Control Z

The year was nineteen eighty something and my father-in-law was showing me just how easy it was to use a Commodore 64 Computer. He was convinced that soon computers would be in every home in America.

Personally, I failed to see what the appeal was since it was DOS-based and took way too long to do anything useful. I remember spending an hour or so using command strokes and codes in order to write a program that would show a rocket taking off for about five seconds. That was an hour of my life that I will never get back.

Even when Apple came out, the only usefulness I saw was for writing; even though there were only a few fonts and poor graphics and limited storage.

Printing the finished piece was something that was another lesson in patience as dot-matrix took three minutes to print a single side. Of course back then we were thoroughly impressed by the speed and because we could use a "normal" sheet of paper; including colored paper!

Today, not only are there computers in every home in America, but we can take them anywhere we want because they are small enough for us to carry in our pockets.

And, they come fully loaded to do a variety of daily tasks that include writing, calculating, reading, spelling, translating, researching, budgeting, banking, writing, taking photos, and sending emails. If we lose them they even have a program built in to help us find the lost item.

 

We use them for entertainment to watch movies, television, play games and read books. Do people even read books anymore?

We use them for seeking out the latest recipe to make a last minute dish or meal. They store, record, post, print, and generally make life as we know it much easier. Not less busy; just easier.

One of the carryovers from DOS programming that I still use is the "command" key. One simply pushes the command button along with "C" and it will copy; use it along with "V" and it will paste whatever it was that you copied. To print, one simply hits Command-P and instantly, a printer will print whatever it is on that is on your screen; even from your phone.

 

My favorite button is Command -Z. This is useful when we mess up; all we have to do is tell our computers: Command Z, and it will undo whatever mess we just created. Instantly, our troubles are over and we go back to where we were before the mistake.

One of the places this doesn't work is when you are using Microsoft Project; then you are in trouble. For some reason the programmers wrote the program so that if you delete something, it’s gone forever. Perhaps this is the real revenge of the nerds.

Another place this doesn't work is when you are living life off the computer.

Many times I wished that I had a Command-Z button to push when I was hand writing a letter or writing a note on a birthday card.

Many times I wished that I had a Command-Z button to push when I have filled out a form wrong, or written the wrong name, or spelled something wrong.

Many times I wished that I had a Command-Z button to push when I said or did something that I shouldn’t have done or said.

Many times I wished that I had a Command-Z button to push to go back to before I had messed up my life.

There is a Command-Z button, so to speak, that will wipe out the wrongs that you have done…and His Name is Jesus.

How do you “push the button” so that your wrongs (sins) will be wiped away?

The Bible tells us that we need to repent (which means to think differently or to reconsider):

“Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away.” (Acts 3:19 NLT)

The Bible tells us:

“When you were stuck in your old sin-dead life, you were incapable of responding to God. God brought you alive—right along with Christ! Think of it! All sins forgiven, the slate wiped clean, that old arrest warrant canceled and nailed to Christ’s cross.” (Colossians 2:13-14 Message Version)

NOTE: There will be forgiveness, the slate wiped clean, but there may still be consequences to what you did…