Wednesday, August 6, 2014

Technologically Challenged & Admitting It

I am technologically challenged and I am admitting it. For years, I felt like I needed to be good at everything and I tried... oh, how I tried.....  What a joy to finally realize that I am artistic, creative, hard working.... and I have skills in many areas, BUT I am not a technical person. Whew. Thankfully, my husband and many of my children are, so I don't even have to be. :)



When we have a time change, there is someone(or several people) to change the clocks.... all of the clocks. :)  My husband sets the thermostat - I did fine with the older style, but the new electronic one that needs to be set for time of day, temperature, am or pm, weekdays or weekends and on and on..... he does that one, although if I am too hot or cold, I DO know how to push the correct buttons to do a temporary change. :) 

Computers are not my area of expertise... I can use a computer and I can do many things on it.... after someone shows me how.... a few times. :)  I won't even tell you how long it took to learn how to turn it on or off back when we had a desktop and had to remember to turn on the computer tower, the screen, the modem....and plug something into.... somewhere... the correct "somewhere".  I learned....but it doesn't come naturally to me.

Learning to blog has been a challenge and I am so thankful for my daughter(Wholesome Joy) who catches on to this stuff SO much easier.... just seems to understand it better. When we first started blogging and were supposed to put a "button" on our post as a link back after a link up.... it was quite confusing to both of us. With time, we have gotten lots better. When we need to change something.... or when we started Google+, when we need to add gadgets or widgets or whatever,  my daughter is the one who figures it out... .and I am admitting that I don't try on such things a lot anymore.... she is so capable and enjoys it, so I love it that she shines there..... and I don't have to. :)  That allows me to do the work I need to do.

Well, anyway, this technology thing carries over to cell phones. Yes, the phone pictured above IS my cell phone... a Razor. Yes, I know it is "old school" as my guys like to say about a lot of things. *sigh* But it is pretty.... did you notice that pretty lavender color? :)  Also.... I can use it to make or receive phone calls... which is really all I wanted a  cell phone for anyway. My husband uses his cell phone (also a Razor) as a calculator and does really well with it.... I go get a REAL calculator when I need one(and it's faster since it would take me a while to figure out how to get to the calculator in my phone and work it).  :) 

One day, we got a notice that our pastor's cell phone number had changed, so I took note of it and put it into my phone. I told my kids that I had done so and they were visibly shocked and impressed. Then I realized they misunderstood me, so....  I opened my phone to show them I had put the phone number INTO my phone.






They laughed to see the yellow post-it note inside my phone with the phone number on it.... and we have had a lot of fun over this instance. One of the kids offered to enter it into my phone for real.... and they did.

You see, it has taken me a long time to learn I don't have to be perfect ... or good at everything. I used to try. The problem is that only God is perfect and for me to try to be perfect is showing that I don't have a right perception of who God is.... only He is perfect.

I may sound like a shallow and silly woman to you, but I'm really not... I am able to do many things and am reasonably intelligent, but I have also become much wiser. You see, God made me just the way He wanted me.... and it is okay if I am better at some things and not so good at others. It is okay if others are really good at something.... and I am not. It is okay for me to do what God has gifted me to do.... and allow others to do what God has gifted them to do. I CAN do those things... but it takes a LOT of work. What a relief to spend that energy on the work God has for ME, instead of allowing pride to push me to excel at everything.

It has helped me to come to this point..... and I think it has helped others around me also.... we don't need to compete..... we just do what we need to do .... and I rejoice over their abilities and they rejoice over mine.... and we all learn to laugh (kindly) at the ways we compensate for not being as good at something... like my post-it note inside my cell phone. It is good to learn to laugh at ourselves. :)   Someday, we may have a "Smart Phone" and I do not really look forward to that.... but I can learn to use one if I need to - and if they show me how .... many many times. .:)  I have even gotten much better at sending and receiving texts... a little slow, but I can do it now.

Are you pushing yourself to do things that you don't really need to even do? When we first got married, I knew a lot more about fixing things than my husband did - I grew up in a family who did that...and he didn't. Well, I could hang pictures faster and put up curtain rods faster.... after all, I am the one who taught him how to hold a hammer correctly. Well, my pride at being "good" at doing such things wounded him and I didn't even realize it. When I quit trying to be perfect at it...and let him do those jobs, no matter how long it took him to do them.... he learned and learned and he grew.... and I realized that I really LIKED being able to leave that stuff to someone else..... just like leaving the technology stuff to someone else. We can unknowingly hurt others or hurt our relationship with the Lord by allowing pride to push us. My motivation needs to be to honor the Lord.... and if that truly IS my motivation, then I can allow others to shine... and encourage them... and just do what God has for me to do.

Thank you for visiting my blog today. I hope you have a great day serving God in the way He wants you to serve Him. :) 

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28 comments:

  1. LOL...I am a lot like you.
    I'm slow to catch up on technology.
    I know so very little about computers.
    Our adult son, who still lives with us, can conveniently fix most problems I have. Don't know what we will do when he is moves out.
    As for cell phones, I know how to plug in phone numbers and call someone. I do not know how to retrieve phone numbers of someone who recently called. Again I go to one of my son's.
    I don't know how I ever got by without cellphones....

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    1. Praise the Lord for our children! It is funny how quickly they pick it up... and how slowly we do. :) Thank you for visiting.

