I had the same nightmare three times before the eventful evening. I woke up seeing a light and realizing that there was a stranger in our bedroom, I tried to scream to warn my family of the danger but only a muffled gurgling sound came out of my throat. I could not go back to sleep afterwards because of the adrenalin rush and cold sweat all over my body and my racing heart.
The winters evening before my husband’s 50th birthday was as every other Saturday evening. My teenage daughter and one of her friends that were sleeping over wanted to go to the local show with their other friends and so we said our family prayers before they went out, asking for their and our protection. They returned home at about 10.30 pm and said good night to us. Our house was built in a U and my teenage daughter and her friend slept on the one side of the house, while my Mom the three little ones and my husband and I slept on the other side. My Mom was visiting my sister for the weekend.
I woke up at about 2:00 am hearing footsteps on my carpet. I thought it was one of the little ones coming to tell me that they were ill. Something told me to keep quiet until my child spoke to me. When nobody said a word, I opened my eyes and saw the light of a flashlight shining. I immediately knew that it was like in my dream and I sat up in bed trying to scream but the only sound that came out was gurgling sounds that woke up my husband and send the two men in our room running for their lives. My husband yelled and run after them and I screamed and run after my husband scared to death that they will harm him.
The men jumped over our wall and my husband and I returned to our bedroom to call the police. It is then that we saw the axe next to my bed. The robber had the axe in one hand and the flash light in his other hand. He saw my husband’s cell phone charging next to my bed and must have put down the axe to take the cell phone and that is when I sat up and made the gurgling sounds as if I was dying that send them sprawling.
My husband and I run to the little one’s room, but they were sleeping. The robbers did not even go into their room. We then run to my teenage daughter’s room. Our hearts skipped a beat when we saw the wash room’s cupboards and the cupboard before her bedroom door packed out. Her door was closed, we opened it, and put on the light. She and her friend were sleeping soundly. The robbers did not even touch her bedroom door.
She told us that she had a bad feeling at the show and the feeling was so intense that she said to her friend that they needed to pray just there and then. She again asked to be kept safe. She told us that she and her friend were talking and giggling after saying goodnight to us, when they heard sounds. She said to her friend that it was her Dad checking up on them and that they must keep quiet and go to sleep. That was the Lord protecting them against harm as they could have been raped and murdered, two beautiful young girls alone in a bedroom with no one else around.
The robbers must have been in our home for quite some time. They had found the keys of our vehicles and had packed my car with all our technology and electrical equipment, as well as bedding and clothing. They had taken Vienna’s, chicken and yoghurt out of my fridge and ate it in my Mom’s room. My Mom’s room was turned upside down. I am normally a very light sleeper but did not wake up that evening until the footsteps on my carpet.
The power of prayer is amazing and for our protection. We are so grateful to Our Heavenly Father for keeping us and our children safe. The only things that the robbers took were my husband’s watch (his birthday gift) and our cell phones.
