DEVOTION: A Computer's Prayer - Shirley Corder

     Sometimes computers seem to rule our lives. Have you ever thought what it would be like if they could talk to us? What if they could pray? Here's an idea of how it might go . . .

Dear God,
     It seems no matter what I do I’m in trouble.
     She was away for an entire week. I missed her so much. The inactivity caused my monitor to ache and my boot-up system to grow restless.
     Yesterday, my CPU leapt within my case as I recognized a familiar click followed by a surge of power pulsing through my being. I flashed red and green lights of welcome and rejoiced to feel the touch of her fingers on my
keys. How I enjoyed responding to her instructions carried to me by the little mouse which serves as a connection between us.
     I surfed the cyber waves and collected her mail with enthusiasm, spilling it into her inbox. I waited with anticipation for her words of praise. Then I heard her voice. She complained that the contents of her inbox had shot up to 365. That was hardly fair. She had been away for a week. I bet she would have been upset if I had returned home empty-handed.
     She spent the next few hours answering mail before saying goodnight and going to bed. Her last words to me were, "I’ll be back in the morning to tackle more of these e-mails. 250 to go and more due in the morning. It’s going to take forever to catch up." She was obviously unhappy.
     Early the next morning, she sent me back on-line. I was in a dilemma. Should I bring back the forty-five e-mails waiting for delivery? Or should I lie? What’s an honest computer supposed to do? Then I hit on the solution.
     I brought all the mail into the inbox, then hung a teeny hourglass picture on my screen to show her that I was at work. By the time she returned from breakfast, her inbox was squeaky clean. Not one e-mail left. I had done all the work for her.
     As I was saying—sometimes it doesn’t seem to matter what I do . . .
     Please bless her anyway, Lord. And help me to understand humans. Amen.

     Well? Do you appreciate your computer? Have you given thanks to the Lord for all the work it does? Have you thought about what life would be like for you as a writer if you didn't have one? Or if it could talk back to you?
     Before you continue with your day, take some time to thank the Lord for all the tools you have that help you in your writing.

     And be careful . . . your computer's listening.


Shirley M. Corder writes from the coast of South Africa. She writes mainly non-fiction, particularly of a devotional and inspirational nature, and tries to remember to give regular thanks to the Lord for her computer. Visit shirleycorder.com,  her site to encourage and inspire writers, or Rise and Soar, where she seeks to encourage and inspire those in the cancer valley.