The internet is down! The error message says someone may be trying to break in! Yikes! I’m feeling vulnerable and a little scared.
I think about waiting until Jenna gets up and letting her figure it out. But I decide that I am a fully capable adult and can handle it myself. I call AT&T.
The voice on the phone tells me that a cable has been cut in my neighborhood and they are working to fix it. The ‘Net may be down for 24 hours. I glumly thank her and hang up.
So now what? Does this mean that the Blog post for today will not go out? (Sorry. Nothing I can do about that.) And I have a bill that is due today. (Jenna reminds me that I can disable WiFi on my phone and pay it there.) I was going to write, too.
Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
I Thessalonians 5: 16-18 NLT
Oh.
Yeah.
Okay.
“Lord, thank You that You have given us the internet. It is a powerful, enjoyable tool. Thank You that I am seeing how dependent I have become on it. Show me how to use this day and to honor You without access to the collective wisdom and pleasures of the world wide web. Amen”
So how will I use this day? I could clean, but I cleaned yesterday, and there can be too much of a good thing. (Never thought you’d hear me say that, did you?)
Oh, wait! I still can write, just not blog. So here I am, recording this “adventure” in Word.
In the “olden days” there was always something to fill the time. I’m sure it is still here somewhere. Oh, yes. I can do crafts. I can listen to music. I can cook or bake. I could organize closets or drawers, sort papers, weed the garden.
Or I can just rest, knowing that God has all this under control. Maybe after all, today is a gift, not a setback. Maybe that’s how I should treat it.
“Thank You, Father, for this beautiful day. Please walk with me in it. I love You. Amen”
********
So how did I use my “bonus” day? I did do some writing (which I find I can cut-and-paste to the blog). I started reading a book that has long been on my list. In fact, I discovered that I have more than 60 good, non-fiction books waiting in line! (Typically, the fiction books don’t have to wait: I devour them like jellybeans!) And I realized how much of life I was missing when I let myself get emmeshed in the web.
Interestingly, I was amazed at how much better I feel when I read (on my Kindle) than when I play games (also on my Kindle). Apparently those games that promise to increase brain power are not really cutting it the way reading a good book does. I think I used to know that. The internet is my servant. I don’t have to – or want to – be its slave. Now, if I can just remember that the next time I hear the siren song of “Pyramid Solitaire” …