I had a computer crash the other day – one so severe that it necessitate a visit to my local repair shop which ended up costing me £60 to put things right. An expense I could have done without. I put it down to a system update, but I can’t be sure. What it brought home to me, though, is the importance of backing up week – thankfully none of which was lost on this occasion – and of running regular virus checks and scans on my PC, something easily overlooked in the press of a busy day. It’s not just computers that benefit from a searching examination; we do too, as the following reflective prayer, from my book Touched by His Hand, reminds us if we are not to find ourselves foundering on our journey of discipleship.
The computer scan
I scanned my computer today,
a routine check for problems,
and watched aghast as the list grew:
viruses,
bugs,
spyware,
spam –
so much that had crept in unnoticed,
insidiously infiltrating my system,
corrupting,
infecting,
destroying.
Examine me, Lord, and know my heart.
Test me and search my thoughts.
Delve deep within
and cleanse me from all that fragments my faith
and undermines my commitment,
preventing me from living as you intend.
Reformat,
renew,
restore.
Amen.