Unexpected Crashes

Susan’s laptop crashed this week. A complete and total crash – there is nothing left.

Her laptop was the center of our 5 Minutes for Mom activity. Susan had actually left it with me and took my laptop with her to Italy so that I would have all the information I needed while she was gone. Yes – a tad ironic.

And what is frustrating is that although we are constantly backing up the computers for our online stores and even my laptop is backed up, Susan had been so busy she hadn’t been backing up hers. Some of it may be backed up, but her techie hubby, (the one who actually does the backing up for us,) can’t remember for sure what he backed up recently. I do know that I was foolishly not backing up any of the work I have been doing on it in the last month.

A day after it happened, I was talking to my friend, Crystal, on the phone about it all. She thanked me for the reminder it was for her to back up data. She hadn’t backed up her computer. I agreed that she better. Computers don’t usually give us a warning about when they are about to die. (And they certainly don’t live forever! It is not a matter of if they will die, but when.) And far too often, they crash without warning, leaving us totally unprepared – like a thief in the night.

Does that remind you of anything? I laughed when I was talking to Crystal and remarked about the similarities to life, death and meeting our Lord. We all know it will happen. We know we should be prepared – live our lives with purpose and not leave things “undone.” We know we very well may have no warning when it is our time to go. It could come just as suddenly as a hard drive spontaneously corrupting in the middle of a routine task. And we could be just as unprepared as I was for that flashing, empty screen.

Susan and I know about backing up our files. We talk about it everyday. But life gets in the way. We put off the important for the urgent.

I do that in many aspects of my life actually. Whether it is making sure all the paperwork is in order if I die, or creating journals and scrapbooks for my family, I tend to spend my time in that urgent category, missing out on all the important things I need to do.

But hopefully we won’t let too many of the critical things in life slip by, lost to the chaos of urgency. We need to stop and pay attention. Are there things we need to do or to say? Are there people we need to forgive and reconcile with? And most importantly, where are we in our relationship with God? Are we prepared to meet Him? Did we live our lives for Him or for ourselves?

I know I have many things left to do on that list. I need to stop daily and refocus my priorities in the light of eternity. And this week was a great reminder that I may not always have time to do it. I need to be ready now.

Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.
But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
1Thessalonians 5:1-11 NIV

Have you been leaving the important tasks of life undone? Are you ready for your end?