(Almost) Robbed

A story from the night we drove to the bus station in Nairobi; an excerpt from my journal:

“Our mutatu taxi shows up 30 minutes late and we start our journey to the bus station in the city. First of all, we were all crammed in there. It was kind of crazy. We got a couple of good pictures of it though. So then we’re just riding along being amazed and scared by all of the insane driving when all of a sudden some guy running by opens my window and tries to grab my purse! Thank goodness it was wrapped around my neck! I screamed, closed the window, and definitely cried a little. It made me super paranoid the rest of the ride. I put my back to the window and clutched my purse. I don’t think I’ve ever been so scared. My heart is still racing from it. We are on the bus now, and as I was thinking about what just happened, I wanted to be angry at the man who tried stealing my stuff, but then God gave me 2 thoughts:
1) how sad it is that humanity has gotten so bad that people must steal to survive. I will never condone stealing, but this situation causes me to wonder about that man’s story. What was so bad for him that made him want/need to steal? Where in life did he go wrong? What got him to that point? I will never know his story, but it is a reminder of why I’m here in the first place: to spread hope so that others never have to get to that point.
2) To be angry with this man is to sin. The Bible commands me to love at all times, even my enemies. The Bible commands me to love through all offenses. Who am I to judge someone when I myself have done nothing to earn the grace of God? When I myself have committed too many sins to count? Jesus died on the cross to forgive me. He also died on the cross to forgive everyone else. But in my heart right now primarily is the fact that Jesus also died on the cross for that man. Being almost robbed is scary. It makes me feel violated. It makes me feel more aware of my surroundings. It makes me feel nervous. But being loved enough that the Savior of the world would die for my sins? THAT makes me feel forgiven. It makes me feel worthy. It makes me feel free. And because of that, there is only one possible prayer I can pray after this experience: ‘Lord, please forgive that man. I pray that Your love would find him, that His heart would change. That You would use him to change his city. Give me a heart of love and forgiveness for him, and help me to never forget that I should love at all times and be quick to forgive at all times.’ I don’t have control over every situation, but there is comfort in knowing that God does. I didn’t like the situation, and pray it never happens again, but I am so thankful for the lesson I learned.”
 A story from the night we drove to the bus station in Nairobi; an excerpt from my journal:
“Our mutatu taxi shows up 30 minutes late and we start our journey to the bus station in the city. First of all, we were all crammed in there. It was kind of crazy. We got a couple of good pictures of it though. So then we’re just riding along being amazed and scared by all of the insane driving when all of a sudden some guy running by opens my window and tries to grab my purse! Thank goodness it was wrapped around my neck! I screamed, closed the window, and definitely cried a little. It made me super paranoid the rest of the ride. I put my back to the window and clutched my purse. I don’t think I’ve ever been so scared. My heart is still racing from it. We are on the bus now, and as I was thinking about what just happened, I wanted to be angry at the man who tried stealing my stuff, but then God gave me 2 thoughts: 1) how sad it is that humanity has gotten so bad that people must steal to survive. I will never condone stealing, but this situation causes me to wonder about that man’s story. What was so bad for him that made him want/need to steal? Where in life did he go wrong? What got him to that point? I will never know his story, but it is a reminder of why I’m here in the first place: to spread hope so that others never have to get to that point.
2) To be angry with this man is to sin. The Bible commands me to love at all times, even my enemies. The Bible commands me to love through all offenses. Who am I to judge someone when I myself have done nothing to earn the grace of God? When I myself have committed too many sins to count? Jesus died on the cross to forgive me. He also died on the cross to forgive everyone else. But in my heart right now primarily is the fact that Jesus also died on the cross for that man. Being almost robbed is scary. It makes me feel violated. It makes me feel more aware of my surroundings. It makes me feel nervous. But being loved enough that the Savior of the world would die for my sins? THAT makes me feel forgiven. It makes me feel worthy. It makes me feel free. And because of that, there is only one possible prayer I can pray after this experience: ‘Lord, please forgive that man. I pray that Your love would find him, that His heart would change. That You would use him to change his city. Give me a heart of love and forgiveness for him, and help me to never forget that I should love at all times and be quick to forgive at all times.’ I don’t have control over every situation, but there is comfort in knowing that God does. I didn’t like the situation, and pray it never happens again, but I am so thankful for the lesson I learned.”