Have you ever heard a noise in the house and been pretty sure someone that shouldn’t be there was inside your house? That’s usually about the time David makes me get out of bed and look around. (Giggle, lol just didn’t work here because I literally giggled. Can you imagine David wanting me to protect him?)

What’s worse than a house creaks and squeaks making you think an unwanted visitor is in the house (that isn’t there) is coming home and finding out someone has been in your house while you were gone and taken you things.

That has happened to me. More than once. The feeling of violation is maddening. You don’t even know who to blame. They just came. And stole. My things. That I had put away in special places. And some of them had precious memories attached.

I have gotten better security since then. Cameras, alarms, deadbolts and more. Because NOBODY likes a thief in their house.

Last night while I was sleeping, I felt the Lord impress on my heart, “Don’t let ANYTHING steal your joy!” In an authoritative way. I’d like to tell you that I had no idea where this had come from or why He said it. Except…

I’d let a few things – not little things, but certainly not earth shattering things – come along in the few days and derail my day. Hijack my mood. Change my direction. Invade my thoughts. Steal my joy.

Things were fine one minute and one text, phone call or email later – I was all hyper for some reason. Not cool.
The thief comes to steal, kill and destroy. But I opened the door, invited the thief in and handed him my stuff. That’s not the way its supposed to work.

Here’s a statement that’s tight but right, “Happiness is a choice.” Ugh. Poo. I like to blame my aggravated demeanor on the situation that ‘stole’ it. But the fact is this, it can’t be stolen, just given away.
Ouch! Y’all are up in my business. But am I really alone? Have you let situations STEAL hours, days or even months from you?
I have a friend that walked through cancer, surgeries, radiation, chemo and more. I would call her to cheer her up and I would get off the phone realizing she had cheered ME up! Her outlook, her joy, her happiness was not being effected by her problems.

She might have lost her health for a while, but she wasn’t letting it steal her joy too. Wow.

I’m going to listen to the Lord and quit LETTING the thief in and handing him my JOY. How about you? When you share with us, it helps us all. Am I alone here? Or has this creepy thief taken some joy from you that we should have never let him have?