First, if you missed my blog last week, we were setting up a new computer my loving husband surprised me with, but the changeover didn’t go smoothly or easily. I did make the pronouncement at one point that this would be my last new computer EVER in my lifetime! What an ominous task.
Well, I didn’t actually perform the transition from the old computer to the new one. I just answered questions, agonized, and provided water bottles as two dear friends from church, Cathy and Scott, devoted many late and long hours to helping us go from a 12-year-old desktop with Windows 10 to a new desktop with Windows 11 and recapture everything on my very old computer, which included all my 20 books and reams of files and pictures.
It was complicated and stressful! I have to admit, I had a few meltdowns.
Now, I’m in the learning curve of writing on a system that at the moment is completely foreign to me. I’m not a techie; I’m just a writer. I realized how as an author I actually had a relationship with my old computer. I knew how it worked with all its quirks and yes freezing on me continually. But as I held my breath in anticipation, it always came around to eventually unfreezing and started responding to my mouse and keyboard clicks and off we would go writing together . . . until the next freeze. We worked well in tandem for twelve years.
Everything about this new computer is unfamiliar and I’m learning different routines while trying to locate where things are that I used to previously know instinctively. Instead of being my companion and friend that I breathlessly and prayerfully waited each day for the black screen to pop up with my familiar opening page, this new computer almost seemed like my enemy for a while. But through it all, I had two amazing and gifted friends who kept reassuring me that I would once again be able to find all my old files and pictures and continue writing new material.
Today, on this gorgeous Saturday before Mother’s Day, I’m giving it my first attempt. I’m distracted easily, so when I write I need to stay focused and not wonder what tab or icon to open or will I lose everything I just wrote. It’s been difficult staying quiet with everything happening in our culture that I wanted to write about, but God had me in a holding pattern where I was forced to wait on Him and the expertise of those who understood the intricacy of making such a momentous change in operating systems.
I’m sure any of you, especially writers, who’ve been in my situation understand exactly what I’m talking about and what I’ve experienced. If you’re not a writer, think of something you depend on every day that’s suddenly malfunctioning or broken, and you don’t know how to fix it. Or its replacement requires knowledge to operate properly that you don’t possess.
In the midst of all the computer chaos, I also had an article due for Crosswalk.com that had to be finished so they could post before Mother’s Day: 7 Best Ways to Pray for Your Mom!
More pressure. More stress. More prayer.
What Were the Positive Blessings?
As I lamented the disruption to my writing life and ministry, Cathy, the dear friend who was so willing to help me with her vast knowledge of computers, continuously reminded me to be patient always assuring me everything could be “fixed” eventually. She also reminded me of the many blessings I was overlooking when all I could see was chaos and confusion. Here were some of her wise words.
“I know all this has been very stressful and I truly understand. Please try to look at all the positives.
- You have a loving husband that tried to ensure you had a better computer for your work.
- You did not miss your deadline.
- You have easy access to all your files & pictures, and you have learned a lot (way more than you wanted to).
- Who knows, with this experience you may be able to help someone else now. Even if it’s just to calm them down …knowing that even in seemingly impossible life challenges, trusting in God’s guidance and support ‘fixes’ things we didn’t even know needed fixing.
- I think you will grow to enjoy your new computer… especially when it does not freeze up, which will make you even more productive and give you some free time.
- I promise to continue assisting you get to that ‘happy place’ with your new computer. I am blessed to have you as such a loving friend. Thank you for trusting me to help you -through God’s guidance.”
Sweet Cathy helped me put everything back into perspective that I know God wants us to apply to every crisis in our life.
- There are people in our lives who love us and want to help us.
- God will help us achieve what He feels is important.
- Every crisis is an opportunity for learning something God wants us to know.
- We can use our experiences to help others who are going through something similar in the future. That’s the tagline for my About His Work ministry: “Sharing Life Experiences and God’s Faithfulness.”
- We can maintain our joy, even in crisis, because “the joy of the Lord is your strength” Nehemiah 8:10b.
