carbonated joy

Diana and I got woke up by our beagle this morning at 1:30 am. She was barking and running around in circles.
Someone was knocking on our front door, we thought that’s funny, we aren’t expecting anyone.
We stumbled around in the dark, found our way downstairs, and discovered there was a police officer at our door. Maybe, it’s because I’m old, but he looked like a 17 year old Eagle Scout. He was a very nice man. It has to be scary knocking on doors in the middle of the night, not knowing what you are about to find! Our neighbor had called 911, (She had called us several times and left a message, but we had slept right through it.) she had heard a noise, looked outside and saw a man going through Diana’s car. The bad guy was on his belly in the front seat, ruffling through the car, looking for something valuable. Luckily, we didn’t have anything, so he ended up tearing out the change holder. It probably had about $1.37 in it. Good luck with that, criminal!
I’m sure that he left wearing 12 pounds of dog hair, because the car is covered with it! That could go on the all points bulletin: “the suspect is coated in hound hair”.
So, we found ourselves standing outside talking to the police when we should have been sleeping! It’s an unsettling thing when a stranger messes with your stuff! You get angry and scared. I felt really vulnerable, MAYBE, because I was standing outside in the old gym shorts that I sleep in, MORE LIKELY, it was because we had been caught in an unguarded moment.
We are usually sticklers for locking things up. We have lived in neighborhoods that required a lockdown. We even have friends who make fun of us for locking everything. BUT, the ONE time we didn’t lock, somebody got into our car.
We left it unguarded and it caused problems.
That reminds me of a verse in the Bible.
Proverbs 4:23 gives us some really good advice: “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.”
When this scripture says “heart”, It’s not talking about a muscular blood pumping organ in your chest.
It’s also not talking about an super amazing 70s rock band made up of two sisters.
It’s talking about your mind, emotions and will, how you think, feel and choose. These are some of the major things that make you YOU. Those things can get violated and vandalized if you don’t guard them.
How do we guard our heart? Here are my twisted thoughts…
Live in the light. Sketchy things happen in the dark, come into the light. Live open and honest so that there are no secrets or surprises. Then, there’s nothing to steal.
Hold tightly to the keys of your heart. That doesn’t mean that you lock EVERYone out, it just means that you don’t let EVERYone in. You are priceless! Don’t cheapen yourself. You are a completely unique jewel, don’t let anyone treat you like a cheap trinket. Don’t play with your heart, AND don’t let anyone else play with your heart
ALSO, You can get by with a little help from your friends. It’s good to have neighbors who watch out for you. Know who your REAL friends are and realize that sometimes they see things you don’t, so listen to them.
Guard your heart.
You will sleep better!!