“IGNORING LITTLE WARNINGS”
I was sitting on the porcelain throne when I received a very tiny, but timely, warning. You see, my smart phone was in the back pocket of my jeans. The warning was quite simple: “Take the smart phone out of your pocket before you get up, or it may fall into the commode.”
Those of you who believe in God and guardian angels and miracles may think in those terms. Certainly, I do. Those of you who are thorough-going materialists will think that it was my own common sense that briefly kicked in. Perhaps so. In any case, the brief warning was quickly turned off.
However you think about it, this not-so-little warning was appropriate. When I arose from my throne, the phone tumbled into the . . . . Well, you saw this coming, didn’t you?
I can move a lot quicker than I thought I could. My phone spent very little time in the commode. I remember saying something like “Shoot!” But I was pretty upset with myself, so I can’t be sure that’s what I said.
I immediately took the outer cases off, and threw them in hot, soapy water. The phone seemed to still be working. I should have turned off the phone immediately, but I didn’t. It was still working. “Leave well enough alone,” I said to myself. Later, thanks to counsel from the internet, I turned it off. Eventually, I figured out how to take the back off and the battery out, which gave me a great sense of accomplishment. (Hey, I am not a techy person! I celebrate the little things that I figure out!)
So, I was phone-less for almost forty-eight hours. And for all of us who are addicted to our smart phones (which includes me these days I’m afraid), I am here to tell you that you can survive without them—barely.
I have now put the phone back together. It seems to be working just fine. Time will tell. If the mother board is fried, I will be dismayed, but not surprised.
One of my favorite proverbs to ignore is in the biblical book of Proverbs.
“The prudent sees danger and hides himself,
but the simple go on and suffer for it.” (Proverbs 22:3,English Standard Version)
Well, I didn’t hide myself from danger in this instance. I should have. More importantly, perhaps I should not hide from this proverb. I should begin letting it guide me.
My pastor is starting a series on “Little Sins” this coming Sunday. He sometimes reads these blogs, though he is a very busy guy. Pastor, if you’re reading this post, how about a sermon on ignoring little warnings?
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