Tuesday, July 21, 2009

The Night the Strangers Came Knocking





I’m joining Rachel and Mr. Daddy today over at Once Upon a Miracle for True Story Tuesday…pop on over and read some awesome true stories.


This true story happened to me about five or so years ago…


Sleep eluded me. I was exhausted, but as tired as I was, I could not fall asleep. One o’clock passed, then two o’clock, then three a.m., nothing. Firehubby was at the station so I went ahead and turned on the light and began to read. At about three forty five, I could hear a car driving through the neighborhood, it sounded like it was a few street over. Being that I was upstairs, I enjoyed having the window open, I could hear the car very clearly. I heard honking of a horn in the distance and then some squealing tires. What the heck was going on, it was the middle of the night.


Within a few minutes, my doorbell began to ring. Ding dong, ding dong, ding dong, ding dong. Pound, pound, pound, pound. I nearly jumped out of my skin! Without hesitation, I picked up the phone and dialed 911 and then ran to the kids rooms. I scooped up Scout, ran to Princess’ room and then placed him on her bed. Her room was toward the front of the house and had a view of the street.


“911, what’s your emergency?” the operator asked.


“Someone is ringing my doorbell and pounding hard on my door!” I replied breathlessly.


“Can you see who it is?”


At this point the pounding began to sound much louder, like they were trying to break down my door.

Opening one slat of the mini blinds, I saw a full size, extended cab pickup out front and could make out at least four guys running around my front yard. I described what I could see to the operator.


Then suddenly, one of the guys looks up at me, he could see me through the single open blind, peering out, even though the lights in the room were off. He pointed up at me, then another guy looked up at me and threw something towards my upstairs vantage point and it hit the window. I don’t know how the window did not shatter, but I was not going to wait around for the next projectile.


Now, fighting hysteria, I gather my kids and ran with them to my room. The bashing at the front door continued as I closed and locked the door behind me and head to the master bathroom. Slamming the door, I quickly lock it. The operator continued on the line as I explained what was happening.


“Mam, we have officers on the way. Be calm,” the operator said, hearing my anxiety heightening.


Holding the children on each knee, I prayed out loud.


“Dear Lord, please help me, please help me,” I pleaded.


“Mam, you need to stay calm for your children,” she said with a scolding tone.


Oh my gosh, I was doing my best! Can you really blame me for getting anxious?


Within five minutes, the operator told me that the police were in front of my house.


Then a few minutes later she told me that they were at my door. I went downstairs and opened it up.

The police officer told me that there were reports of hoodlums terrorizing multiple houses in our subdivision. At one house they were shouting for a guy named David to come out. They had actually turned the power off at that house. The officer surmised that the guys who had been at my house had been looking for someone, but had gotten the wrong address.


The kids and I lay awake in my bed until sunrise, I tried to reassure them. Later in the morning, I called Firehubby. He was upset that I had not called him as it was happening. Could you imagine how he would have felt, getting a call from his wife that someone was trying to intrude into our home, when he was forty miles away? Horrible.


One of our neighbors came by the next day. He lives a few houses down. He told us that he had just come out of his house to workout in his garage, at about 03:45, when he heard the commotion. Not knowing what the guys were up to, he started down the street to check out what was going on. All four of the guys rushed into the truck and sped off, shouting “It’s none of your business.” This neighbor happens to be a probation officer and was likely armed. So, he had saved me.


Another neighbor woman had turned on her lights to try to scare them off.


The Lord clearly provided protection for me that early morning, in many ways. The fact that I was awake at that weird hour was a blessing. I can not imagine how I would have reacted if I had been awakened from a sound sleep. Then, of course, He provided people to come to my aid.


Additionally, when Firehubby came home the next morning he found evidence that the bad guys had been mule kicking my door. If you know how these houses are made, not the most solid construction, you can see that the Lord absolutely kept us safe by not allowing them to kick in my door. I am so very thankful.

Firehubby took this picture of our door:














Only by the grace of God was I able to rest in my home again when Firehubby was away at the fire station.


