The Path before Us by Lorrie Lane Dyer

Last Saturday morning started out just like every Saturday. I woke to take my daughter to get her allergy shot, my husband and son headed off to the gym. For some reason that morning as I ironed my clothes I keep having this feeling of something was wrong or going wrong. I shrugged it off, trying to replace those nagging feelings with positive ones. I continued to get ready, decided to log on to my bank real quick, not sure exactly why other than I planned on taking my daughter school shopping. When I logged on I made a double take. The balance just wasn’t adding up. I only had two pending payments and regardless of how the order they went out the balance was incorrect. So I viewed account activities. As I stared at the screen I tried to make sense of what I was viewing. Several large purchases had been made that neither my husband nor I made. I immediately called my bank and told them of the situation. The customer service rep asked if my husband was overseas. I told her no and we continue to go through a series of questions. I was then transferred over to the fraud department. Within a few minutes I was informed that while we lay sound asleep, someone in Spain went shopping on our dime. I was assured that after an investigation the funds would be replaced. Unfortunately, someone had gotten a hold of my husband’s bank card making purchases both overseas and in the same state we reside.

As I went about my day I started to think about the type of people who do this. How does one take something from someone they don’t even know? How can you enjoy anything that was received through a deceptive manner? The more I thought about it the more upset I became. Two of the large purchases were at a grocery store. They spent more with one swipe than I do all month at the grocery store. Then they went back and shopped some more. The total sum was almost three times what our family of four (with two teenagers) and a Newf and two cats use a month. As a matter of fact, I hadn’t even had the chance to go grocery shopping yet.

I struggled with my feelings of anger. I struggled to see how someone could do this to another person. Especially a person they don’t know or know their situation. We were lucky. None of us had to do without because of it but what about those who do? Then I started to think about the person who did this, what was their situation? What lead them down this path? Did they know God?

As I went through my varied emotions the one thing that I did not question was the fact that I knew God would get us through this and take care of us. God is always present, even in times like these. I know it is hard to accept when something happens to you that you don’t feel you deserve. We didn’t deserve this to happen but it did. That doesn’t give me permission to be angry or to blame God. What it does do is give me an opportunity to have faith in God and know from the darkness there is light. God is good that way. He never abandons us. There may be times when we wonder where God is or ask how he let something happen. The answer lays in the fact that God gave us free will. Each human is responsible for his or her choices. As humans we should care enough about our fellow man not to mistreat them. I believe this is part of the reason Jesus came to walk among us. He came to teach us how to love one another. He wanted us to forgive one another and to lift one another up. He showed us the way yet he still allows us to choose the path we go down. I can’t make everyone do what is right but I can ensure that I do what is right. I choose to follow the path Jesus has laid before us. Yes, life will still happen but at least God will be with me.