That Steve...

Our car was stolen last night!

Tara was leaving for the evening for some appointments, and was getting ready to back out of the driveway when she remembered something she had left inside. She ran inside real quick, leaving the car running with the door open. She knocked on the door, and I let her in. She raced around, getting what she needed and then rushed out the door.

Then I heard frantic banging on the door, the doorbell ringing and ringing. I sent the kids to unlock the door for her, since I was feeding Eli. They just looked at her through the door as she kept yelling. I got up to let her in...again...since the kids were just staring at her. She blurted out that someone just stole the car!

Then she shouted over and over again: they have my computer...they have all my pictures!

I ran outside, down to the street glancing up and down the street for any sign of our car.

Nothing.

It was a very empty feeling: who would steal our car? And what will we do about the thousands of pictures on Tara's laptop?

And then our neighbor Steve walked out of his house.

Tara rushed over to him, wanting to know if he saw anything. His puzzled look was not encouraging.

But then he began to smirk. And then he opened his garage door. Our car!

The look on Tara's face was priceless: pure shock and complete relief!

She started to beat him with her rolled up magazine, giving him the third degree. I couldn't help but start laughing.

Apparently Steve had been on his way back from the mailbox when he saw Tara rush into the house, leaving the car running with the door open. For whatever reason, he felt rather mischevious. He quickly jumped into the car, backed out of our driveway and parked it in his garage and then shut the door. Very funny.

Last spring I did a sermon on Refrigerator Rights; Steve is the kind of neighbor who has Car Theft Rights.

As Tara and I talked (and laughed) about the crisis later that night, we wondered how to get him back. Not many options when our neighbor starts with stealing our car. What do you do? TP his house? Cut down a tree? Order a bunch of pizzas to his house? I'm sure we'll think of something.

That Steve...and to think we just sent him money to support him in the mini-marathon he's running to raise funds for YFC. Some neighbor!