Psalm 5:11
But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them that those who love your name may rejoice in you.
Most of Friday and Saturday, Easter weekend, is spent by my husband, Danny, and his son, Nicco, in a tireless effort to upgrade Danny's computer, a need that is long overdue. No, I don't take any photos of the process, as granddaughter, Virginia Rose, is visiting, but trust me when I say that the kitchen table remains in a state of organized chaos.
We get up extra early on Easter Sunday to allow us plenty of time to prepare to attend the contemporary service. Danny is disheartened to discover that the drive on the computer that was left running so as to fully install overnight, freezes at 75%. His computer, under these circumstances, is unusable.
Talk about frustration!
"Honey, why don't you retrieve your laptop out of the closet?" I suggest. "That way, you can have a viable computer for now, and not be confined to your phone."
"Good idea," Danny agrees, and hastens to get the Mac up and going.
As I'm focused upon readying Virginia and myself for church, Danny notices a disturbing anomaly with the laptop. The track pad is bulging, betraying an ominous swelling of the computer's lithium battery. If left unchecked, it could catch fire, emit toxic gasses, or worse yet, it could explode! Help! What are we to do?
Danny decides to risk carrying the ticking time bomb outside, and lays it down on a barren dirt section of the yard, praying the entire time that the battery won't fail until after he reaches his destination. This move ensures that if there is an explosion or fire, no tinder would be close enough to ignite.
When we return from Easter services, the computer is, thankfully, still inert. Yes! But we are still faced with the conundrum of how to fix the problem safely and forever.
Enter Nicco! He's come over to complete the PC update, but when told a more pressing issue is at hand, he handles it like a pro. Unafraid and undaunted, he takes the laptop out to the driveway, removes the battery delicately, and proceeds to attack it mercilessly with a mallet and screwdriver. Now the battery is ripe for a long soak in heavily salted water, guaranteed to neutralize it for good.
Whew! Close call averted! Boy, how blessed and relieved we feel.
What begins as an irritating nuisance forces us to discover where the true threat is lurking. Right there in Danny's closet. An evil poised to pounce and destroy without warning.
Danny and I have no doubt that the events of the day are orchestrated by our Lord. It is a wake-up call, a saving grace. The signs are seen, and the signs are heeded without question.
God's protection is spread over us this day, fully and completely.
We are glad, singing with joy, and cherishing His infinite love and mercy.
And oh, how thankful we are!
Amen!
Are there detours you were forced to take in your life, when you thought it was an inconvenience, but it turned out to be a blessing?
This is a very worrying story, Martha. I did not realise that a laptop can be so dangerous. I'll have to check mine which I have not used for a while. I don't even know where it is. Is the problem the lithium battery, or any battery. Does the danger apply to other appliances - e.g. toys which work with batteries and have been left in a box or closet for a while?
ReplyDeletePraise the Lord you are all safe.
God bless.
Victor, I think it's only the lithium batteries that are cause for concern. Yes, please do locate your laptop and check it out!!! We are so grateful to have discovered the problem before any damage was done.
DeleteLove and blessings!
Close call indeed. The disaster that could have been. Thankfully, God had a plan, even in the frustration of the other computer. Love your application as well Martha. So glad Nicco was there, but I sure would have loved seeing his devastation. :)
ReplyDeleteNicco is fearless, Bill, and he does know better than any of us how this type of battery can be safely disarmed. Thank goodness! And yes, we are so grateful for God's plan in all of this.
DeleteLove and blessings!
I love the spiritual application as well. It is so important to address those batteries in the closet. There are some I would definitely love to take a mallet and screwdriver to and then drop into a neutralizing solution to make it forever inert.
ReplyDeleteAmen, Ryan! Those stale batteries in our spiritual closets . . . May God help us get rid of them safely and forever.
DeleteLove and blessings!
Oh my goodness! (But by the grace of God...)
