The computer made it little whirring noise as it turned on, but all I got was a dark blue screen and a cursor. I tried it again… and again. Immediately I called the computer place. Not wasting any time I took it in and reluctantly gave them my connection to the world.
A few days before this the air conditioning in the AHI car died. Texas is not the place to be without air conditioning, so I made an appointment to get it to the garage. The day to drop it off was the morning after giving up my computer.
So, now I am at the house (no transportation) and thought I would use my 2nd computer (my personal one) to continue my work for AHI. Oh, yeah, forgot this is the new Windows 8 (groan). Okay, guess it is time to finally learn it.
I have an appointment with someone who will be doing data entry for me. I have a small computer (used to loan to volunteers doing AHI work) and pull it out for her. However, something is wrong with the battery and it is dead. sigh. Okay, I will loan her my own with the Windows 8. It won’t matter as she is just doing documents.
We turn it on and I try to open Excel to show her what needs done. What? I never put Office on here!!?? So, I sent her home with the information to use her own laptop.
The next day (me still computer and car-less) she called to say her laptop does not have Excel either and she could not do the work.
A comedy of errors for sure! The ease of living in the 21st Century is not always so easy.
At any time here I could have taken it out on people , blown a gasket or gotten depressed.
I could have yelled at the computer tech who told me my hard drive may needed replaced.
I could have been irritated with the garage mechanic who told me I needed a new compressor and quoted a rather high repair bill.
I could have gotten grumpy with the data entry lady because of all the machines that did not cooperate in the way I wanted them to.
I have my own experiences with people who act out because things don’t go their way. Everyone has had that happen at one time or another.
In each of these instances I experienced disappointment, frustration and some could say I had the right to be angry. The enemy was busy meddling in my life and my work.
However, Psalm 13 encourages us to hold on and press through to the end. Disappointment is not a license for Disobedience. It would have been unkind and just plain wrong to attack the person nearby for things that happened and are not their fault. The one to blame is the enemy who pushes us to react in wrong manner.
A good guideline to remember is:
Righteous anger attacks the problem. Selfish anger attacks the person.
So, in each instance I gave a sigh and a prayer, “Lord, I need your help here!”
The results?
The computer did not need a new hard drive and my service contract covered the cost.
The car got a new compressor and the oil change it needed, together UNDER the original quoted price. Better yet? A donation was given for that exact need!
Computer for the data entry? Got the little one running and it is being used while I load Office onto the newer computer.
It all worked out, better than I expected, because I trusted God to take care of everything. I also fought the urge to be cranky with all the people involved!
I trusted Him and was not disappointed! He always fulfills His Promises.
Happily writing this blog on my trusty repaired computer,
Susan
