“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in Heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19-21
The saying goes that negative things happen in three’s. That seemed to be the case with electronic machinery at our house recently.
First our electric kettle sprung a leak threatening possible electrocution to anyone wanting a cup of whatever; Second the answering machine bit the dust; And last but not least, my “Oh, I’m so used to you!” printer died!
By this time, I felt like I was in an episode of the old ‘Mission Impossible’ TV series, with them all self-destructing into a puff of smoke!
My printer was only five years old (young compared to my years) but when I mentioned this to the company trouble shooter I had called for help (explaining what was happening to the machine) he replied… “Five years is a long time for a printer, you did very well!” How come I didn’t feel like I was doing very well?
He also gave me the phone number for the closest repair station while adding, “Usually it costs more to have them fixed than to buy a new one.”
I called the repair shop and the gentleman I spoke with said “It’s twenty dollars to look at it, and you’ll have to get it here somehow, then we’ll tell you what is wrong, and the cost of repairing it.” He added… “Most people find it is usually cheaper to buy a new one!”
I am now calculating in my head… my time, gas, car wear and tear, the twenty dollars, plus the repair costs, then gas and time back to pick it up, or to pay UPS shipping. That is when I made the decision I always make at this point with my electronic problems… I called my son Robert! Robert is my HELP–er whenever I am sinking in electronic quicksand. Just ask my dear son how often he has had to explain to me about computer ‘file folders’. On second thought don’t! I hate to bring more painful memories to the dear soul.
Robert listened to my explanation of what was wrong with my printer, asked a few more questions, then said… “Mom just face it… the PRINTER IS DEAD! It will probably cost you more to fix than to buy a new one! You’ll get more features with a new one anyway, and pay a lot less than you did for this one!”
Mission Impossible memories flooded back to my mind. “We will disavow this conversation ever took place or that we know you! You have five seconds before this printer self destructs!” Poof! There goes my faithful printer in a puff of smoke! Robert was right of course, I got a replacement with more features for one third of what I paid for the old one.
However, it didn’t change the fact that the dead one had been quite adequate for my needs. Nor did it take in all the problems I had getting the new one hooked up. I am now back to studying the ‘How To’ manual trying to figure out ‘how to’ use all the extra’s and ‘how to’ make them work.
Here on earth there is no stopping the need to continually replace things that wear out or break down. I see a correlation between machines and our bodies. Well, we are often referred to as running like a ‘well-oiled machine’.
As my imagination takes wing, let me play out this scenario… Like a machine we start out all new and fit in our young bodies going happily through the years when suddenly… ‘POOF’ our body seems to self-destruct. You call the knowledgeable contacts who tell you how ‘lucky’ you are to have gone on so long with such old equipment. (Doesn’t seem that old to me.) They repair you with some grease, oil, patches, new joints, new valves, new pipes, and new batteries.
Then you begin learning ‘how to’ use all the new equipment to keep you running for awhile longer. They tell you that you can’t expect to be like a new model that can do twice the work and have all those up-to-date features. (In other words, your not as young as you used to be.)
After some years go on by they tell you they can do nothing further, but will send you to the next repairman to see if they can help. The next repairman says… “Sorry, it will cost way too much to save and repair you! What you need now is a miracle!”
A miracle? A Savior? I have a Savior who does ‘Mission Impossible’ Miracles!
So I cry out to Him… “Jesus my HELP–er, Help me! Save me!” POOF! WOW!
“Thank you Lord, now this is a perfect body!” Syb