Taking Things that Don't Belong to You

The great theologian Matthew Henry was once robbed and thanked God for three things: (1.) that he had never been robbed before, (2.) that the robber did not take his life, and (3.) that it was not he doing the robbing.
My wife and I were robbed twice within one week's time. A burglar broke into our apartment and took electronics, jewelery, and Christmas presents for our families. Then, exactly a week later, our luggage was stolen from the back of a rented van while we were visiting family. Two of the bags were filled with Christmas presents for our nephews and niece.
After the second robbery, I could not thank God that I had never been robbed before, for I had indeed been robbed before. But I could thank God that my wife and I and my brother and his family were all alive. And I could certainly thank God that it was not I who was doing the robbing.
When you tell someone the story of being robbed you get a number of responses, and many the same. Anger is a common response. The listener says how angry he would be if it had happened to him, and is surprised how well we're taking it. Another response is empathy, and the listener shares a story of burglary from his or her own life. Many people joke and laugh (as we did) at the idea of being robbed twice within a week's time in two completely different cities. And, of course, there are many variations of the it-could-have-been-worse response. The very first response I got, however, was, "God must be trying to tell you something."
What was God trying to tell us? "Don't hold on so tightly to your possessions." "You don't need Christmas presents to celebrate Christmas." "I am all you need." Those are all possibilities, and those were all truths that were further ingrained in my own soul, but I do not think that events in our lives happen so that the next day we are a different person. That can happen, but often the answers come much clearer down the path.
Why did we get robbed? Why don't we get robbed every day? What do I have that I have stolen? Why am I not a robber? Why did I have so much stuff to be taken in the first place? Question upon question can be asked, and even more answers can be given.
I thanked God that we were robbed. I saw the good in it right away. I was not angry, nor did I question God's goodness. I do not wish vengeance upon the thieves who robbed us. I am reminded that in my thievery God has forgiven me. As Christ had two thieves on either side of Him at His crucifixion, so will He have two kinds of thieves at the Judgment: ones who are forgiven and will be with Him in paradise, and ones who reject Him and will spend eternity apart from Him. I thank God, as Matthew Henry did, that it was not I who was doing the robbing, but I thank Him even more, that He has forgiven me of the robbing I have done.
nwm