Out Foxed?

I have always considered myself as someone who would never get taken in a scam or have someone actually steal something from right before my eyes. I know that Jesus applauded the unrighteous steward that quickly acted to save his neck and help his master. The challenge is too often Christians are wimps when it comes to stepping up and using their brains and heart together. It is too easy for someone to take advantage of us because we are softies.

I got a call from my other son, Terrance, when he was coming back from doing a delivery job for me. Actually he was picking up his laptop that had an issue and dropping off another one. He decided to take a detour via the Chinese takeout. As he was pulling out of the parking lot someone quickly came behind him and allegedly Terrance backed up into this sedan.

As I am listening to Terrance I am trying to maintain my composure and not be upset. I know that accidents happen and that especially at Christmas time there is way too much traffic in parking lots. Eventually Terrance makes it home and unfolds what happens. It is a couple of days after that I hear most likely the real or rest of the story. It could be that this guy quickly pulls behind Terrance and fakes the accident. His car most likely had been hit before and the dent and the size and height of the truck don’t match up at all. Terrance is too quick to assume its’ his fault and that his life is going to instantly cease.

I text Toniel, the girl friend, and get the real scoop which Terrance was either too afraid to tell me or just forgot in the excitement of the moment. So now what do I do? Call this guy up who sounds like he was trying to take Terrance. He was quick to say can you give me a check for the damage. Yet, he did call his insurance company? Maybe he had already been in a fender bender and didn’t catch who did it?

I know that Anne at times will tell me that I’m blind at how our group has scams or thieves that are lurking around to find the opportune time to take one of our laptops or ipads. So when something is taken it makes it difficult to not assume that the obvious person is the culprit instead of thinking through what happened, what time and who was around. I know that too often I error between being too gracious or too quick to come down.

Last night as I am in bed reading via my iPod, Darious, my other son, comes up and asks for help with doing a presentation that is due the next day and he has had a week to do it. I am upset and ticked at him for always being last minute and lazy. I show him how to do it and get the laptop and usb drive ready. I get up early and double check to discover that he had actually stayed up past midnight to finish his project. The challenge was that he was supposed to add pictures and be creative. He has done the minimum, which is still better than doing nothing that meant an automatic F. I have been trying to ingrain in his brain to be proactive and on top of things instead of chilling to the last second.

Yes I enjoy playing detective at times but not when someone has stolen my wife’s iPhone. I know that my Anne isn’t as quick to think about her ‘stuff’ and the necessity of making sure it is out of sight and out of mind. So the quick assumption now is that because all high tech devices have gps you can find them instantly. The only problem is that most thieves are high tech and know to instantly turn off the location services app. Yeah, I know that life is more than my toys and that it isn’t the end of the world when something is stolen or misplaced or lost. My real concern is that I don’t want to ignore a pattern amongst a few that finders keepers is losers weepers.