- It’s a blessing to others when we let them help us.
Cathy was so right that this experience is something I need to share with you. Even though I serve the Lord in ministry and try to convey in my writing the thoughts and words He gives me, I will still have times in my life when I need to depend on others and remember to put my trust in the Lord to work things out in His timing and in His way. We all do.
My heartfelt gratitude goes out to my loving husband Dave who actually gave me this new computer to help make my writing life easier, which I’m sure eventually it will be. I’m not there yet, but with his encouragement and the Lord’s guidance, I’m hopeful.
We’re so blessed to have a church family willing to use their gifts and talents to help others. When my second screen wasn’t compatible with the new computer, Scott gave us an extra screen he wasn’t using that works perfectly! Cathy had an external hard drive that helped us transfer data. Now every time I look at that screen and hard drive, I give thanks for Scott and Cathy and say a prayer for them!
Scott and Cathy selflessly gave of their time, expertise, and Christian love to help Dave and me in our time of need. I pray we will always be available to do the same when we learn of others who we can help.
3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. 4 He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. 2 Cor. 1:3-4 NLT
There won’t be a blog next Monday. Not because of the computer, but we’re blessed to have our daughter from Illinois and son from North Carolina come for a visit to help us get our garden ready for planting. Again, we not only have church family, but our personal family offering us a helping hand.
Praise You Lord for family and the family of God!
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What a heartfelt blog, today. It made me smile & reminded me that there can be peace in the midst of life’s storms.
I certainly needed the reminder! Glad it blessed you too.
So glad you survived! And you have a new friend. I go through the same agony every time I must replace mine. It’s like kicking a dear friend out of the house even if it is uncooperative. The Lord is so creative to give insights that you then can share with us. Keep writing!
The Lord is faithful and where would we be without friends?! I know you can appreciate this “crisis” Kathy and I know there are others going through even more severe crisis that I pray the blessings dear friend Cathy helped me see will apply to their stressed out situation.
Dear sweet and talented friend, Janet, THANK YOU for honoring Scott and me with the expression of your sincerest appreciation through your many loving kindnesses and with this article. I am so happy that our skills, equipment, time, and support provided you with a little relief from your stress. You and Dave are a blessing to me. As you were worried about meeting your Mother’s Day article deadline, God was working on my personal Mother’s Day gift. As stated in your article, you and Dave got me and Scott together to work out a solution for your computer Crisis. Although we all go to the same church, prior to that experience, I did not know Scott very well -but, have always felt some sort of connection with him. Well, as it turns out, Scott is the same age and has the personality, physical looks, technical expertise, and hobbies that are very similar to my dear son, Christopher who went home to Heaven on May 17, 2014 -just a few days after Mother’s Day that year. Only God knows the depth of my bereavement and how every year I re-live that horrific day, the Mother’s Day before, and the days, weeks, and months of Crisis that followed. As Scott and I put our heads together to solve your computer Crisis, I felt that comforting familiarity of talking, laughing, and working with my Christopher again. I quickly realized that God was gifting me with a way to ease the pain so that I can again get through the pain of these sorrow-filled days. Nine years ago, I wondered how I could still breathe, and my heart could still beat when my son could not. God has never left my side. As shattered and confused as I was, God was and is my constant companion and my strength. Somehow, each day my eyes kept opening, and I continued to breathe, and my heart continued to beat. I get through my Crisis days by knowing that God carries me when I cannot walk and fills me with His Divine Love and encouragement with every breath and every step I take. And in this life journey, it is evident to me that those loving souls that cross your path are not by accident. All things work together for God’s purpose. Thank you for crossing my path. You and Dave are a true Divine blessing in my life. I love you. ❤
Cathy, it was a blessing to watch that connection between you and Scott transpire as you each brought your expertise to the problem and then as you shared a picture of your son who looks so much like Scott. Our God always has a plan that we can’t readily see but we know it when it happens. Thank you for your touching and heartfelt comment and for helping me see the blessings through the crises. We love you and Jim too!!