The first night when I was home alone, as I settled into be, I noticed something on my bedroom door… more of His grace.


It is a source of comfort to me every night when Firehubby is on duty and I am home alone. I keep a light on so I can see it (me, afraid of the dark?).



Can you see it?










The Cross.

36 comments:

Leah said...

Scary! You're a good story teller!

April said...

Julie~
I, literally, sat here with goosebumps! What a frightening time that must have been for you and your kids! Oh, there is no doubt that God was watching over you...praise be! I love how you spotted the cross on your door. We have doors just like it...I've never even noticed. That is comforting, isn't it? So glad that everything turned out alright!

Pam D said...

Oh my gosh! I was hoping that the story was going to end with the police coming and discovering some friends who were drunk, or Firehubby needing to get in, or some other relatively innocent reason for such a hubbub. What a frightening thing; I'm so glad to hear that angels were truly all around you. We're reading "Hinds Feet on High Places" right now, and the Good Shepherd tells much afraid that all she needs to do is call Him, and He will be there. And that was very obvious that night...

Rachel said...

You win for scariest TST! That would have scared the snot out of me - actually it DID!

So sorry! So glad you're okay! And Thank God for His protection!

renee said...

i'd love to say that was mine, however it was a letter from one of my friends. i'm the one grasping at understanding. :) i have been told i need to write a book, however, by several people. maybe someday...when i have a better hold on this thing called my life. but thanks for the comment. :)

Foursons said...

OMG- I was so stressed reading this! Did the guys get caught? I thought for sure that the 911 operator was going to tell you that you were being silly for calling because someone was knocking on your door. And ya' know- I look at the cross on my bedroom door all the time too. It always brings me comfort.

Eve said...

Ooh - I got shivers!
How terrifying!
Whenever we have lived in big cities, we've had alarms installed because my husband also works odd hours. We don't bother when we live in smaller communities where we feel that our neighbors won't just turn a blind eye.
It's a scary thing to not know if you are safe in your own home, but it sounds as though God (with the help of your neighbors) is going to ensure that you are!

He & Me + 3 said...

Holy cow I was so scared for you all. That is just crazy. Growing up we had people pounding on our doors in the middle of the night...when they saw the lights come on they ran. guess they were trying to break in.
We have those doors too and I do see the cross. Beautiful!

brian said...

You left out there part when I took you to the shooting range a few days later and showed you how to shoot my Smith & Wesson .357 with stainless steel 6" barrel :)

Turns out you're a good shot!

E @ Scottsville said...

OMGoodness. I don't know that I'd ever be able to sleep again!!!

That's awfully scarey. I'm so glad y'all were okay and that they didn't get through your door. What kind of people would terrorize people like that. Probably just stupid, punk kids, but still!!!!

Meg said...

That is way scary! I don't like scary things, especially since I live alone, I am always afraid of things that go bump in the night. Kudos to you for being able to sleep again with Firehubby not home--I'm not sure I'd be able to.

I tried to see the cross, I can't though!

Aspiemom said...

Okay, I shouldn't have read that when my husband will not be home tonight...Very scary!!

Mags said...

Wow...what a scary and traumatic experience for you and the kids! Do your children remember any of it?

Diane J. said...

Holy smokes! How freaky. Glad all turned out well and that you have such great neighbors.

Helene said...

I didn't even realize how close I was sitting to my computer screen until I was at the end of this story. And I was holding my breath without even realizing it. I got shivers as I read this...just imagining how scared you must have been.

The cross on the door is amazing! I never would have noticed, until you pointed it out. Amazing!!!!

I just love how you tell stories, even though this one was freakin scary!!

Anonymous said...

Amen! Evil abounds and by the Grace of God we are able to stay safe, and should....in our homes, our sweet havens, our sanctuary..My daughters house was just robbed a few days ago, while they were here....all I could think of? You were here, you all were safe......Miss you and enjoyed your blog.....giggle....as usual, you great storyteller, you.......deb

Lori said...

How scary! My pulse is racing after reading that story. Glad you are all ok.

