Well, I did the dirty and upgraded my laptop’s Operating System (OS) from Tiger to Leopard. For the most part, things are running smoothly, as they should for a Mac.
However, like changing to anything new, it will take awhile for me to enjoy using the computer like I did with the old system of Tiger. I know lots of Windows slaves, I mean users, have stayed with XP instead of upgrading to Vista. At some point, Vista, or a new OS will have to be upgraded to, and when that happens, we all get this feeling of unfamiliarity and want things back the old way, the better way, the way we know best. We as people get into these ruts where we have everything set up just the way we want them: especially on computers, and when that is disrupted, that warm security blanket gets ripped right off of us!
Several of my friends have had to try new e-mail programs or operating systems, and they hate it because they have to relearn what they know. That is where I am. I know Leopard’s functionality will best the old system by far, but it will take a little getting used to. I want my old baseball glove back — it fit so well!
As God’s child, I don’t often like waves made in my pond. I don’t necessarily like change or new experiences. I like my comfortable settings, my personal surroundings, and routines I am intimately familiar with. But like changing to a new OS on a computer, God finds us in our rut and kicks us out. I think He actually likes the fact that we find ruts — so He can disrupt them, and thus teach us something. Hopefully, when this happens, we learn from it. Change isn’t fun, just ask me or my wife about the pending job change ahead for me. But, it’s in those times of change that God can speak — he has us by the ear.
Change, just for the sake of change, may not be good; it may actually be bad (remember: we don’t kick a sleeping dog). But, when we trust in Him that the change is for the better, we can also trust in Him to see us through it.
I wonder what changes I need to make from the ruts I’ve formed? Am I in some bad ruts at work? Am I in some ruts in my marriage? Am I in some ruts at my church? Am I in some ruts that I don’t even see? Uhhh. I am humbly prayerful that God will show me the bad ruts I’m happily trolling down. Does He always tell us when we’re “off course, on our course?” NO! Look at all the people around you that are in ruts and don’t even see it. Be praying that God will show you Grace, and point out the ruts you are in, and then be happy to change!
Ultimately, I’m glad I changed to Leopard. The transition will be tough, but in the end, it has a lot of great features, like:
Email: When someone sends you an e-mail with a date in it, the computer recognizes this date, and when I click on it, it can add that date to my calendar. Also, it recognizes when someone writes “next Thursday” as a date and puts that in as Aug 5th, or whatever. Amazing!
Chat: I can not only video chat with others, I can share my screen with another mac user (my wife, for example, on her iMac). If she is having trouble with her computer in Ohio, and I’m in Hong Kong, I can video chat with her and put her desktop on my screen and “take over” to fix the issue. Awesome!
Time Machine: I can backup my files to another hard drive automatically and behind the scenes. Then, if I look for a file that is gone or thrown away, I can simply retrieve it in Time Machine. It’s better than in sounds, Windows Users! It’s seamless and easy.
Tons of parental controls to protect future kids in our family, like deciding what they see and when they can access both their computer and the internet. If we aren’t home, their computer won’t get online, if we wish.
There is lots more, so watch the video on how it all works and fits together here.
For more, visit TobyLaura.com!
On the topic of “ruts” my friend, I hear you….I hear you. I have deep concern about spiritual ruts I am in. That is why I think it is important to have people around you that are willing to help keep you “rut” free. But it is a lot to ask of someone…because we aren’t typically comfortable sharing that. We are willing to observe it, but we feel we jeopardize too much by sharing it.