Computer Casserole

“Wisdom is a shelter as money is a shelter, but the advantage of knowledge is this: that wisdom preserves the life of its possessor.”*

     As I am writing this story, my laptop is out of commission, sitting in a pan of rice on my desk after an accident last week. Putting a water bottle down near the computer was a careless move on my part. When it was time to turn off the lights and leave the room, I picked up the bottle along with several other things. The bottle slid out of my grasp and water spilled out underneath the laptop as it was connected to the charger. I disconnected it right away and wiped up the water, but the damage had already been done.

     When reminded about our agreement to keep food and water away from the computers, my first instinctive reaction was to say, “I know!” So if I knew better, why did I do it anyway? Having to admit to wrongdoing was humbling. What needless expense and anxiety could have been avoided if I had been more careful! Anybody have a good recipe for computer casserole?

     Al and I had been talking about the need to purchase a new laptop and desktop computer anyway, due to an upgrade coming in January that our old ones couldn’t handle. Thanks to Al’s foresight most of the files had been backed up onto an external hard drive and many were saved on our desktop computer.

     With the laptop not functioning, there was pressure to replace both computers as soon as possible. We could no longer wait until January. Al called the same company from which we purchased the original computers and after a lengthy conversation with a representative in India, placed an order over the phone. That night though he stayed awake, wondering if he had done the right thing and worrying about spending more than expected.

     He was still concerned the next morning and since he wasn’t going to be home until the afternoon, asked me to call the same person in India with some specific questions. I reluctantly made the call, not knowing much about the previous conversation and understanding very little about computers.

     It was morning in Detroit, but evening in India when I called the company. I was relieved when the same representative answered the phone. He remembered the transaction clearly, explained the answers to Al’s questions and also answered some of my own pertaining to the new laptop. Moreover, he assured me that the new computers were beautiful, safe machines and that we would be happy with them.

     I was sure that the Lord had arranged for me to reach him and thanked him for his help. When I shared my notes from the discussion with Al, he also felt relieved and more confident in his decision. In spite of that reassurance, we are both still feeling somewhat overwhelmed at the idea of starting over again, wondering how smoothly the transition will take place and how easy it will be to learn the new program.

     This extra expense came at the same time as several other demands on the bank account, adding some financial pressure as well. When I was reading the Bible one morning, the verse cited at the beginning of this article was especially meaningful. The word picture of money as a shelter, a safety net or a means of protection holds true in situations like ours. Whether the cost of replacing necessary items, emergency health expenses or other financial crises, it is a blessing to have resources available when needed.

     While it seems unusual to compare money and wisdom, both are needed in life. Wisdom prevents us from making serious mistakes and protects us from harm. The verse from Ecclesiastes speaks of the greater importance of having wisdom, because possessing it makes a difference for eternity.

     Wisdom...seeking to know God and His ways, trusting Him for our needs, looking to Him for guidance and help, obeying Him… “Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding, for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold.” (Proverbs 3:13-14 NIV) Help us to have wisdom, oh Lord!

*Ecclesiastes 7:12 NIV