“It needs an update,” my husband says.
He wasn’t talking about me, which is a good thing. For us both.
Phones, computers, thermostats, security systems, clocks, TV's, GPS systems. I mean really? Have you noticed how many things need updating?
“They aren’t talking,” he sighs, with a kind of long extended tire-flattening sound.
And here we are, in today’s world of communication where machines interact with one another, in some cases, more than we do.
What is wrong in life when a computer refuses to talk to the printer?
Can you imagine what else in the house might become subject to such outrage? The doorknob gives a cold shoulder to the hinges, the fridge to the freezer, or the washer to the dryer. One can only imagine it could all end up in the toilet.
I mean, come on guys. Speak already.
Computer, you were meant to have this conversation.
Printer, you were made for this.
As I watch my husband mix his oh-so-patient face with the I’ve-about-had-it-with-you-two look on his crumpled brow, I consider how much we look for updates in life. A restart. A connection which will make things run smoothly. An improvement and a promise.
And, sometimes we look in the wrong places.
We get caught up by a book, a really good and helpful one, or a new invention, social endeavors, a theory, or even a great Christian teacher. We really, really believe we’ve found an answer, a positive change, and life will forever be improved. And sometimes we do find something helpful, at least for a time, but life continues, and a temporary fix leaves us more dissatisfied than before.
And oh my, how many relationships in life ride that roller coaster. There will always be a quest for the perfect relationship. Obstructed communication and stagnation are the bane of healthy ties. But even though we are made for connections with others, they rarely come free of issues.
Throughout history people have sought for something more. An edge to better.
The entire world seems to be looking for the right sauce to keep it going. The same problems are hashed over and over since the beginning of time. The answers given eventually fall short. And sometimes all of it gets a bit… redundant.
Case in point, here we are in another cycle of political sword fighting and blame.
God is different. He isn’t swayed by manipulation or conceit. His answers don’t hinge on man’s ability, but on His.
He is a constant. He is steadfast. He is completely reliable. Unchanging.
Our God is immutable. He doesn’t sway with how the winds blow.
And that is the opposite of everything the world gives, every solution, and every promise.
I doubt that the need for endless updates will disappear any time soon in the world in which we live. But, here is a treasure to consider: “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever.” (Hebrews 13:8 KJV)
Read it out loud.
“Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever.” (Hebrews 13:8 KJV)
Savor those words of truth and say them again.
My husband’s forehead is puckered. A bomb could go off and he wouldn’t move, so deep is his concentration on the buttons and the wires. He plugs and unplugs the printer. He messes with the computer. There is a whir, and silence. He fiddles with something in the back.
Come on computer. Come on printer. Speak to each other.
Reach deep. Find your inner connectivity.
A familiar sound of paper feeding through and sliding into its trough brings a sigh of relief and a big smile.
Now that’s better. They are talking again.
“What did you do?” I ask.
“I have no idea,” he replies.
I’m so glad God never needs updating.
------------------------------------------------------Here are a couple of other articles I recently wrote which you may find interesting.
7 Connections to Draw between the Garden, Nativity, and Cross as You Prepare for EasterWhen They Ask What It Means, What Will You Say?
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