ending life vs. finding life

With my laptop stolen, I only get 30 minutes at the library to make this post and do other errands on the internet, so this note may be even sloppier than previous notes! Here's what I want to update on in this note: What happened with the robbery, why it happened, and any other random small things.Last week once the last game was over, an employee of the church went to put fans away in his office (it gets hot in that gym so we have fans everywhere)... he came back up and informed me that his office was broken into. People enter through the parking lot and they have three options of where they can go... right into the gym, up one more flight of stairs to the viewing room, or downstairs to get to the bathroom. Whoever broke in, went through the downstairs doors during the last game and went toward the back of the building and used a crowbar to break into one room to steal 9 computers and that was all we really knew at that point. So we called the cops and waited, and waited, and waited... finally, Mary and I had decided that while waiting we would go on up to our bedroom and get some clothes together to sleep with friends. If you had been reading this blog from the beginning, you would know that this happened last year as well--12 computers were stolen while I was sleeping in the church. What I never mentioned was that they tried to crowbar their way onto my floor (you can see the damage done to the metal door). Luckily, the way the doors are made, it's impossible to break in and the elevator requires a key to get up. This gave my wife comfort, and as we were waiting on cops to show, she told her dad "I still feel safe sleeping up there if we had to." Not 20 minutes later as Mary opened our bedroom door did we realize that our door had been kicked through (they stole my laptop and $600 cash--Bridge of Hope reached out their arms as a church body and gave us 200 the other day! The beauty of the Body of Christ). At this point, I really don't want to discuss the next 30 minutes. Her one sense of protection she had, was shattered at that moment, and not knowing if the intruder was still in the building (and possibly still in our bedroom), she was terrified. I ask that you pray for her, for peace, comfort, sleep, etc.. as she continues to have occasional nightmares related to that event. I mentioned last year how God had protected me because it was the one night all summer I decided to wait till morning to shower. He did the same for my wife. Mary had planned on skipping all the games and going to bed early (those of you who know her, knows she likes to get to bed by 9 if she can!). I praise God that 4 volunteers were unable to make it, and because of that Mary had to keep score. Never underestimate the minor ways in which God protects us. Unfortunately, two nights ago after league was over, they broke in again and stole the church's 300 lb safe and petty cash from another office. They had clipped several wires to the alarm system and appears as if they entered by climbing through a window. I feel like the church has gone through a makeover. There were already lots of security protocols, but now we are doing anything and everything to prevent this from happening again. I even have to search out extra volunteers so we can have guards at the entrance for league games and guards at the viewing room to make sure people aren't wondering all the way upstairs! But we are getting loads of support from players in the league. Many of them upset that people would steal from the church and from us after all we have been giving them. Many shocked that we haven't closed the league, as they figured it was expected. And now this is why I think it has happened:Just the week before we had amazing salvation reports. Derrick came into my gym office during an open gym night and asked if we could talk. We had never met, but he was a player on the Street Kings (he had come to me because he had heard from others in the streets all that I've been doing for the area). "I know you don't know me, but could we talk in private?" We sat in my office and he began to cry--just wanted me to say a prayer, that's all... so I began praying, then stopped... "Is it confidential or can you tell me what I'm praying for?" It was his girlfriend, she no longer had a home and was living on the streets and he couldn't pay for a room until his next pay check came (he works as a security guard at Pathmark). "How much is a room?" $75 for one week--so I gave him $100, then asked if he knew Christ. He said he believed in God, but was not a Christian. As I explained the $100 gift, I explained the gift of the cross. He decided to accept that relationship that night and then he came to my first bible study, and now we are meeting one on one. But it gets better....4 days later, Cumba leaves open gym... then he comes back with a girl. The girl had pulled up next to him in her car, offering $50 (and had up to $3,400 she was willing to pay) for him to take her somewhere she could get killed. She drove 40 miles to Kensington to end her life! Instead, Cumba (who had been at my open gym since last summer) brought her to me. "Listen to him, he'll help you... he helps all of us, listen to whatever he says" (I still kind of chuckle at that). Next thing she says, "I don't know why I'm here." "I do," came my response. What followed was a 2 hour chat, then my wife came out and chatted and then we prayed over her at the foot of the cross and she invited Christ into her life. She came to Kensington to end her life and left finding true life (she kept saying "I ran into the wrong person!"). Well as she was leaving, she refused to leave without giving us a gift. From her $3,400 stash, she gave us $200. So four days earlier, we gave Derrick 100, and then we got 200 back. We have been in touch with her by phone, and she is doing great. Hopefully we will get together for lunch.So, as Major Wittenberg said, "Satan saw a lighthouse in a very dark neighborhood, so he ordered an attack." Plain and simple: I think that's why the robberies happened when they did. After league games, I do a walk through with Joey and a baseball bat in my hand. "Who would have thought it would come to this?" "I don't even think Satan did." Because I think Satan expected us to close everything down by now. Bottom line is, light is shining, people are being helped, being reached, being saved, and no matter what counter attack there is, we will just fight back harder. So continue praying for His good work... I only have five minutes left, so gotta jet.
Jeff Bracken