KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE KEYBOARD

I remember watching my mother typing notes using the typewriter (for the younger generation just Google what a typewriter was, hehe), and admiring her for being able to keep her eyes on the notes she was typing and not looking at the typewriter keys.  And she always came out with a perfect letter.  Sure, some mistakes here and there, but generally I just loved watching her type without looking at the keys of the typewriter.  I believe it was her years of being a secretary that gave her that skill.

Later on, in my high school years, we had typing classes.  They trained us to type that way - memorizing where the letters were in the typewriter keys, and typing without looking at the typewriter and just looking at what we were copying.  It was something I enjoyed, and actually got good grades in those classes!  And it wasn't just typing without mistakes, but typing fast - all without looking at the keys of the typewriter.  I guess it was something that I inherited from my mother.

As I slowly evolved into the computer age, I also applied that skill, being able to type fast, without looking at the keyboard, and just looking at my notes or at the monitor.  Up to now, actually, I'm still able to use that skill.  But "old age" (notice it's in quotes...still adjusting to the fact that I am getting old, hehe) has crept up and affected that skill. I still enjoy typing without looking, but I am making more and more mistakes as the years go by.  Just like now.  I'm typing this blog in my desktop, and in almost every sentence I am either pressing the wrong key, or have to look down once in a while to remember where the asterisk, the "&" sign is, or for which letter should I be using my "pinky" finger or my index finger for, hehe.

It gets even more frustrating with my cellphone.  Instead of pressing the space button I'm pressing the letter "n", or misspelling words, all because I still think I can type a text message while just looking at the screen of the cellphone, and I end up with a message full of misspelled words.  So now I have to type slowly, while keeping my eyes on the virtual keyboard on the phone.

My mind tells me I can still type fast, that I still memorize where the keys of the letters are, but my body is saying "slow down", and keep your eyes on the keypad, so that I will make less mistakes.  It's a fact of life that I have to accept.  Now, I have to type slowly, keeping my eyes on the keyboard.

Hebrews 12:2 NIV Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Our Christian life is based on the same principle.  If we are to live a life that is not "misspelled" in any way, if we are to walk right, then we are to keep our eyes on God, the "keyboard" of our life.  He tells us how we are to live and walk.  He keeps us on the right path.  It is when we take our eyes away from God and His Word that things just begin to crumble, especially our faith.  So, the key - keep your eyes on the Lord and His Word.

Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; (6) in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

Christians are to trust in the Lord with ALL our HEART and LEAN NOT ON our OWN UNDERSTANDING.  That's how God wants us to live.  No compromise, no adjustments.  Our hearts are to be looking to Him always. But our hearts always have the tendency to trust in ourselves, other people, other things, rather than in Him.  This is where we begin to make mistakes, and brings us to crooked and rough paths in life.  It is when we trust in Him for all things that our paths remain straight.

This tendency to look away from God, and to trust in ourselves or other people or things in life, is not about our getting older, our "old age", but our "old nature".  Our sinful nature naturally focuses us away from God.  We have been "trained" to trust in our selves, our skills, our wisdom.  It has trained us to put our hope and foundation on things and the world.  It is when we are born again, our eyes opened to God and His kingdom, that we are brought out of that life.  

But our old self still haunts us, even if we are now living in full trust in the Lord - for our salvation and for our life.  And it influences us to look away from God, which eventually causes us to sin, to create a path of our own, rather than stay where God wants us to stay.  Most of the time we may be keeping our eyes on Jesus, but then we move away from Him, deceived once again by our old nature, thinking that we can do things, or life this life, on our own.

So, for those of us getting old, the key to typing correctly - keep our eyes on the keyboard.

For those of us living a new life in God's kingdom, the key to living the life He wants us to live - keep our eyes on the Lord.  Don't look away, don't trust in your self, in your skill.  Trust completely in the author and perfecter of our faith.  And do it slowly.  God isn't rushing.  We shouldn't rush through life.  That's when we start making mistakes.

As I end this blog, I thank God for the backspace button...I'm able to  corrects the mistakes I make, hehe.  In the same way I thank God for His forgiveness and grace, allowing me to "backspace" in my life and start over, keeping my eyes on Him.

God's grace and peace be with you all!