ReplyDeleteBecause hubby's passion is RC scale aircraft, he's always cautioning me about lithium batteries. I don't understand all the rules and regulations, but last year we had occasion to order something containing lithium -- which arrived more than a week later because it could not be shipped by air. Scary!
Those lithium batteries are scary, indeed, Mevely. I didn't know they couldn't be shipped by air, though. That speaks volumes!
DeleteAnd yes, by the grace of God.
Love and blessings!
Amen! :-)
ReplyDeleteYou know it, brother!
DeleteLove and blessings!
Yes! Amen!
ReplyDeleteAmen, again, Terri!
DeleteLove and blessings!
I don't like close calls like that. I'm glad the crisis was averted and the battery didn't explode. You all handled it so wisely. Computer problems can be so frustrating.
ReplyDeleteComputer problems are definitely frustrating, Lisa, no doubt about it, especially since we've grown so dependent upon them. And I completely understand you not liking close calls - me, too!
DeleteLove and blessings!
Oh Martha, what a post and spiritual application! How wonderful this most serious issue was caught in time (and that Nicco's was there with his expertise). Spiritually, we can get in a similar state and have scary explosions that harm those around us, as well as ourselves.
ReplyDeleteYes, God does protect His children and carries us through the most difficult of "hard" places in life. Psalm 91 is another good Psalm for those scary, hard times.
Love and blessings!
Yes, Kim, we can get ourselves in precarious situations with regard to our spirituality, so we must stay awake and aware, submitting our wills to God. And I'll be sure to revisit Psalm 91, that's for sure!
DeleteLove and blessings!
Oh, my word! That is just awful. So thankful God had mercy and alerted you to this problem before anyone/anything was hurt. He is SO faithful! My dear Mom used to pray, "Thank You, Lord, for protecting us from dangers seen and unseen." We probably have no idea what all He keeps us from.
ReplyDeleteYou're absolutely right, Cheryl! There are probably countless disasters we've dodged because of God's great mercy. His protection knows no bounds!
DeleteLove and blessings!
Oh this technology is going to kill us one way or another! Sometimes I wonder if we'd be better off without it.
ReplyDeleteAnd then I remember how much I love blogging. And connecting with people just like you, Martha.
I hear you, Linda, and you know I always cherish visiting your blog; my life is richer because of blogging friends like you, and I never want to lose that connection!
DeleteLove and blessings!
Martha, I have never heard of such a thing! I'm so glad you all were alert and for how the Lord took care of everything. Blessing on Nicco!
ReplyDeleteInterestingly enough, Beckie, Danny had just recently read about the inherent danger in lithium batteries, so he knew right away what was going on the moment it happened. God is just so good! We got the warning at exactly the time it was called for. Yes, and blessings on Nicco, too, for his knowledge of how to disarm it and neutralize it. That old battery has now been safely recycled.
DeleteLove and blessings!
We had a similar situation in our house very recently, from which I’ve hardly recuperated. A gas leak that could have exploded and burned the house down like the one in Durham you may have heard about.
ReplyDeleteIt felt like the Great Tribulation. A time of woes, one trouble after another. A gas leak in the house and subsequent freezing cold rooms from the heating/air repairman having shut down the system, saying, “By state law we have no choice but to turn it off altogether when we find something like that.”
Signs of carbon monoxide poison. All the symptoms possessing my body. Imagine not being able to walk without appearing to be inebriated… the unsteady gait, lightheadedness, irregular heartbeat. Constant fear of not waking up from the bad dream.
This post was a sweet reminder of God’s saving grace in life. And the fact that we're still here seems like a miracle.
Oh, Debra, what an alarming, frightening ordeal you all went through!!! So thankful that you are all okay now, but your words most effectively express the worry and anxiety this whole mess put you through. Yes, the fact you all survived IS a miracle, my friend, and I'm thanking God with you for His saving grace!
DeleteLove and blessings!