What Changing Dell Laptop RAM Taught Me About God & Life

jamin | October 26, 2011 | 0 Comments

Last night my company sent me a new laptop battery and new RAM for my computer. I was due for an upgrade this year, but have been pushed back for one indefinitely, so we are trying to make the computer last as long as it can before I get the Blue Screen of Death on this PC. I am not a fan of Windows and would prefer that I use a Macbook Pro for work, but we deal with what we’ve been given.

Replacing the battery was simple enough. Replacing the first RAM cartridge was simple enough, too, as it is located in an easily accessible compartment on the bottom. The other location for the other cartridge required a bit more work to access.

(original photo via http://forum.notebookreview.com/dell/130014-how-install-ram-your-dell-notebook.html)

That picture is what the instructions said I had to do in order to replace the second RAM module. The adjective “daunting” is too inadequate to describe what I thought of the task. I was actually scared to attempt it. The inside of the computer on the picture looked a mess and so utterly confusing.

So, I followed the instructions and made my way through. It actually wasn’t that much work involved and I finished the entire thing within about 15 minutes. I equated this experience to my Christian walk.

The instruction manual is the Bible and it guides me through life and its many ups and downs. Because I’m human, have made mistakes, and sin daily, my life doesn’t look as cleaned up as I’d like. It looks like the inside of the laptop. Lots of things going everywhere and very “unpretty”. However, all that “mess” makes the computer work. Sometimes it works well and other times it doesn’t. Sometimes changes happen to the computer to improve its performance. This is the same for life.

Jeremiah 29:11 and Romans 8:28 explains that God already knows the plans he has for His children and that all things work together for the good of them that love God and are called according to His purpose. All the “mess” from life (the unattractiveness of the internal workings of the laptop) is actually necessary in order for the computer (me/you) to function.

Following the instructions enables you to see that while it looks like a complete mess, it may not be that bad to either fix things or get things to work properly. Some things require understanding and other things you can leave alone, knowing that it’s there for the purpose of making something work.

So, that was my lesson learned from a laptop. While confusing to look at, some things are ugly due to flaws after design, but it all works together for the best performance. Following the instructions helps you to navigate it all.