Thief

by Sharon Shaebay Brown

Once upon a time there was a thief.  He loved to rob people. Just like we have jobs as teachers, lawyers, and nurses, his job was to rob people. It would seem that he loved his job. The thief was out and about one day and came upon a nice house and he said, “I am going to rob this house.” So, he moved in and set up shop.  At first the thief kept a low profile. He slept a lot; taking very little, not to being noticed right away.

Then one day the thief decided to start stealing. He stole some things, and before long, the homeowner found out things was amiss. The police were called. Fearing he would get caught, the thief disappeared.

Then the thief resurfaced. He was angry that he had to hide out for so long that he stole with a vengeance!  He traveled throughout the house and took what he wanted. When the police arrived this time, the thief didn’t even bother to hide.  He had taken so much stuff; he couldn’t be stopped! The thief stole so much that the house began to crumble. The house continued to crumble until it eventually fell down. The thief was proud of his work.

If this was a fairy tale, it would have a happy ending. The thief would have been caught and stopped.
However… it’s not.

This is a story about my sister Gail and her battle with cancer. Cancer comes into your body…your “house” and sets up shop. The cancer is Satan, the adversary, who comes to comes to steal, kill, and destroy. Cancer comes like a thief to steal your joy and happiness; to kill your good body cells and organs; and to destroy your life as you know it.  Cancer takes over your “house” and tries to run amok. It can live in you and be so quiet and dormant, that you don’t know it’s there.  Then when the time it right, it strikes!  This thief robbed my sister of so much. He took her health, her energy, at times her mind, and her pride. The doctors, the radiation, and the chemotherapy are the “police”.  Sometimes they can come in and “catch the thief” before he can get started. In some cases, they can slow him down.  Such is the case with my sister.  The police were able to slow the thief down.  However, the thief fought back, and thought he won when he made my sister’s house crumble.  You see, she fought so valiantly to live in spite of all the death and destruction that was going on inside of her. Eventually, the cancer had just robbed her of too much, and her “house” (her body) began to fall down around her. But God got the victory in the end! The thief could not rob my sister of her love for God and family; neither could the thief take her sense of humor. My sister chose to surrender her house to God to give Him the glory!

A thief is only there to steal and kill and destroy. I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of.  John 10:10 Message Bible.

Beloved, God has a prepared place that no thief can enter.

Meet guest contributor

Sharon Brown. In memory of her beloved sister Gail, Sharon shares a writing entitled "Thief". Sharon enjoys writing and has penned several short stories and poems.

     

[image by MSVG]