Who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks?
(Woof, woof.)
I came to the realization many years ago that I am a wee bit mathematically and scientifically …um…what’s the politically correct term?…oh yea – “challenged.” Math and science were never my favorite subjects, but sometime after college, my ability to understand technical/mechanical concepts seemed to completely pack up and slither off into the night, never to return.
Being surrounded by techno wizards in my house only accentuates my retardation. Every time the UPS man rumbles up my driveway, I cringe, knowing he may deliver some new gadget my husband has ordered that might require me to endure the mind-cramping mastery of another new electronic device.
But today, I’m proud to announce that I have ventured beyond the borders of my minuscule computer comfort zone into a trendy internet community called Facebook.com. Cool stuff for a “gray hair” like me, I must say.
What’s “Facebook,” you may be wondering? It’s a website that allows folks to connect, to write messages on each other’s “walls,” to display photos, to stay in touch. I stuck my toe in these new waters a few months ago when I started receiving email messages saying, “So-and-so added you as a friend on Facebook.”
It made me feel warm and fuzzy – like a kid getting an unexpected invitation to a birthday party. My list of “Facebook friends” is expanding and I have even set up my own profile on the website, so if my buddies want to, they can discover a few of my favorite things (books, movies, etc.).
I’m sure my young friends are amazed to learn that my hobbies don’t include watching “Wheel of Fortune” or playing shuffleboard. It’s all kind of fun.
A few years ago, I got my very own website: www.maryanncrum.com, which is the kind of gift one receives for Christmas when one’s spouse is a computer expert. If you visit my site, you can read all these columns I write, but don’t look for my blog.
Whoa…what’s a “blog,” you ask? It’s a diary/journal one posts on the internet. Lots of folks blog these days (it’s a verb as well as a noun), but I’m not one of them. Most of the folks in my life already know way too much about what’s going on in my head.
“Blogs” and “Facebook” may seem like innovative concepts, but God has been doing this kind of stuff for centuries, pouring out His heart on the pages of the Bible and inviting us into His circle of friends.
We write letters, send emails, communicate through websites like “Facebook,” and write blogs because we want to express who we are and connect with others.
So does God.
I challenge you to open a Bible this week and read it with one purpose: To see how God shares His heart on those pages. You’ll see His relentless desire for relationship with us, the depth and width of His grace, love, and wisdom, and His excitement about the eternal plans He has for His children. You’ll discover what He does and doesn’t like.
“Facebook” can be a fun diversion; “God’s book” can literally change our lives.
Connecting with people enhances life; connecting with God IS life.
“’Now this is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent.’” — John 17:3