God has an App for That!
The eagles have once again returned to Lake Coeur d’Alene. Taking eagle photos is one of Ron’s favorite things to do. I loved this juvenile eagle action shot he captured a few days ago.
The day before Thanksgiving, my mind was muddled with many preparation details since we were expecting a group of ten at our home for the special day. Late that Wednesday, I remembered I needed to send a cash birthday gift to our granddaughter. Rather than sending the customary “Happy Birthday” check to California, I decided beforehand to use Venmo this year. (Because several of my spiritual direction “soul friends” are Millennials, I realized a few months back I needed to make this method of payment available.)
The truth is, learning to use technology rather than sticking with old, familiar ways is a challenge for this early-stage Baby Boomer grandma. When someone explained I was a “digital immigrant,” frustration with my technological struggles made a bit more sense. Although I never met them, I recalled stories of my great-grandparents who immigrated to the United States from Norway when my grandmother was an infant. Great Grandfather and Grandmother Brekke never learned to speak more than a few words of English. Instead, they relied on children and grandchildren to help navigate the complexities of their new homeland with its strange language and customs.
Like them, last Wednesday, I turned to family and called upon my daughter to tell me how to send a Venmo gift. Her first question was, “Do you have a Venmo app on your phone?” Of course, I did, but in the busyness of the moment, I had forgotten all about the app! When we hung up, I opened it, realized it was quite easy to figure out, and within a few minutes, the gift was moving its way through cyberspace in time to arrive for our granddaughter’s special Thanksgiving Day birthday.
I believe I may be better at making spiritual connections and applications than technological ones!
As I thought about my Venmo fiasco, I recalled times—more than I can imagine or want to admit—when I was filled with anxiety about a variety of life situations, perhaps relational, vocational, physical, political, financial, or spiritual matters.
Then, either the “still small voice” of the Spirit prompted, or a trusted sojourner questioned, “Don’t you remember, there’s an app for that?”
Scripture is generally my first “go-to-app!” Oftentimes, I recall the familiar words, committed to memory many years ago, found in Philippians 4:6 & 7:
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (NIV)
These words remind me to use my “direct-access-to-God prayer app.” God cares about my needs. God wants me to pray about everything that causes me concern and ask the Divine for solutions and strategies. Finally, I’m reminded to never forget the importance of giving thanks.
The outcome found in verse 7 has become particularly important to me over the years because I have repeatedly felt the I-don’t-understand-it-but-have-experienced-it-and-know-it-is-real-peace of God!
I hope these few simple words today remind you that the solution you may need is as simple as remembering, “God has an App for That!”
Blessings on your journey,
