Wednesday, June 26, 2013

What HappensWhen the Rubber-Hits-the-Road?

“For what credit is there if, when you sin (hit your thumb with a hammer) and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience?  But if when you do what is right and suffer for it, you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God” (I Peter 2:20).  “Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity.”(Eph. 2:26-27).

Hey gang, I have learned, in the past two months, these two verses go together.  I have also learned what the person who coined the saying, “if  it works, do not fix it”, meant.   I have also learned that I do not have the slightest clue what to do, when one of the weird screens that I have never seen before, comes up on the computer; one that has no connection with what I am trying to do! 

If it does not disappear when I reboot, I am dead in the water until I can call Paul, my friendly computer guru, or find a six or seven year old lad or lassie who knows far more about such things than I will ever know.

Our computer internet and phone provider merged with another company and we were advised that we must upgrade our equipment to gain all the wondrous advantages the new company was offering and the carrot was it, would cost less per month and make it much more convenient.  Now if you believe that I have a wonderful piece of land just off the coast of Miami that I will sell to you are bargain prices.

My question to the upgrade advocate – how much pain and agony is attached to getting all the bugs worked out until my level of understanding is acclimated to using the new system?  Oh, no worry!  This is a tested and proven, bug- free mechanism that even a 79 year old, that does not understand the “For Dummy’s books’, can become proficient within minutes.

After several weeks and more than twenty hours of listening to a multitude of so called technicians, my bride packed up the entire system and went back to the  place it was purchased and announced I do not leave here until this thing is doing what you said it would do or we go back to the old system. 

Okay, what does that have to do with the Scripture of the day?  First I thought I had my anger totally under control and could handle about any circumstance.  Wrong!  I wanted to throw the computer down the basement stairs.  I also learned that my patience was not as secure as I thought it was.  Perhaps that is what this whole trip through the wilderness was all about.  I must confess I did indeed go to bed very angry some nights and I must admit that my patience was at best – tarnished!

Soooo, my young friends, keep in mind that the devil waits for his chance to set your patience- control on tilt and to build a fire in your anger controls.  But I also learned that, if I take a moment or two and say, “Okay God, If you can’t handle this we are both in trouble”;  it helps.  He has never failed. Prayer changes ME!

The computer is working fine as I write this and my anger has gone underground again waiting for another opportunity to destroy my patience. But I am better equipped to handle it,  I have learned to use the James method: "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trial, knowing the testing of your faith produces endurance" (James 1:3-4).  The computer has given me a crash course in implementing these words of wisdom.

Blessings,


Gramps  

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