Dana Rongione

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When Screens Go Dark, Look to the Light

Last week, during our ladies’ retreat, my computer screen (projecting the various songs, Scripture, and images on the wall) kept timing out and going dark. I knew there was a simple setting to stop it from doing that, but I couldn’t find it for the life of me. Jason looked for it with equally fruitless results. I googled it, but that only resulted in information about changing particular settings that weren’t even showing up on my computer. Good grief!

On the second day, I was nearly at my wit’s end, so I did another search and stumbled upon another option to try. Lo, and behold, after selecting a single option, there was the simple click I’d been looking for.  I know Jason and I had checked that setting multiple times because we were confident that’s where the issue lay, but for whatever reason, the option was not there before. Perhaps one of the other settings I changed caused a hidden menu to appear. Who knows?

As I sat there, staring at my computer screen, I couldn't help but chuckle. Here I was, the IT person for the retreat, and I couldn't even figure out how to keep my computer screen from going dark. It was a humbling reminder that I don't have all the answers, and that's okay.

But what struck me even more was how God used that frustrating experience to remind me of His Word. It's easy to get caught up in the day-to-day struggles of life and forget about the power and beauty of the Bible. But when we take the time to read it, we're always rewarded with something new and life-changing. It’s like finding a setting that wasn’t there before.

I think that's why I love teaching Bible study so much. Every time I prepare for a lesson, I discover something new and exciting in God's Word. When I share that with others, I see their faces light up with the same excitement. It’s a reminder that God’s Word is alive and active and always relevant to our lives.

So the next time you feel frustrated or discouraged, take a break and open up your Bible. You never know what hidden treasures you might find. And even if you've read the same passage a hundred times, trust that God has something new and exciting in store for you. After all, His Word is alive and always works in our lives.

As for my computer, well, that’s another story…

For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. - Hebrews 4:12