Anne said...

I have doors like that on my closets. Thank you for sharing a new way to see them. That is indeed a comfort. Praise God that you were protected. What a scary experience!

Foursons said...

Bahahahahaha! I just came back to read all your comments and tell you that I think you're pretty wonderful too. (Rachel told me to go read her comments on her motorcyle guy post.) But then I read your hubby's comment on the shooting range. Bahahahahaha! Leave it to a guy to tell exactly what kind of gun he taught you to shoot. Not just, " I took you to a gun range, and you're a great shot." But, "showed you how to shoot my Smith & Wesson .357 with stainless steel 6" barrel" That cracks me up!

Beth E. said...

Shew...that's scary! Glad everything turned out okay. I love the last picture, with the cross on your door. :-)

So, now, you are a pistol-packin' mama, huh?!

Becca~CapturingSimpleJoys said...

My heart was pounding reading that! I can't imagine how scared you must have been. The Lord truly does care for us and protect us! I bet you were never so thankful for insomnia as you were that night.
Love the cross, I have one too on my bedroom door!

Orah said...

How frightening, and those Dudes had some big shoes...

-stephanie- said...

good grief that's scary. I love the cross on the door. I'll have to think of my door like that.

Unknown said...

OMGoodness! I can't believe that. I would have lost my mind! But you are so right about the Lord, our VBS theme for tomorrow is Fear Not! God is with us.

Thanks for pointing out the cross. Now that's all I see when I look at my door. Love ya.

Mr. Daddy said...

Great story...

A Smith & Wesson .357 is not a bad choice at all.

But an 870 pump action Remington 12 gauge shot gun full of 00 buck, is actually more effective at close range.....

The clanging sound of the action sliding home sends chills up any intruders spines, and if that don't do it the 00 Buck shot will ventilate them really well...

Glad it worked out for you without the need of any hardware...

Anonymous said...

Very very scary. Even more terrifying with little kids! KH

Beth in NC said...

Oh my! I was holding my breath and feeling your anxiety! God bless you! It would have been very hard to be there again without my husband if that had been me. Did they ever catch the guys?

I am so grateful you were protected. Very scary!

Krista S said...

What a scary story! But the end of it gave me goosebumps (in a good way) - it sure was a miracle that everything worked out in the end. I'll think of you and your story every time I see a door like this!

~*Michelle*~ said...

I am sitting here with goosebumps......eek! So happy that you had God's protection covering your home and family. I love the cross.....it brought peace to my heart just seeing the photo.

Praise Him!!!!!!!!

Morgan said...

Very scary. I hadn't thought too much about the cross in the doors, but you're right- it's there isn't it

Is your front door purple? Cool!

BTW- we visited the Denver Firefighter's museum yesterday. The kids had a great time there.

Mrs. M said...

Hurray for quick action on your part - I would have been so terrified!!

Jill @ Sneaky Momma said...

How scary!!!! I cannot even imagine. I'm glad that the police got there so quickly and that the weirdos left without doing any physical damage. That's just crazy.
I love how you saw the cross in your door. Our doors look like that, too. The next time I'm worried and cannot sleep, I'm going to look at the big cross in my room. :) Thanks, Julie!

christy rose said...

That was a very scary story for my first visit. I hope all of your posts are not going to leave me on edge of my seat. Well that would be ok if it was for different reasons. :) Anyway, I just stopped by from Miti's at Pieces of Me. I love making new blogging friends. I would love to come back and read more of your stories. If you would like, I would love for you to stop by and visit me and my family too.
I am glad to have met you,
Christy rose

Jane Anne said...

You captivated me with your story. I cannot imagine how scared you must have been. I would done the same thing - not calling hubby. Those footprints just make me cringe. I love that you saw the cross in your door! He's always there.

mama's smitten said...

Once agian thank you for your wonderful comment. What a scary story ! I absolutely see the cross and am going to go check to see if i have one!

Kelley said...

Oh my goodness! How incredibly frightening! I never thought about a cross being on my door like that! What wonderful reassurance!