Morning Devotional

April 28, 2004

"A New Keyboard"

by Don Emmitte

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Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? Of course not! And if worry can't do little things like that, what's the use of worrying over bigger things? (Luke 12:25-26 NLT).

I now have a new keyboard for my CPU! It was just a little thing, not very much at all, probably not more than a teaspoon full. Still, it had cost me several hours, which could have been better spent doing many other things. I had just finished answering my email and reaching for my cup of Diet Pepsi, I stood up with every intention of going to bed. Somehow, the lip of the cup struck the shelf just a couple of feet from my computer. That's when it happened! I maintained a tight grip on the cup; but, with a mind all their own, several molecules of liquid decided to seize the opportunity to escape. They took one giant leap toward my keyboard and landed right between F10, Delete, and Enter.

I grabbed a rag and quickly removed every drop in sight. Whew! Everything seemed ok. Then, one-by-one, keys became unresponsive. The "\" key began leaving trails - \\\\\\\\. Finally the entire keyboard quit. Even "Ctrl-Alt-Delete" had no effect. Well, I've never been one to take much stock in those "Don't try this at home" statements. So, I shut down, removed the screws from the back of the keyboard, and wiped out a few drops that had found their way inside. I then put it all back together, only to find it worked for just a few minutes before lapsing back into its previous unresponsive state. By then, it really was late (or early morning), so I shut down and went to bed. The next day I went to several stores and bought a new keyboard!

Large obstacles arise as we travel thru life, but often, its just a little thing that can cause our lives to come to a screeching halt. That's the way it is with the little things in life. They can take over and produce devastating consequences. The little things can get us down and cause us to stumble if we allow them to. But there is another little thing that can play an important part. Winston Churchill observed, "Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference." How do you face the little things that come into your life? Do you see them as impassable mountains? Or are they merely speed bumps that slow your progress, allowing you a moment to look around and see where you are? Little things in our path aren't always fun, but they don't have to stop us. They certainly aren't worth our time worrying about.

Look at our reading for this morning again. Jesus’ reminder to us is that worrying about things, large or small, will not bring a solution. Worry merely adds to our troubles. Let me make some suggestions for your “spills” in life. First, remind yourself that it is not eternal. Whatever you are experiencing is not forever. Second, remind yourself to trust in the Lord for solutions. Then, take a step in the direction he leads you. You’ll be up and running again in no time!