Last week I had a different
treasure hunting experience. Something hunted me!
Perhaps you’ve been hunted by the same predator – a computer
virus that stalked every move I made – on the computer, at least!
The computer and I were doing fine, it flew through the
commands it was given; searching, listing, downloading photos…and then a
strange ad popped up. I clicked on the “x” and poof – it was gone. Or so I
thought. Within seconds it was back – with friends. More ads, more clicks…I’m
sure you get the idea. I felt like I was
playing a video game, trying to blast space invaders as they crawled down the
screen. Even the simplest task became a slow and difficult procedure for the
computer. And while I was waiting, more ads popped up – most advertising
products guaranteed to speed up my computer’s performance! They sat in the
middle of the screen, pushing their way into my thoughts, demanding action!
Frustrated, I frantically searched for a way to get rid of
the ads, and get things back to normal.
With some help from the tech guy in my husband’s office, I was finally able
to get back on track. The problem was bigger than the scope of my experience,
and I was ready to throw the thing in the trash!
Of course all of this happened during an already hectic week…
I heard my husband at one point tell our out of town
visitors that it might be a good idea to stay away from my office…
Reflecting on the whole experience allowed me to see it as a
picture of my life.
Most of the time life is great! I go through the day able to
do the things I need and love to do. Then something out of my control – like the
computer virus, happens. Illness,
relationship problems, financial worries…things I can’t fix pile up – and I
slow down, struggling to perform the simplest task.
However, unlike my computer, I can choose how I deal with these pop-ups. Will I allow myself to become paralyzed? Or will I place my trust in Christ, realizing
that whatever happens has a reason in His bigger plan for the Kingdom? It seems
there’s always a lesson somewhere in my life interruptions, one that I couldn’t
learn without coming to the end of my ability to fix it!
I’m grateful for the people He places in my life when I’m
frustrated and ready to give up. I hope you have some of those in yours –
encouragers who have been there themselves, willing to help when you are down.
Now you may be skeptical about looking at problems this way.
I have my own doubts too – especially when I can’t see the bigger plan. But as
I sat thinking about all of this I realized two ways that my computer virus was
something I could treasure: It kept me
from sending an email I was struggling with, and allowed another to answer with
much more grace than I was feeling, and it gave me a chance to reflect and
write about trusting Christ – the one we can, “cast all our cares on because He
cares for you!”
