P is for Passwords ~ by Michelle Strutzenberger

 

Would you rather your life be more like a password or poetry?

Passwords have become ubiquitous in this day, haven’t they?

We used to memorize poetry.

Now we burn up our brain power memorizing passwords. Or at least trying to remember where we wrote them down.

We’ve probably all experienced the “password checker.” Password checkers check the strength of our passwords. Of course, the longer and more nonsensical, the stronger they are.

Why do we need strong passwords? Well, to protect us from hackers. Hackers would like to get our money, identity, messages, and credit cards.

In our daily lives, there can be other types of hackers that steal something even more precious – our joy, our peace, our love.

I have found that the best protection against real life hackers is to put everything at Jesus’ feet.

I’ve found it especially helpful if I specifically name what is bothering me. I’ve come to adopt a practice of trying to understand what exactly it is that I’m facing and then giving it to Him. I’ll say, I put this burden at your feet. I give you this person that has hurt me. I lift up this anxiety I am struggling with.

Disorder and chaos have a way of making us feel powerless, don’t they?

I think that’s why I almost immediately start feeling better when I go to Jesus. First, I can trust He’s in control. Second, as I name my problems, they become less like a chaotic mess. They turn into order, something that can be dealt with, rather than a nameless, floating, whirling terror.

Maybe we need  to start taking back our lives from the chaotic power that passwords can be seen to represent.

Yes, I understand. They’re necessary. We can’t live without them.

But what if we intentionally find ways to fill our brains with more order and beauty than the nonsense of passwords?

For example, we could start learning poetry. (I know many of you already do that). I recently started memorizing some old poems with my teen daughter.

I know some of you already write poetry. That’s another way to say no to passwords.

We can name our struggles and put them at Jesus’ feet. Not just toss up a careless prayer. Show our deep trust in His very personalized, very loving interest in every one of our cares by naming them all, one by one, before Him.

I’d rather my life be more like poetry than a nonsensical password. What about you?

With Jesus’ presence and help, I know it can be – and will be fully so one day when we reach heaven’s gates.

And when we arrive at those gates, I’m quite sure we won’t be required to spout off some long, disordered selection of characters, numbers, and letters (including at least one capital) before the gates swing open for us.

No, I’m quite sure that on that day, it will be something much more like poetry, something close to, “Because He lives,” or “Jesus is my Saviour” that will be all it takes for eternity to open before us.

Michelle and her family enjoy hiking mountains and trails together. She is currently writing a series under her maiden Mennonite name, Michelle Teigrob. The series is called, What Growing Up in a Mennonite Family of 10 Taught Me About Survival. To receive the bi-weekly tips, visit this link and subscribe.