm sorry, but he's a rough guy. Who knew God would use him as my guardian angel.)
I got into the house safe. I called the landlord upstairs to give her a heads up.
The strange man drove away.
It was all very frightening.
We must always be on guard. Not to be paranoid, but alert and aware of your surroundings.
Not so comfortable you get caught off guard.
We must do this in every aspect of life, whether it be street smarts for personal safety or to guard our hearts from things that get us way off track from what we ought to be doing.
1 Peter 5:8 NLTStay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.What seemed like a routine to me could have led to a very serious situation.
