HACKED by Glynis M. Belec

Today, I spent the day with my daughter. It was unplanned and actually not a very nice reason for me to be at her home. But I had to be there. My grown up baby girl needed her Mom.

I'll back track a little. I was awakened this morning by the shrill ringing of the telephone. My morning voice probably gave away the secret that although it was almost 7am I was still tucked nicely 'twixt the blankets.

Once I realized who it was - a mom of one of my students - I relaxed. That was, until I heard what she had to say. Apparently, she received a heartfelt e-mail from my daughter who was supposedly in the UK and had been robbed. 'She' was asking for money and had sent an e-mail to this mom, who she knows fairly well.

I was slightly confused for a moment until I realized that my daughter was certainly not in the UK and it was her facebook account that had been compromised. She was about to discover what it meant to be hacked.

So the day happened. I got in touch with my daughter right away. She was in tears when I first talked to her. It seems this creepy individual was asking for money from whichever contact he/she could. He was almost successful a few times. I immediately went onto Facebook to see what was going on and that sad individual who was hacking my daughter's computer, had the nerve to strike up a chat with me. I couldn't believe the audacity. I played along for a while. Needless to say, I lost it in the end and revealed that the gig was up and I knew he was some sort of a hacker intent on committing a cyber crime. He disappeared when I mentioned the police. Just like that...gone.

One would have thought that I scared the pathetic person. But the day continued and so did the telephone calls to Amanda and me, checking to see if this was a legitimate request. The hacker did not scare easily and continued to try his luck. Some almost sent money to the suggested bank in the UK but decided to check first. Thank goodness that people called us before succumbing to this request. My daughter has an online, business, too and she was afraid that this numbskull was messing with her clients and all her contact information.

I ended up staying with my daughter for the day, keeping her little ones entertained as she dealt with the police and the myriad of calls that came her way. I also wanted to pray with her, to let her know that although right now she feels upset and frustrated, this will pass. This hacker thinks he has all the power. Little does he know that there is Someone mightier and He is Power and Glory forever and ever!

Technology is a wonderful tool if used wisely and done so with integrity.

As I drove home a little while ago, I contemplated what makes a person commit a crime. Why do people hurt other people? What is it about money and power that cause a person to stop at nothing?

Can't people understand what a beautiful world we would live in if we showed more love; realized the joy in the simple things; desired everlasting peace, had more patience with one another; saw kindness as the best medicine; showed goodness to our neighbour; displayed faithfulness to our family and God; treated one another with the gentleness of Jesus and showed self control in the face of temptation. Can we only imagine?

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Galatians 5:22

Sin.

"Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor His ear too dull to hear," says Isaiah 59: 1-2. "But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear."