How I Got My Freedom Back

Is it possible that getting robbed can actually be a blessing?

It is when you trust in a living God.

The day that changed everything

Two weeks ago, I was robbed. Technically speaking, I was pick-pocketed.

After more than 15 years of living in a country with some of the most skilled thieves in the world, I had believed I was careful enough that something like this would never happen to me… until the day it did.

Getting onto a subway car on a Saturday morning with a family of five in a city of nearly 7 million people is always interesting. We usually travel as a family in our car, but on this particular day we had to go shopping where there was no parking, so the subway was the only reasonable option.

Once we had finished shopping, my wife and I headed for the subway with our arms full of bags and kids. As I was being pushed onto the subway car by a crowd of people, I suddenly felt pressure on my shorts pocket.

Instantly, I knew that something terrible had happened, but what could I have done? If I had tried to do anything in that moment, I would have had to let go of the hand of my 3-year-old little girl and risk losing her in the crowd of people pushing their way onto the subway car. That wasn’t going to happen.

Trusting God is all you got sometimes

I immediately told my wife what had happened, and we quickly got off the train. Once we discovered that both my wallet and smartphone had vanished from my pocket, we called the credit card companies, banks, and cell phone company to get everything blocked.

The rest of the ride home was horrible as I replayed everything that had just happened. If you have ever had anyone steal from you or take advantage of you, you know the feeling of vulnerability and “nakedness” that lingers. It’s that feeling of second guessing everything you did or didn´t do to prevent the situation from happening.

I starting playing the “What If” game in my head. “What if they’ve already taken money out of our accounts before we got them blocked? What if they try to steal my identity? What if? What if?”

After 15 years of marriage, my wife knows what I am thinking just by the look on my face. “You’ve just got to trust in God,” she reassured me.

When we got home, we quickly checked our accounts and discovered that no money had been withdrawn and no credit cards were used. My wife was ecstatic, but I my mind continued racing.

Now I have so many things to do. I’ve got to get a new driver’s license for two different countries; I need a new Chilean identity card and all new credit and debit cards; I’ve got to change passwords since my cellphone was logged into several accounts. Oh, and I’ll probably have to apply for credit watch programs just to make sure no one has stolen my identity.

I was overwhelmed.

“Cheer up. At least they only stole $10 in cash and your cell phone,” exclaimed my wife.

“What are you talking about? What about everything else that was inside my wallet?” I retorted.

“You are going to have your wallet back in two days with everything in it – except for the cash, of course – and you didn’t need that cell phone anyway.”

“What the heck are you talking about?” screamed the look on my face. People who steal wallets don’t suddenly decide to be nice and return them. And what about my cell phone? I had just purchased it a few days earlier for the new business I was going to start.

Remembering old promises

You see, nine months before this incident occurred, I had felt God calling me to go back to an old-style cell phone. You know, the ones with no internet or messaging. Once I made the move, I found it to be so freeing. For one, I never had to worry about someone stealing it, but most importantly, I was always available for my kids. No smart phone, in my case, meant more time to devote to my children.

Recently though, I had made a decision to start a new business, and everyone knows that nowadays you need a smart phone to be able to stay in constant contact with people. But as it usually goes, in just the two days that I had the smart phone, I had already felt myself creeping back in to my old habits of being on it all the time.

That night before we went to bed, we prayed, and I decided to leave all of my worry and stress with the Lord. When I woke up the following Sunday morning, my mind was made up. I wasn’t going to start a new business, and I wasn’t going to get a new phone. I already have a business that God has used to provide a comfortable living for my family. Why did I need to start another one?

Man, did that decision feel good! I was free! Not only did I start feeling hopeful about the situation, but I was even able to inwardly forgive those who had stolen from me. I was even beginning to feel a renewed passion for my current business and for my writing. I went to bed happier that night than I had in a really long time. But it was about to get better…

God speaks in mysterious ways

The next morning, I woke up and checked Facebook before I had to go renew my Chilean ID and driver’s license and run a lot of other errands. To my surprise, I had received a Facebook message from someone who wasn’t my friend. Who’s trying to get me to buy in to their multi-level marketing product now? I wondered.

The message read: “You know what? Yesterday, we were walking down the street and found your wallet. There is no money in it, but it seems to be full of credit cards, debit cards, and a lot of other things. How can we meet up to give it back to you?”

“My wife is a prophet!” I cried, as tears began to stream down my cheeks. I couldn’t believe it.

“Get up! You are never going to believe this!” I screamed to Carolina. “Someone found my wallet and they want to meet up to give it back!”

“I believe it,” she said. “I told you you’d get it back in two days.”

That very same day I got my wallet back, and sure enough, every single document was inside. The only thing missing – the cash.

God used that thief that day to save me from my own carnal desire to have more when He has already given me more than enough in my wife, family, church and business – not to mention His salvation. As He showed me His glory through this situation, I was reminded that He has everything under control.

And as far as the $10 is concerned, well, I consider it a loan to the poor. God has already paid me back 1,000-fold!

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