The Remote Control

It is really funny how a small little piece of technology can impact our lives. The remote control is a must for just about every electronic device known to man these days. I can't think of very many devices that don't come with one. My alarm clock even has one! There is one in two of our vehicles. One for the DVR, the Blu-Ray player, the TV, the surround sound, the stereo, the ceiling fan, the garage door, and I could go on and on. How quickly does our life fall apart when one doesn't function properly or is lost? How is it that we have grown so attached to these little things? Well, my world crumbled last night.

Everyone who has had or has small children know that as parents all we want sometimes is peace and quiet. When this is achieved, it usually means one of two things, either your child is asleep or up to no good. What does this have to do with remote controls you ask? Well, here we go. I had just gotten home from work. Kaylin and Mollie were not far behind me. Kaylin was playing in the next room then it got very quiet. My first response was, "Where is Kaylin?" I start my room by room sweep of the house looking for my little angel. She wasn't in the living room or her bedroom. She wasn't in our bedroom. Where was she? I make it to our bathroom and there she is holding my remote control over the toilet. Not wanting to startle her and cause her drop that piece of manna in her hand into the toilet, I swoop in and remove it from her. I said, "I don't think we need to put that in there" and grabbed her with my other arm to prevent her from breaking into a screaming fit. All sounds good, right? Well, I go back to the living room and start to watch a little TV. All is going well until I start to fast-forward through the commercials. I noticed that the remote wasn't responding well and that one of the lights is flashing continually every time I press a button. Something wasn't right! I go to check the batteries and realized that they are wet. OH NO!!!! She didn't? Yep, my little angel dipped the remote control into the toilet. Needless to say the remote died.

Now, let me stop here and say this. We, like most families, have more than one remote control that will operate several different things, but a satellite remote control is different. We have a dual-antenna satellite receiver. For those of you who don't know what that means, a dual-antenna satellite receiver will control two televisions with one box. In other words, I can have television programming in two different rooms and watch two different channels with only one box. Each room has its own distinct remote control. Our receiver will control the TV in the living room and my office. Which remote did Kaylin put in the toilet? Yep, the one to the living room television. I called my satellite provider and told them that my remote quit working. (I didn't think they needed to know why) She ran through some trouble-shooting before determining that the remote was indeed dead. She issued me a new remote control that should arrive in five-seven days. All is good, right? WRONG! What are we supposed to do for the next five to seven days? She tells me that I can change the channel from the receiver. Well, that is good and all, but our receiver is a DVR. We can record and playback programming on it. Yes, I can change the channel from the receiver, but I can't play, pause, rewind, fast-forward, or record from the receiver, only the remote. OH ME!!!! WHAT AM I GONNA DO???!!! Granted, there is another remote, but it only works with the TV in my office. The lady tells me that I can switch the "keys" in the remotes and it should work. That too is good and all, but the keys are different and the key from the bad remote won't fit in the good remote! OH DEAR!!!!! I frantically tear open both remotes, thinking all the while that all I am doing is tearing up the one good remote that I do have, trying to make the good key fit in the bad remote.

Now, anyone who knows me knows that I don't like to stop in the middle of something. Well, my precious loving wife has been slaving away in the kitchen this whole time cooking dinner. Right in the middle of me operating on the remotes trying to revive one by transplanting one key into the other, Mollie hollers that dinner is ready. OH GOODNESS!!! I stretch it as long as I can until I start to sense Mollie's frustration. I scurried off to the dining room, eat very quickly and head back to my prior task. I get the keys switched, but it doesn't work. THIS IS NOT GOOD!!! I CAN'T GO FIVE DAYS WITHOUT HAVING A REMOTE FOR THIS TV!!! Then it hits me.

Two years ago Mollie bought me a universal remote control to operate all of our electronic devices. I had programmed it, but never used it. I thought I would try it out and see if it worked. TA-DA!!! IT WORKS!!!!! It doesn't have all of the buttons that my satellite remote does, but it does get the job done. I will just have to learn which button does what. Thank goodness that my precious wife bought me that remote. My new satellite remote will be here on Monday. Maybe I will use it, maybe I won't. It all depends on how well I like this universal remote. It is pretty cool. I can push "Watch TV" on it and it turns on the TV, satellite receiver, and surround sound all at once. SWEET!! Why haven't I used this thing already?

The crises was adverted. No one was hurt, but I did feel bad for not taking my time eating with my family. I can't get that time back. It is funny how a small piece of technology can impact our lives? I can't help but stop and think why. Well, the answer is simple. We are constantly trying to find satisfaction in material things. We seek out those things that bring us temporary happiness. Permanent satisfaction can be found in only one place. We can receive permanent joy and satisfaction in Christ Jesus. You can drop him in the toilet and he still works. You can thrown him against the wall and He won't break. He was even tortured, mutilated and hung on a cross to die. He did die, but not for long. He was buried and three days later God raised him from the dead. He ascended into heaven and now sits at God's right hand. He has been given all authority over heaven and earth. He did this for us as punishment for our sins. He is all that matters. Not televisions or remote controls. Real happiness and satisfaction comes from Him, not from things of or in this earth. Father God, forgive me for losing sight of what really matters in life. Please help me to continually keep my eyes on you and not on this world. AMEN.