Technology has tainted my thinking

It is interesting to me the way our mind works. I have worked as a graphic designer for many years, and have come to greatly appreciate the power of control Z, the great undo. I have used Corel Draw since version 1 and can still remember the day that we could undo to 100 levels. This literally revolutionized my design process. I was no longer afraid to try something new, or several somethings new, since all I had to do was undo the many steps and I could conveniently find myself back to where I started.

I remember a day though that I realized how this process had tainted my thinking, when I was making a large batch of chocolate chip cookies. I had already put the butter and eggs in the large Kitchen Aid and was creaming them at high speed. I was adding the eggs one at a time while the beater was still on. Then it happened. On the attempt to add the third egg, half of the egg shell went with it. Without even thinking my mind began to repeat to itself, undo, undo, undo. I turned off the machine, and literally began to laugh to myself before I poured the bowl of ingredients in the trash. Then I begin the process again this time cracking the eggs in a separate bowl before adding them.

At that time in my life, the parallel took on even a deeper meaning as I began to think of how many times in life we find ourselves making mistakes or choices we wish we could change. I had always been taught from the time I was very little about a simple principle of repentance and realized for me, that was my real life undo button. I began to realize that just as I had to face the consequences for adding the egg shell and wasting that particular batch of dough, I also had the ability to start over again, and learn from my experience. That is how it is with repentance. Sometimes we do face the consequences for the choices we make, but ultimately we can start over again forgiven.

I remember reading a book by Elaine Canon, Life One to a Customer, and it told of a group of people meeting over dinner and much of the discussion of the evening had been focused on someone who had recently made some pretty big mistakes. Someone turned to her and said, Elaine, what do you think of this? Her reply was incredible, "I pray daily that I may tolerate those who sin differently than I do." I remember reading this when I was about 17 years old, and I have to say this has really shaped much of my thinking! I have come to appreciate that every one of us needs the great power of undo.