God watches over us

I live in an end of terrace basement flat. The entrance is round the rear of the property down some steps. I got home last night at about 6.30pm. Ian has been away all week, as has our lodger. I was not expecting anyone to be home, so I was a bit surprised to see the security light over the door on. I peeked down the stairwell to see if anyone was there and saw a man bent over with his hand through a hole in the glass panel by the side of our door!

We then had a bit of a chat along the following lines:

Me:"Hello, What are you doing?" (as if it wasn't obvious)

Burglar (looking up at me in surprise): "Shit!"

He then walked up the steps towards me and as he walked past me as if to go back onto the road I fell into step beside him. I had noticed a police car parked on the main road just across from our flat.

Me: "It's a good job there's a police car parked across the road isn't it?"

Burglar: "I thought this was an empty flat."

Me: "No actually, I live here."

Burglar: "Shit, I don't F'ing believe this!"

We had got to the front of the building by then and he could see the police car - no policemen in sight though, so he legged round the corner. He looked back at me at least twice as he ran away. I am pretty sure that I recognised him from my time spent in the criminal courts of Bristol. I may even have represented him before! I think he may have recognised me too. When the police did come though I couldn't give a very good description of him. He was fairly non-descript! I am sure I would recognise him again as I was shoulder-to-shoulder with him as he walked casually away and I was staring right into his eyes for what seemed like ages.

He caused a fair bit of damage to the door and smashed the reinforced glass panel. Unfortunately he didn't leave any blood or fingerprints behind. We had conveniently left a shovel and a mallet in the back garden so he had everything he needed! I think he was probably there for a good half hour as the police car had apparently been there that long. I am sure he wouldn't have tried his luck if he had seen the car first. The policeman was investigating another burglary around the corner which had been successful. They don't think it was the same person.

Anyway, praise God that:

• he didn't decide to use the mallet or anything else on me and take the laptop I was holding at the time
• it happened last night when Ian was coming home and not earlier in the week when I was on my own
• that my neighbour arrived home from a run just as the man left so that he was then able to come into the flat with me and wait for the police to arrive
• that the police were in the vicinity and came quickly
• that it happened on a house group night so that we quickly had friends around us and were able to pray together
• that Ian has a day working at home today so will be able to fix the window and the yale lock he had almost managed to break
• that he didn't get in!

The reading in my daily notes for today was John 16:33 "In the world you will have tribulation; but I have overcome the world."

And two days ago - 1 John 5:4 "Whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world - our faith."

Although I was not intimidated by him at the time (I was grateful that I am used to speaking to criminals) I was pretty shaken after he left. I didn't sleep too well and would appreciate prayers that it doesn't prey on my mind and that he doesn't come back. Now that I've written it down I hope I can forget about it.