Light in the Darkness: How God’s Hand Protected Me During a Break-In

(Testimony Written 28 January 2020)

There are some things in life that can be both bitter and sweet at the same time—and I can say that after only 23 years. It’s like coffee without milk. The initial taste is definitely bitter, maybe even awful, but then there’s an aftertaste that is surprisingly light and full of flavor.

On January 12th, around 4 a.m., I woke up in my apartment in Stellenbosch without fear, just to turn over or take my phone off the charger. But when I sat up in bed, I realized I was not alone in my room.

There was a man next to my bed. I didn’t scream or cry—I don’t think I could. "Go back to sleep, ma’am." "Okay." "Just go to sleep, ma’am." "Yes." "Go to sleep, ma’am." "I am."

We had this absurd conversation as he tried to get me to lie down and cover my face so I wouldn’t be able to identify him. I did as he said, lying there in the dark, praying—praying in tongues too. My prayers were simple: "Jesus, is this really happening? Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Please don’t let him touch me."

As I begged God for protection, I could hear every sound he made in our small apartment. I started trembling and did breathing exercises to calm myself. The shock came in waves. The whole time, there was also a mosquito buzzing around me—how silly to even care about that in that moment? My worst fears played out in my mind with every sound: a zipper—he’s taking off his clothes. A drink—liquid courage.

I honestly thought he was going to rape me when he came back into my room and turned on the light. "Ma’am." I couldn’t respond. "Ma’am," he stood over my bed. "I’m not going to kill you, ma’am. Just pretend to sleep."

After he was gone, I walked through the apartment in the dark. It didn’t even look like anything had happened—except for the bent burglar bars. He had taken many valuable things, but he had also stolen my peace.

The bitter part is obvious—how could it not be? I was traumatized, unsafe in my own home, vulnerable, exposed. But when the dust settled, a sweetness overwhelmed the bitterness. I could only sing as I stood there; and for the first time, I truly understood: My only comfort in life and death is that I belong to Jesus Christ.

I have some training in counseling and psychology, and I immediately decided to grab a pen and paper. That could only have been the Holy Spirit leading me, because at that point, I was in so much shock… I also wasn’t sure if he would come back—he had the key. In the dark, I wrote down every second of what had just happened, and as I wrote, I could see the sky getting lighter outside. I could also see how light was breaking through inside me.

As I wrote, I realized that the last words I spoke to him were "I AM." God’s name. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness cannot overcome it. And that annoying mosquito? I truly believe that God sent that insect to irritate me out of fear—to distract me, to give me something real, something tangible, someone with me, even when I felt alone.

Later that day—thankfully a Sunday—our pastor’s wife prayed for me at church (before she had even heard any details) and had a vision of a young lion lying on my bed, its paw protectively over me, as if to say: "You will not touch her." That was exactly my prayer, I told her later.

There are a hundred small testimonies tied into this—how I was able to testify to the police, or that I was already scheduled to go home to my parents the next day for a week, or even how every time I sent up a quick prayer at the bank, I ended up with the same clerk.

I hope that what the enemy meant for harm can be drenched in so much perspective. Even where he tried to make me believe that I was not protected in God’s hand, I can instead testify that the hand of God was truly over me, and everything is just grace.

This did not come FROM God’s hand, but EVERYTHING is IN His hand.

"The Lord is near to those who call on Him; and He can bring beauty from ashes."