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  2. I love this post so much! I think it's important to recognize that we each have different strengths and that by trying to be someone we're not, we frequently stifle some else's potential...and we also frustrate ourselves. Basically no one walks away feeling all that great. Very well written :)

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    1. Thank you so much.... glad it came across as I intended.... thank you for visiting and for your lovely comment. :)

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  3. I love how you are so honest about your weaknesses and able to laugh at yourself! My Mom was always the first to poke fun at herself and I wish I could be more like her. :)
    The older I get, the more I realize Jesus wants to use my weaknesses to shine through. Keep being transparent!

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    1. I agree- it is so easy to want to hold ourselves up in pride... God doesn't honor that and laughing at ourselves is a good start to changing this. Thank you for visiting and for your kind comment. :)

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  4. I'm not that great at technology either and rely on my kids and husband to help me do anything complicated. I used to have a Razor, but I have to say I love my iPhone now! I have a feeling that you'll love it once you have one, too! :) #saturdaysoiree

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    1. Well, my kids and I just had a conversation about that today... and they think I will have a terrible time getting used to an iphone when I do make the switch... someday. :) I told them God would help me to do it if I had to and hearing that you like yours and aren't so good at technology either helps. :) Thank you for visiting.

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  5. Love the post it! It's okay not to be good at everything :) Thanks so much for linking up :)

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    1. Thank you.... I'm afraid it took me a while to learn that valuable lesson! So glad you visited. :)

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  6. I can relate (I am so confused with google + and facebook). I would love for you to share a post on my Meet Up Monday Blog Party!

    http://jennymaire.blogspot.com/

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    1. Me too.... learning the google + and getting better. Thank you for visiting and for the invitation. :)

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  7. I loved this post. It sounded just like me. Thank heaven for our children.I tell them the "techy" stuff is for their generation not mine.
    I'm 59 yrs. old.
    I found you through Strangers & Pilgrims,so glad I did.
    Linda

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    1. What a nice comment... they sure do pick up on the techy stuff a LOT easier than I do! Thank you for visiting... please come back anytime. :)

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  8. I am getting better at this technology stuff. But I still let my husband and son straighten it out when I mess it up! Lol
    Thank you for sharing and linking up at the Everyday Life Link Party.
    It is great to have you here.
    Kathy

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    1. Me too! I am so glad the pressure is off me though, in that I can always go to them. :) Thank you for visiting... and for the link up. :)

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  9. I enjoyed your post. I am good at a lot of things, BUT I do not know how to work our telephone. No numbers are programed in and I don't know how to redial etc. confession is good for the soul they say. Thank you for sharing your lovely post with us here at “Tell Me a Story.” At: http://letmetelluastory.blogspot.com/

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    1. What a pleasure to have you visit and comment!.... and thank you for your link up. :)

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  10. Oh this was a great post. I giggled a few times. I can pretty much do what I want here with a little trial and error. Or looking for a tutorial. I was/am frustrated with my phone though. A younger co-worker was doing something for me on it the other day and she agreed the buttons are too small! I am not as 'old' as I thought I was. I so don't want to be so challenged. I am determined to figure things out. I usually don't have anyone around to help. Your Blessed! Thanks for sharing this it was a fun post!

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    1. Thank you.... so glad to add a smile to your day - we all need that at times. :) I am blessed to have them help... not sure WHAT I would do without it and so glad I don't have to just figure it out for myself. Thank you for visiting. :)

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  11. Just for the record, the Razor was one of my favorite phones! SO cute! I love your idea of not competing and accepting who God made you to be. I too, am trying to embrace who I am, a child of God, and love others where they are at. Thanks for always sharing your heart at the Saturday Soiree Blog Party!

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    1. Oh, that can be hard, though... that not competing... our flesh sure likes to do that... Thank you for visiting and for the wonderful blog party. :)

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  12. This is so me! My hubby takes care of the techy stuff in our home too! :) I still can't switch the time in the kitchen... And my phone is probably the first prototype ever created, there is nothing smart about it. But I must agree with you, we can't do it all... We are a part of a body and must let the other gifts shine through too from the other members... I really liked this post Joy. Thank you for sharing on the Art of Home-Making Mondays this week!

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    1. Wow, it is so funny that many of us women seem to be at least partly in this category. :) It is so important to let others shine, but oh, how we like that glory.... an ongoing dying to self. Thank you for visiting and sharing such a nice comment. :)

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  13. I am technically challenged as well. I try to learn, but often rely on my hubby. I think it is important to let people try doing new things and being patient with them as they learn. I loved the story about your husband learning to be a handy man. Thanks for sharing with SYC.
    hugs,
    Jann

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    1. You are so right... we should be able to try new things and have time to learn them... it is so important and what a blessing when we can have skills in many areas. What a blessing it was to me to be able to give up an area I didn't care for as much... and allow him to shine. :) Thank you for visiting.

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  14. Tell me about it Gentle Joy! I'm okay with computers but these 'smart' phones have me bamboozled. My kids know more than I do. Thanks so much for linking up to Thriving on Thursdays. Hope to see you this Thursday!

    Anne @ Domesblissity xx

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    1. It is funny how quickly my kids take to this stuff and understand it... I can get it.... eventually... and it is not fun to me, while it is energizing to them. :)

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