Monday, February 04, 2013

When We Just Don't Get It

The one thing that I fight everyday

now that I am an "iPhoner"
(Regardless if this isn't a thing people say, I am making it a thing)

is the auto correct feature when I am texting.

Yes, I do realize that I can turn it off.

But I have to admit, that it is more handy than not

especially when my fingers turn into thumbs 
and I hit every key but the right one.

But when the auto correct tries to wrongly predict what you are going to say after one typed letter or two, 

I want to scream, 

"Let me talk!"

I was trying to text my friend Carisa a password so we could play Ruzzle
(nope, haven't quit that yet)

when auto correct tried to thwart the whole thing.

Maybe that was God's provision.

It kept making a one word password into a completely unrelated two word "Jar Monte".

I kept thinking I was over-riding it 

with sheer will and extra finger pressure on the the letter keys

but I'd look up at the sent texting bubble and once again see

"Jar Monte".

AAARRRGGGHHH!

I know, there are so many worse things in life.

But it's frustrating when auto correct 
just doesn't get it.

Last night, during the Super Bowl, Carisa and I were texting our thoughts on the need for one

to ride a pistachio "gangnam style" 

when I decided to give her a little

"True Dat" in reply
because I'm hip like that.

But auto correct turned it into a very unhip and slightly confusing

"Try Day".

Carisa was left wondering if I meant to say

"Try That"

which would've meant I wanted her to actually TRY riding a pistachio "gangnam style".



Which I did not.

That would be nuts.
Pun intended.

It's frustrating when auto correct just doesn't get it.

Another time I was texting my friend Sumita and a reference to our bible study we are currently doing on the book of Daniel came up



and I couldn't help but text her something about King Nebuchadnezzar.


I just had to look up how to spell Nebuchadnezzar.

But auto correct?

No sweat.

Seriously? You don't have a problem understanding and spelling a 14-letter ancient biblical king

but "True Dat" blows your mind?!

Interesting…

Last week a friend texted me about a game night she wanted to throw together.

She sent me an idea of who to invite which included the name Mark Woods.

I don't know a Mark Woods.

So I said out loud, "Who is Mark Woods?"

My daughter Ellie leaned over my shoulder to read the message and then listened to me go on about who in the world Mark Woods was.

Ellie:  "Seriously? Listen to what you are saying."

I did.

And I still had no clue who Mark Woods was.

Ellie:  "The Markwoods, Mom! She meant the Markwoods, not a Mark Woods!"

Oooohhhhhhhh!

I know who the Markwoods are.

It may have been auto correct's mistake, 
but it is SO frustrating when I just don't get it.

I told my husband, Monte, this account of me "just not getting it" when he confessed one of his own.

He had had a very frustrating morning at work. 

The kind of morning where he felt 

no one was listening, 
no one was following instructions 
and everything was falling apart
unnecessarily.

He spent his lunch break reading the bible and praying for God's help.



He was a new man that afternoon. 

He sat down with his employees, talked with them with a pure heart, open ears and a new peace.

Everything clicked.

Someone in the office noticed and asked Monte what changed in him from morning to afternoon.

For the life of him, Monte couldn't think of what it was 
that made the difference.

He was humbled when it came to him later.

God must be frustrated when we just don't get it.

When we don't listen,
don't follow instructions
and He has to watch everything fall apart
in our lives unnecessarily.

But He loves us anyway.

Even when I am begging to know who Mark Woods is and I

 just 
don't 
get it.

He loves me anyway.



Who knew that I would find God in my frustration with auto correct?






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