Virus...

I picked up a really nasty "virus" on my computer Monday. I dropped my firewall just for a moment to "allow" in a web page for Reagan's online school and BAM! it hit me. It started out with a few annoying pop-ups but before long it had completely overtaken my desktop and main menu. I tried to fight it...in fact I went to bed Monday night thinking I had it "beaten". I woke up yesterday morning to find my laptop on, (I had put it "to sleep") frozen, and jam packed with spam and "malware". My machine had been busily allowing in more "bad guys" while I slept. I knew that I needed help.

Once I admitted the virus was "to much for me" to handle, I decided to call in the professionals. Michele (thank you) took my laptop to the various "geek squads" in town to see if they could start it up and remove the virus. They were mainly interested in selling a "warranty package", a new computer, or charging a couple of hundred dollars to wipe the hard drive and reinstall windows. No thanks! I searched on the Internet and the software isle for a "fix". Some people wanted more money. Others scolded me for getting the virus in the first place. The "mac cult" bragged about how apple products don't get virus' (Thanks Josiah:-)

In the end I found a step by step set of instructions on the net about how to remove "my" particular virus from someone else who had experienced it. I downloaded a free scanner...it took a lot of time...it was a process not a "quick fix"...but my laptop is now malware free and better than ever. Thank you kind "stranger".

My "virus" is a lot like sin... It creeps up on you. Temptation hits you just at the moment your defences are down. You think you can handle it...but it will eventually take over everything and leave you with nothing . It's too big for us to handle alone and everyone faces it (even mac users). The question is how will we as people...and together as a church...relate to those "fighting" the affects of sin in their lives? Will we lecture...or scold? Try to enrich ourselves by "helping" others? Or will we be the "kind stranger" who shares our step-by-step battles with our own personal "virus"? Who points others to the "free scanner" for no other reason that we have been "set free"?

Thank you "kind stranger"...you saved my laptop...but more than that you reminded me why we do actionchurch each week...