When I was a kid, we had this TV set that had to be whacked on the top side after several hours of viewing cause it had a tendency to show black and white instead of technicolor right in the middle of viewing. I have two sisters, and one of us (usually me) would go to it and give it several hard smacks until the aging picture tube (or whatever its called) woke up, blinked a few times, and decided to show us color again. To this day one of the solutions I think of when I have an electronic gadget that’s not working is to give it a slight tap, with the magnitude of the hit depending on the fragility of the object in question. I know it’s not the most foolproof solution in the world, but it has worked often enough for me to consider it as part of a gadget problem solving process. (I also believe that sticking a crashed hard disk in a freezer for a minimum of two hours would revive it enough to get the data before it crashes again.)
I also believe that God does use painful experiences to get our attention sometimes. I used to be the kind of person who only remembers God when there is some sort of challenge in my life. I never really forget Him, but when I have something really major, I talk to Him in my head, starting with, “Are you there God? It’s me, Janice.” (Apologies, and thanks, to Judy Blume). I even bargained with Him sometimes! “God, if you do x for me, I’ll do y for you. Promise.” Childish really.
Of course I know better now. Then again I’ve always known better, but I never really did better.
I’m getting there though.
