For those of you who haven't had this happen, I hope you never do. I felt violated. You don't realize how much a part of you this stupid little mini computer is until it's been taken from you. It has messages from my husband and friends that I treasure and can never replace. It has pictures of my dying dog that I had not saved and can never recover. It's an intimate glimpse into my life and someone else has it in their hands. I've never felt more violated and betrayed. Not by a stranger, but by someone who knows me.
I've run the gamut of emotions in the past 36 - 48 hours. Anger, sadness, despair, hopelessness. I've felt it all.
But woven in between the array of emotions, a quiet voice in my head whispers, "What will you say if you DO get it back and find out who took it? How will you respond?"
It's not a mocking voice; it's not an angry voice.
It's a voice that poses a calm, but bold challenge.
How will I respond?
I'll tell you my initial pictured response was one that most people would probably have had. I won't even describe it because it was from a place of desperation and anguish. But I've had nothing but time to reflect (since my time is not otherwise occupied with a distracting phone). And I quietly made a decision that didn't really feel like a decision, but a forgone conclusion.
If I'm given the opportunity to confront the student, I will not waste the opportunity with revenge, retaliation, or anger. I will not waste a second of the chance to share Christ with him/her.
I'm a sinner and have been forgiven by someone who gave His life to do it. My life is much more abundant because I know Him and have been forgiven by Him. If I am afforded the opportunity to talk with this student, I won't hesitate to show him/her Christ. What a waste of a rare, but special opportunity if I don't.
