Thursday, August 24, 2023
If you have
ever found yourself wishing for an extra hour in the day, because you haven't
had enough time to "do it all" this is for you!
The day
started with my phone losing its mind. It was supposed to awaken me at 5:30 am
so I could get to my VA doctor’s appointment on time, but when I opened my eyes
at 6:15 the phone was still in its own stupor! Great....starting the day
45 minutes behind! Getting dressed
quickly, I ruminated on how my phone must be listed somewhere in the Bible’s
“begets” of Hell’s spawn.
One other
“proof” of how useless my mobile phone has become is the choice it makes, based
on algorithms which ignore my needs, in favor of the desires of roughly
14-gazillion companies double-checking the expiration date of my car’s
warranty. One of those fascinating (but
totally sinister) algorithmic choices also totally ignores the fact that I need
my calendar to awaken me to the reality that my frenzy of activity to get to
the VA for an 8:40 appointment, is silly, considering the appointment is an
hour later at 9:40…a fact I totally missed, because the said appointment was
for the eye doctor, because I am half-blind!
In frenzy-mode,
I forgot that a careless placement of my coffee travel-mug on my car’s rooftop,
coupled with a hasty “plop” of my overweight carcass in the driver’s seat means
my mug-full-of-steaming-hot-Green Mountain Dark Magic coffee will wobble off
the car roof and splatter all over my garage floor. There’s no app or algorithm in the world that
can cope with the stain on both my cement garage floor (which now must be
painted, as Elizabeth always wanted), and my broken heart, having to face a 30-minute
dash to the VA with zero-caffeine in my blood!
When I
arrived at the VA and checked-in, the receptionist smiled, and said: My, you’re early! It was then I realized the calendar was
right, and I had an extra hour to wait, be still, and know my hurrying had been
in vain. But all was not lost…in the VA
lobby, stands a Starbucks, testament to the fact that our government leaders really
do have a heart. I reclaimed my lost
Green Mountain Dark Magic, and sat in a space overlooking the parking lot to
contemplate my madness in silence. During
the next hour I resisted opening my algorithm-driven demonic device, and used
the time to be
still, chill, pray, and sip my over-priced Folgers. Within a few moments an elderly lady sat down
at the lobby piano and played a lovely hymn. And my blood pressure
returned to normal (for me). I managed
to have enough presence of mind to thank God for that lovely, calming hour’s
interlude, and soon was lost in praying for each of you, as the Lord brought
you and your needs to mind. Part of
God’s answer to my prayer was when he spoke to my heart: Russell, do you understand now, how you,
getting up early, all worried and coming apart at the seams, when I wanted you
to have an extra hour's rest for your weary bones and spirit, is a blight on
the day’s journey? I could only smile and nod an apology…He knows
me well, without an algorithm.
For You Today
You chew on that as you hit the Rocky
Road; have a blessed day!
There are about 2,600 devotional
posts and 400 sermons in the Rocky Road library.
Title Image: Pixabay.com
Images without citation are in public domain.
Unless noted, Scripture quoted from NLT©
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