The Frustrations of Technology

Well, I am in Hilton Head still, and I am frustrated beyond belief – not that I don’t want to write to you, but it is already after midnight, and I can’t get an internet connection. I just got off the phone with our son Andrew and he at least got me set up with a personal hotspot. But why doesn’t the hotel network connect to my computer? I already started this post once, and then it was gone. Who knows what happened to it? I am tired, annoyed and angry. Janet is trying to get to sleep and I know that I am disturbing her. I am sure that in the morning, I will be sorry that I wrote this sort of an entry, but right now, in the spirit of being authentic and honest with you, this is how I feel.

And I have already called technical support, and they never heard of the problem that I am having. Go figure. So, what lesson can I learn from my own frustration this evening? Because I am in need of a word from God myself. You know what I mean?

I even went in search of a verse, and was all set to write something about patience, but I found something a little better, from Col. 3:1-4, “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.”

How many times, like right now, do I set my sights on the things of this earth, rather on heaven? My focus is in the wrong place. I should not be worried about the here and now, but rather, the hereafter. In the scheme of things, whether I have internet access is small potatoes compared to the important things in my life. And to be honest, I never set out to write a post every day, and sooner or later, I know that it is going to happen that I miss a day, or two, or more. But for right now, I love writing this blog. And, I don’t want people to be disappointed if there isn’t something there to greet them in the morning. There – I said it – I don’t want to let people down. And, as much as I try to be pastoral, I am not immune from the trials and tribulations that surround each of us in this life. And sometimes, I have to cut myself a little slack – that’s all there is to it.

Because, with each of us, accepting Christ as our Lord and Savior does not mean the end to our problems. It does mean, however, that our basic way of life changes, and this is evidenced by the fact that our anger, frustration, annoyance, etc. is the exception to the rule; not the norm, as it was before we were saved. Because, even as Paul says in his short letter to Philemon, Christ is our very life – where would we be without Him. And if we try to emulate the behavior of Christ, then our demeanor should reflect a more peaceful countenance.

And, the truth is, after reflecting on these verses, I can feel my blood pressure dropping, and things getting back in perspective. I hear the ocean outside my patio door, and it reminds me of the way God deals with me sometimes – gently prodding me, wave after wave, until I make time to hear Him. And so it goes tonight – I can finally hear God.

I have a real urge to go back and delete this entire post and start over again, because I am a little embarrassed, but sometimes transitions are difficult, and it would be wrong of me to not let you sense the frustration I was experiencing a little while ago. After all, we can go anywhere and have someone give us a bunch of hype. But when I started this, I vowed to be authentic, and I hope you don’t mind that I shared this with you. We are all in this together, and I, in a weird sense, just needed to have someone listen to me tonight. Thanks for being there. I feel much better now. I just didn’t think that I would have a real-time lesson to share with you this evening. Have a great day in the Lord, and remember, He is your very life.