Reboot

Kind thoughts are rarer than either kind words or deeds. They imply a great deal of thinking about others. This in itself is rare. But they also imply a great deal of thinking about others without the thoughts being criticisms. This is rarer still.  Frederick W. Faber

I may not be technologically savvy, but there is one thing I have learned about computers in all these years of using one.  I have learned the “reboot” feature.

You know how it goes.  You are on your computer in the middle of creating a spreadsheet and your computer locks up.  So you wait and watch thinking that just maybe it will come back on and start operating again.  No can do!! 

So you have to do the dreaded “reboot”.  This is also about the time that you realize you didn’t save the spreadsheet that you have been working on for hours.  “Reboot” starts to take on a whole new meaning. 

I learned many years ago when I worked for large companies that had an IT department, the first thing an IT person will ask you is “Did you reboot your computer?”  The first time someone asked me that I thought it meant did I kick it twice. I finally learned that this was their way of telling me that they didn’t want to come look at my computer so if they told me to “reboot” it just might fix whatever I had done to mess it up.

The thing I don’t understand is with all the keys on the keyboard, why didn’t they put a “reboot” button.  If there is one available I haven’t figured out where it is located.  I mean seriously, there are buttons on the keyboard that I don’t know what they are used for and I am afraid to press them.  You know there might be a button that causes the thing to self-destruct.  There is a button that says “SysRq”.  What is that for? I am thinking it is something pretty drastic because you have to hit the shift key to use it.  I have also learned that any time you are required to use several buttons at one time and they are not close to each other on the keyboard, nothing good can come out of that, otherwise they would have stuck those keys close together.

I think in life there should also be a “Reboot” button.  You know those times when you open your mouth and say something mean or harsh to someone else.  These are the times when “reboot” would come in handy.  God created us as amazing human beings but the one thing that can be our biggest downfall is when we open our mouth. Sometimes what comes out isn’t what God ever intended.  We often engage it before we think about what is going to come out.     

  

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, I think about the times I have spoken when it would have been wiser to not say anything.  Please remind me that the words I say can have lasting consequences.  Help me to think before I speak or in other words “reboot”.

Scripture: Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer. Psalm 19:14

 Whoever hides hatred has lying lips, and whoever spreads slander is a fool.  In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is wise. The tongue of the righteous is choice silver; the heart of the wicked is worth little.  Proverbs 10:18-20