When we still lived in Portugal, I gave a 70 year old lady computer lessons. She worked with a computer at a small Publishing House, where English books where translated into Portuguese.

Long after we had stopped meeting, she wrote me an email saying that her computer was giving her problems just when she needed it the least. Programs no longer opened and it looked like an important day’s work was going to be lost. She called the Technician who sold her the computer and his diagnosis was quick „You must have a virus, bring the computer to me and I will fix it”. This meant a 30 minute car ride into the next largest city and the loss of at least a days work.

She thought that funny though, because her expensive anti-virus program updated daily.

After getting the original packing box from the basement for the trip, she remembered something that I had once taught her. “Regularly empty your recycle bin – your computer trash can”. She wrote, “It was amazing all the things that had been collected in there. I emptied it and “voila”, my computer ran perfectly normally again.”

She then made the following conclusion from her experience. “If it is good for a computer to have its junk removed every now and then, how much more important is it for us humans to be freed from the junk that weighs our soul down!”

I have no idea what she had been carrying around in her soul. Maybe the fact that she had fought with her children or with her partner. Maybe worried about food for that day, because unemployment was threatening or maybe even was a reality. Maybe it was the threat of an unexpected illness that could come out of nowhere and affect her or those that she loves. Maybe she had sinned against someone and wanted to start again, but could not bring herself to take the necessary steps. All this and lots of other things burden our soul, like the recycle bin of a computer. They cripple us.

How do we deal with out frustrations, anger, and our questions? It definitely helps if we can turn to a good friend in confidence. Sometimes going to a councillor is a good step. Help is definitely available when we turn to the person mentioned in Psalm 50:15 “Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honour me.”

This God and creator of the universe means what he says. He showed this by coming to us in the person of Jesus, His son. Jesus said “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest”

If anyone knows how to get rid of the burdens on our soul and the junk in our lives, then He does. I have personally experienced this and still need to regularly bring my burdens and hardships to Jesus. And don’t be worried. It is not stupid to turn to Jesus and to give Him the chance to prove what He says. I know what it is like to try and get a handle on the things that are weighing us down. Today though I no longer wish to try, because I know someone can do it better. Someone, who cherishes others and calls those that wish to live with Him His friends.

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