There are some things in life I will never understand. Why some things happen to some who are innocent, have done nothing wrong, other than work hard and mind their own business. Yes, there are things in life that happen and I wonder: why?
8:00 am I arrive at Carrier Park for my morning run. As I am lacing up I hear a female voice behind me say, "excuse me sir, but did you by chance see what happened?" I turned around to see that someone had busted out this woman's window while she had went for a run. I replied, "no I didn't, I just got here, but I'm so sorry, how can I help?" This woman was obviously shaken and upset as she dialed Asheville Police Department, her husband, and credit card companies to report her purse being stolen. I asked if she needed me to stay with her until APD arrived, she said "No" but her voice and demeanor said otherwise.
I kept telling her, I'm so sorry this happened to you. She just kept saying the more she thought about what all was in her purse the more worried she became, and more calls she needed to make. I stayed until I saw APD pulling in the parking lot, then I gave her my business card with my name and phone number if she needed me.
Over the next 6.3 miles as I did my run, I kept thinking about this woman. Here she was starting her day by trying to just go for a 50 min run before heading off to start her day. In less than an hour she comes back to her car to find that someone broke something of hers, took her purse, and everything in it.
What is wrong with people? I was brought up that you don't take something that doesn't belong to you, you don't touch someone else's property. It wasn't just that they stole. It was now this innocent young female (who is the victim of a random crime) has to have her car window replaced, have glass cleaned out of her car, has miss a day of work, will probably have nightmares, has lost pictures that where irreplaceable in her pocketbook, has had money she worked for stolen, she has to replace her ID, Make sure she got all credit cards shut down before they get used, she has to replace debit card, and any personal items she had are gone. Also add in that all her personal information now has been compromised. All because someone made the decision to take something that didn't belong to them.
Why did they do it? Maybe they needed drug money? Maybe they where an Ex getting revenge? Maybe they where desperate from being unemployed for years? Maybe they owed some bad people money? Maybe they needed to feed their family and felt they had no choice? Maybe stealing is there career? Maybe it was the first time they had ever done it, or maybe it was the 1000 time.
The reason is irrelevant, the point is that it was done. I ran thinking that this person may never get caught, they may never have to pay restitution for what they did, and this woman (and probably many more) will not get justice for what was done.
Yes, some things I will never understand.
Woe to those who plan iniquity, to those who plot evil on their beds! At morning’s light they carry it out because it is in their power to do it. (Mic 2:1., NIV)
There are no excuses, there is the power within us to decide not to do the evil we plot. As this person walked up to this lady's car this morning they had the power of choice within them. They could have walked away and done nothing, but instead they chose to do the wrong thing.
May this woman who was robbed this morning be able to move on, and be able to still do her morning run without being afraid. This robber took more than her pocketbook, they took her sense of security. If you have ever been robbed, you know what I am talking about. It has happened to me. You lose a sense of security. Some lose it for a day or two, some for a month, some for years, and some for a lifetime.
Some things I will never understand, and I guess I never will.
Pray for this lady, and for this robber.
Chris
