Thankful No Matter What the Outcome

The last two days I have been consumed with trying to solve problems with my desktop computer. I was going happily along answering emails when all of a sudden a security box popped up. I don’t even remember now what it said but I do remember clicking the “OK” button. After that, it seemed to all go downhill. Pop up after pop up continued to, well—pop up. I vaguely remember one of those pop ups saying something about a System Restore but it all happened so fast, I really have no idea.

So from about 10:30 am yesterday until now (minus a few fitful hours of sleep pondering and asking God to heal my computer) I have been working on fixing the problems. I discovered several Trojans, two of which I was informed by the malware detector I “allowed” access. With the help of Steve Hodges I attempted to dig deep into the inner workings of the computer to do a sweep of everything and try to find the little boogers that were hidden in there wreaking havoc on my system. I had to use clever means in order to pull up a Windows search box and try to find any proof of life in my precious ten year old machine. I know, I know. It’s time to update. Well, maybe so but that hasn’t exactly been on the top of the priority list in this economy.

During the night, I thought about how clever Satan is when getting into our minds and infecting our lives with viruses which are intended to unlock a door and let millions of Trojans in to corrupt our lives. We often go aimlessly along not filtering out the bad things, not letting in the good, just letting our castle go unprotected. We often sit and watch as the invaders swim in the moat and climb our walls, getting to the center of us. We don’t even fight back often. We just sit in the tower and watch them come.

Nehemiah 4:9 says: But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat.

Yesterday, I obviously let the Trojans into my computer with a simple click of the mouse. It looked authentically like a Windows pop up. It seemed harmless enough. But boy, it wasn’t and now I am paying for it.

I had to come to the conclusion last night that I would be thankful for whatever the outcome is concerning my computer. If I am able to retrieve everything and am able to turn the computer on and see that beautiful, cluttered desktop once again, I will be abundantly thankful and extra careful from now on. However, if I can’t get everything back to normal (which wasn’t that great to begin with) I will accept the outcome. I will have to suffer the consequences for my careless actions but will move on and watch more carefully in the future for the attackers.

Is that how we turn away from our mistakes? Do we see them for what they are, ask forgiveness, and then, in thankfulness for God’s grace and mercy, move on and forbid the attacker to remind us constantly of the err of our ways? We must live in victory despite our weaknesses and shortcomings. God wants us to be thankful for the fact that we need Him to guide us daily. Are you thankful for your mistakes? Have you let them bring you closer to the One who wants to lead you?

Colossians 2:6-8: So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.

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Sherri Johnson is a former homeschool mom (14 years) who is a published author and speaker and who loves to share God with others and to make people laugh. She enjoys speaking to homeschool groups about organization, record keeping, homeschooling high school, keeping kids pure, and more. She has been married for 23 years and has a 21 year old daughter and a 17 year old son. She is a writer who writes homeschool resources and Bible Studies but loves writing Christian Romance more than anything. Her first Inspirational Romance is published through OakTara Publishing and her second novel will be released in May 2012.