Bank robbers and other thieves will often wear a mask or some other type of disguise to conceal their true identity. Here is this week’s story …
It happened several years ago, but I remember well the night “masked” thieves tried to break into a house where I was working as a private duty nurse for a young man rendered quadriplegic from a motor vehicle accident.
“Bernard” was asleep and I was sitting near his bedside writing nurse’s notes when I heard … Pop! Pop! Pop! Thinking the popping sounds were exploding firecrackers … I stood up … and walked to the window to take a look outside. Pulling the curtains back and peeking out the window, I saw a young man dressed in dark clothes, crouched at the front corner of the house. A black do-rag covered his hair and he wore a red and white bandana as a mask over his face. In his right hand he held a long barrel gun.
Just as my brain comprehends the popping sounds I’d heard had been gunfire … I hear the terrifying screams of my patient’s mother. “Debra! Call 911! Someone’s trying to break into the house! Lock the bedroom doors and take care of “Bernard”! Hurry! Please Hurry!”
After doing as I’d been instructed to do, I waited with my patient (who was still asleep) for help to come. Not knowing what was going on in the rest of the house, and fearful the thieves would break into my patient’s bedroom and do us physical harm, the wait seemed to last forever. In actuality, the sheriff department’s response time was less than five minutes. And let me tell you, after the deputies entered my patient’s room and I knew we were all safe … I began rejoicing!
Come to find out, there had been three masked, gun carrying men attempting to break inside the house. We were told later on by the investigating law enforcement officers that the three masked men were probably the same men who had committed two other home invasions earlier that week. In those home invasions, family members had been physically assaulted. We were also told that the other home invasion victims had reported the masked men were armed with pistols and a sawed-off shotgun … which was probably the long barrel gun I had seen.
But that doesn’t mean that every person who wears a mask is up to no good. Quite the contrary, there’s also lots of Jesus-loving, Jesus-serving, Jesus-following people who wear masks. Why? Because they still don’t know who their true identity is in Christ. For if they did know, they wouldn’t hide behind masks every time they “mess up” or “fall short” in life. Instead, they’d be rejoicing for who they are in Christ!
Debra Joy Wallace is a Christian columnist and speaker. Facebook page: Weight Loss Empowerment with Debra Joy – Website: www.debrawallace.com – Contact: Email: debra@debrawallace.com