What I've learned...victim of fraud

If you haven't read the post that preceeds this one, place read it here.  Things will make a lot more sense!
I’ve been going through Proverbs each day of October.  Trying to seek wisdom and grow in Knowledge.  The Holy Spirit can use our knowledge and wisdom to speak to us and guide us.  I was very excited about this quest and I knew many great things would come from it.  I didn’t know the lessons I would learn would be so hard and costly, but I understand that God’s reasoning is far more spectacular than mine.

After the scam happened, I felt harassed, helpless, and used.  This person had taken the money I had worked so hard to bring in to support my family.  This equaled the profit of 2-3 weddings for me, and with Jeff as a student THAT’S A LOT FOR US!  The scam officially happened on October 6…which means I should have read Proverbs 6.  Unfortunately due to moving, unpacking, and my emotional disappointment, I didn’t catch up to Proverbs 6 until a day later.

Proverbs 6:1-5 and 12-15 (HCSB)

"My son if you have put up security for your neighbor or entered into an agreement with a stranger, you have been trapped by the words of your lips-ensnared by the words of your mouth.  Do this, then, my son, and free yourself. . . Escape like a gazelle from a hunter, like a bird from a fowler's trap."

" A worthless person, a wicked man, who goes around speaking dishonestly, who winks his eyes, signals with his feet, and gestures with his fingers, who plots evil with perversity in his heart-he stirs up trouble constantly.  Therefore calamity will strike him suddenly; he will be shattered instantly-beyond recovery."

Even though the only thing I can do now is raise awareness about scams, God comforted me.  My prayer for this man is that he has a Damascus Road experience and completely turns from his sinful lifestyle and fully invests his life in Christ.  He messed with a loved daughter of the most high God, so we’ll see what happens.  To God be the glory.

I also learned that I can’t rely on Police or bank tellers to do their job.  I spent a whole day on the phone and in different offices trying to get someone to take action, but they just sent me to the next office.

We’ve got to be aware of what is going on in the world around us.  As disheartening as it is to hear about violence, fraud, and the latest crime trends, we must protect ourselves and know the warning signs.  I got taken, because I was naive about the situation, I had never heard about this type of thing happening to a photographer.  I thought I was being cautious about the check clearing, but I never knew about the available funds not really being available until the check clears the other bank.

God’s timing is the best.  If this scam would have happened any other time we would have had to dig into School Loans to pay rent and buy groceries.  I had just finished up wedding season so, there were actual funds to steal!  We were also moving from a place we had to pay rent into a home where there’s no rent.