I am old, well, oldish. I am middle aged and often feel old. One example of my antiquity is that I remember the days before internet, or even computers in every house and pocket for the most part. I remember when a word processor was high tech and a typewriter with the ability to back up and correct mistakes felt like a wondrous thing. And spell check consisted of Mom and a dictionary.
Those days there wasn't anyone or anything sitting at my shoulder telling me that I was spelling something wrong before I even finished the word. Today as I write I get these lovely, annoying red lines under words that make me pause and back up. The sad thing is I've grown less vigilant with my spelling. In days of old I had to struggle to remember all the spelling rules and exceptions to those rules as I put pen to paper. Today I rarely use a pen and don't think about those rules much. If I can't remember how to spell something while writing an Unshackled Moment for example, I will type it in and respond to the red line by checking to see what the computer suggests. If I get close enough, the suggestions will usually have the word I meant. If not, it's time to open a new tab, type my error and let Google ask me if I meant to search for....
This is not really the best way to go when it comes to writing. I believe that it is important to learn how to spell and why words are formed the way that they are. But spiritually I find that the more I rely on Spirit checker the better off I am. First, Spirit check is perfect and way more accurate than my computer spell check. The Spirit not only knows what I mean but what I should. When I focus on learning the laws and rules I begin to try to live righteously by my own understanding and power. Inevitably that leads to mistakes and failure. When I focus my attention on keeping the format so that there are no red lines in my life, I take my attention from the Master I serve to the task. Eyes on the task doesn't sound all that bad, but even doing good can distract from relationship with God, and relationship is what it is all about. But I can write with ease, not careless, but unstressed about the formalities, if my attention is on the only One who is righteous and able to maintain perfection. As long as my motives are love and getting closer to and serving Him, I can trust that if I start to get off course with my thinking, attitude, motives, etc., if I am heading in a direction that will take me or others further from God instead of closer to Him, the Holy Spirit can and will auto correct me, as long as I stay in a place of submission and surrender.
Unlike my spell check which sometimes doesn't know words that are actually spelled right, or doesn't know the word I meant so allows a correctly spelled mistake to stand in my writing, the Holy Spirit knows. He is better able to keep me right and on course and in the format that I need to live than I ever could, no matter how much I learn and strive to apply what I learn. And I still learn. I've noticed that the more I pay attention to when and why the Spirit backs me up and makes corrections that the less He has to do it. But when I start trying to write my life like I know how, I glance back to see way too much red on my days.
Lord, I know that how my life is written matters. Help me to strive more to learn about who You are than about proper spiritual "grammar," so that I can stay in submission and under the control of the Spirit. Auto correct me to Your will all through this day and the days to come before I even finish the thought or act or response that is wrong. Where I insist on typing it out, take me back and correct me before it is published and distracts from the prose You intend to write with my life. Amen.
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