The First “On-Line” Home Security System
by Dan Cummins

Before there were computers and the internet to connect our homes and cars with state of the art devices to security companies that monitor our property twenty-four hours a day seven days a week, we had to rely upon more ingenious ways to protect our possessions and give us some peace of mind while we slept.

t was 1959. Our next door neighbor was a fireman. He worked four days on and four
days off. His wife Frances was always frightened of staying home at night by herself.
So she came up with probably the first “on-line” home security system.
She took some heavy cord and tied it from door to window, window to window and
then window to door throughout every room in the house until there was not an
entrance that wasn’t connected to the cord. Then at every door and window she tied
at least two or three pots and pans together “on-line.” Now if anyone tried to break
in during the night the pots and pans would rattle, scare off the intruder and wake her
up so she could call the police on her rotary dial phone complete with a handset.
That night Frances went to sleep with the greatest assurance that she was safe and
sound from any prowler.

Frances had this little Boston terrier named Bubbles. While Frances was finally getting
a good night’s sleep, Bubbles discovered her master’s hardware and decided to
download the system and go “on-line” and surf. Bubbles surfed on-line all night long.
The next morning Frances woke from a restful sleep to find pots and pans scattered
on the floor throughout her entire house. They had all been booted off the system.
Bubbles was the first hacker. Frances had slept the entire night through and never
heard a thing.

Security and peace of mind for our future comes from putting our trust and confidence in something greater than ourselves. Unfortunately, like Frances, many of us put our trust in systems that really cannot provide the protection they promise. Last October many woke up to find their 401k’s and stocks scattered all over Wall Street’s floor. They had gone to bed the night before feeling good about their financial future. I’m not saying it’s wrong to invest in the market, to have OnStar in your car or your home connected to a security system. It is a wise person who plans for the future. The Bible encourages us to do so. However, the reality is that any system of man can fail. We can plan, but ultimately we have to put our trust and confidence in God alone. Life insurance is a good thing, but Blessed Assurance is a sure thing. Health insurance we need but for Divine health we plead.

As the old hymn states, “Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus, just to take Him at His word,
just to rest upon His promise, just to know, thus saith the Lord. Jesus, Jesus, how I
trust Him, how I’ve proved Him over and o’er…”Real peace of mind and confidence for the future comes from putting your faith in Jesus Christ. For I know the One in whom I trust, and I am sure that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until the day of His return. ” 2 Timothy 1:12.