March 9 – “The Computer Called”

Today was a meld with the computer day.  I worked on the sermon for Sunday.  I waded through some more of the preparations for grants proposals.  I answered emails about issues at the school.  It felt like my fingers were growing to the keyboard.  Chris would have been really mad because I didn't get up and walk around every hour or so.  It would have been worth it all, but it doesn't feel like I got much really done.  I advanced further than I was, though.   Then Cailyn came over for a little while.  That was refreshing.  Her Daddy had to work on some swimming pools.   A friend of ours who used to live here asked me to stop by and take pictures of a beach house in Bermuda Beach.  They are thinking about renting it this summer and want someone to check it out before they commit.    I just had a strange thing happen.  When I sat down to type I remembered that Chris wanted me to make an eye doctor appointment.  I was supposed to go back in December to the guy who did surgery on my cataract.  The guy's computer has been calling every so often ever since then to get me to sign up, so Chris hasn't forgotten.  To make it worse, her Mom and Dad both have appointments there this month, so she thinks about it every time she checks her schedule.  So … I wrote myself a note to make an appointment sometime.  That way I could at least show Chris that it was in process.    About the time I hit "swimming pools," the phone rang.  It was none other than … the eye doctor's computer.  Strange.  I chose to punch number one, which would connect me to the scheduling office.  After the required few minutes wait, the actual human person came on line.  She first offered me an appointment on a Monday.  Well, I knew better than that.  Most of Chris' Mondays are spent in Houston, but with her Mom at chemo treatments.  Then she switched to a Wednesday.  That should be fine, I thought, so I chose the later of the two available times.  I hung up and immediately wrote the time in my Daytimer so I wouldn't forget it.  Then I went over to Chris' calendar to put it there as well.  She was gonna be so proud of me.  And as I leaned over to write, I noticed some scribbling already on that date.  I flipped on the light, and to my surprise, that was the very same day as Chris' Mom and Dad's appointment.  And to my double surprise, I was the very next appointment after them.  I had to call Chris and let her know about that one.  We'll have to discuss whether to keep it or change it when she gets home.    Isaiah 29:13-14 says, "The Lord says: 'These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men.  14 Therefore once more I will astound these people with wonder upon wonder; the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish.'"   Father, I look forward to being astounded, but I really want my heart to be close to you.  Amen.