We recently got back from a wonderful vacation in Maui! It was a great, relaxing week. Luke and I didn't realize how much we missed wearing shorts (capris for me) and flip flops. I guess to sum it up quickly, we miss the heat!
Lately, it seems like vacations are fun but not relaxing. Going back to Oklahoma and Texas, you want to see as many family and friends as possible, which is not relaxing. In Maui, we woke up, went to the beach or pool, ate lunch, had nap time, ate dinner, went to the pool and then put the kids to bed. Then, the adults sat outside listening to the ocean while we read or surfed the internet. Sure, we went to a few places around Maui but overall we just relaxed. It was just what we needed.
We ventured out to two different places in Maui, the aquarium and the Iao Valley State Park. The kids enjoyed the aquarium. The state park was beautiful. It seemed like we were in the set of Jurassic Park. It was fun until we got back to our rental car. Some people were waiting by our car. When we got close to them, they told us that they witnessed our car getting broken into. They yelled at the thieves and tried to chase them down but couldn't catch them. These wonderful people had called the cops and waited 20 minutes for us to come back to our car. Unfortunately, they did not get the license plate number on the thieves car.
When the witnesses told us our car had been broken into my heart dropped. I had left my diaper bag/purse in the car. I walked over to the window that was broken and saw that of course the diaper bag was gone. My heart dropped even more when I realized my wallet, check book, iPad and old iPhone that we used as an iPod were all in the diaper bag among other things. The only good news was that I had my phone and my brand new camera with me. The other good news was that they didn't look in the back seat where there was another wallet and a video camera also.
For anyone that has an Apple product, you need to download the app call Find my Phone. I didn't ever enable this app, and if I had we would have been able to locate the thieves with the GPS. Also, we would have been able to delete all the information off the iPad and iPhone immediately.
I have to be honest and say that some of my first thoughts were how violated I felt. My bubble had been burst. Bad people can get to me. My next thoughts were on all the possessions I lost. My bag, which I loved. My iPad, my wallet, my nursing cover (pathetic I know, but you get kind of attached to these things), my key chain which I'd had since I was 16... I could go on and on. I just kept running things through my mind of what they had taken to me and how I could have prevented it by just taking the bag with me. I felt irresponsible (okay, it was irresponsible). I put a post on Facebook saying what happened and asking people to pray. I didn't know what for. The likelihood of getting my stuff back was slim to none. I didn't know what else to do, and when you are like that the best thing to do is to pray.
Some of the responses I got to that post were very encouraging, and God answered those prayers. One response said she was praying that God would give me peace that passes all understanding since He is in control and knows that this is for my good and His glory. Another said she was praying for peace and joy. Someone else said she was praying for the salvation of the two men who broke into our car. As the day went, I was able to feel God's peace in knowing that He is in control. We were able to enjoy our last day of vacation (the next day) without worrying about things to much. The last prayer about the guys salvation offended me at first, but then I realized that is what being a Christian is all about. Loving people that are the hardest to love and when they are the last people you want to pray for. God loves those two men and desperately wants them to come to know His saving grace. I also realized that possessions are worldly things that don't matter in the end. I put too much value in my possessions. I have had to reevaluate where my values are. God wants to be my first priority and then my family. Possessions are way down on the list of important things.
I have two challenges for everyone that reads this post. First, truly think about where you value your possessions. Second, make it a habit to pray for those you don't want to pray for! God is in the business of miracles. You never know what He will do if you just ask Him.
(Another post with pictures will come soon.)
