Where Is God When The Hard Drive Dies
Title: Where Is God When The Hard Drive Dies
Subject: Trust; Control; Computers
Where is God when the hard drive dies?
I hate computers. Well, maybe that's a bit strong. I occasionally take exception to their existence. Don't get me wrong. I use them all the time, otherwise you would not be reading these pearls of wisdom. When they work properly, what lovely, almost angelic things they are. Then there are those times, sort of like spraying your trusty dog repellent at a charging German Shepherd only to have the wind blow it back in your face, and then hearing what sounds like the dog laughing hysterically. (And, no, of course that has never happened to me...and I'd rather not talk about it.)
But with computers there's never any laughter. Just take the other day. Hal Harris, one of Ciloa's directors and resident computer guru, was staring at my beloved, yet non-functioning laptop when we suddenly heard a ''thunking'' noise. He then proceeded to utter those 5 horrible, horrible words.
"Well...that doesn''t sound good."
And indeed, it wasn't. The hard drive had gone on to be with God, promoted to glory as it were, never to spin again in this mortal world. Apparently not wanting to make the journey alone, it took 5 months of my work with it. And the backup? Turns out it had not been working. Upon learning this news, I calmly yelled, "We're doomed!" and then beat my head against the wall, making a similar thunking noise.
At that moment all I could see was a useless laptop, which for all practical purposes had just become a boat anchor. I should actually say here that was all I was willing to see, and that was part of the problem. The laptop held a lot of my efforts, much of which was lost forever. Files, documents, email. All gone. I had trusted that computer and it had let me down. But more important, at that particular moment, all I could think of was the past, what had been...not what do we do now or where should we go.
That kind of thing happens a lot in life. We're cruising along, things are going pretty much as we expected, our plans seem to be in order, and then suddenly everything changes. We get surprised. And when that happens, even if for but a moment, we're afraid, anxious, nervous, and perhaps even irritable and unreasonable. Why? Because we're no longer in control. We probably didn't have that much control to begin with, but we imagined we did, and when reality hits..."We're doomed!"
I love to go on long hikes in the woods, especially along the Appalachian Trail. There's the beauty God has provided, but there''s also the sense of adventure. I can see the path before me. I may even know where it will eventually lead me. But I don't know what's just around the bend or across the next stream or over the next mountain. I may choose my steps, but I cannot control the path. I can only follow and trust in those who prepared it for me. And such is the Christian journey as well.
"Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?" Jesus answered, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:5-6
I am not a computer person. There's just too much to know. I've learned not to trust in these necessary evils, but I do trust in the idea behind their use and purpose. I also trust in people like Hal who can guide me. The same is true in hiking. I know my skills and limitations. I don't trust the dirt in front of my feet, but I do trust in the path and in the ones who maintain it. To get to where I'm going I must give up a certain amount of control. If I take apart the computer to solve my own problem, it will never work again. If I leave the path in unfamiliar areas, I'll become lost. For both, I must depend on someone else.
Jesus is the way to where we want to go. He has prepared the only path. We don't know what's just around the bend, across the next stream, over the next mountain, or what tomorrow will bring. We may choose our steps, but we cannot...cannot...control the Way. We can only follow and trust in the One who prepared Him for us. Freedom comes when we stop trying to control the Way in our lives.
Take care and be God's,
Chuck
Ciloa ... Encouraging one another as long as it is called Today!
Ciloa is a registered trademark of Ciloa, Inc., a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization.
A Note of Encouragement is a copyright interest held by Ciloa, Inc.
I hate computers. Well, maybe that's a bit strong. I occasionally take exception to their existence. Don't get me wrong. I use them all the time, otherwise you would not be reading these pearls of wisdom. When they work properly, what lovely, almost angelic things they are. Then there are those times, sort of like spraying your trusty dog repellent at a charging German Shepherd only to have the wind blow it back in your face, and then hearing what sounds like the dog laughing hysterically. (And, no, of course that has never happened to me...and I'd rather not talk about it.)
But with computers there's never any laughter. Just take the other day. Hal Harris, one of Ciloa's directors and resident computer guru, was staring at my beloved, yet non-functioning laptop when we suddenly heard a ''thunking'' noise. He then proceeded to utter those 5 horrible, horrible words.
"Well...that doesn''t sound good."
And indeed, it wasn't. The hard drive had gone on to be with God, promoted to glory as it were, never to spin again in this mortal world. Apparently not wanting to make the journey alone, it took 5 months of my work with it. And the backup? Turns out it had not been working. Upon learning this news, I calmly yelled, "We're doomed!" and then beat my head against the wall, making a similar thunking noise.
At that moment all I could see was a useless laptop, which for all practical purposes had just become a boat anchor. I should actually say here that was all I was willing to see, and that was part of the problem. The laptop held a lot of my efforts, much of which was lost forever. Files, documents, email. All gone. I had trusted that computer and it had let me down. But more important, at that particular moment, all I could think of was the past, what had been...not what do we do now or where should we go.
That kind of thing happens a lot in life. We're cruising along, things are going pretty much as we expected, our plans seem to be in order, and then suddenly everything changes. We get surprised. And when that happens, even if for but a moment, we're afraid, anxious, nervous, and perhaps even irritable and unreasonable. Why? Because we're no longer in control. We probably didn't have that much control to begin with, but we imagined we did, and when reality hits..."We're doomed!"
I love to go on long hikes in the woods, especially along the Appalachian Trail. There's the beauty God has provided, but there''s also the sense of adventure. I can see the path before me. I may even know where it will eventually lead me. But I don't know what's just around the bend or across the next stream or over the next mountain. I may choose my steps, but I cannot control the path. I can only follow and trust in those who prepared it for me. And such is the Christian journey as well.
"Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?" Jesus answered, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:5-6
I am not a computer person. There's just too much to know. I've learned not to trust in these necessary evils, but I do trust in the idea behind their use and purpose. I also trust in people like Hal who can guide me. The same is true in hiking. I know my skills and limitations. I don't trust the dirt in front of my feet, but I do trust in the path and in the ones who maintain it. To get to where I'm going I must give up a certain amount of control. If I take apart the computer to solve my own problem, it will never work again. If I leave the path in unfamiliar areas, I'll become lost. For both, I must depend on someone else.
Jesus is the way to where we want to go. He has prepared the only path. We don't know what's just around the bend, across the next stream, over the next mountain, or what tomorrow will bring. We may choose our steps, but we cannot...cannot...control the Way. We can only follow and trust in the One who prepared Him for us. Freedom comes when we stop trying to control the Way in our lives.
Take care and be God's,
Chuck
Ciloa ... Encouraging one another as long as it is called Today!
Ciloa is a registered trademark of Ciloa, Inc., a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization.
A Note of Encouragement is a copyright interest held by Ciloa, Inc.