Of all the things I wake up with today it was ‘black box’. Even for me it was a little strange but then
as more words came and in light of the recent tragedies involving Asiana
Airlines and the train that derailed in Spain, both of which had black boxes, it
became less strange even as the images presented on television of those events
began to replay in my mind. I wish I
could say the first thing I did when I eventually got up out of bed was begin
to write, but no, I had to handle a nature call- quickly! You would think even that would be a normal
routine- usually it is but not this morning.
My two year old nephew was outside the door knocking and saying “Open
up, I must defeat you!” Ironically what
he was saying went right along with the conversation I was having in prayer and
with the black box. Anyway, after
washing my hands I opened the door to find Timmy wielding his Power Ranger sword
in his full armor- a T shirt and a diaper, in a stance that indicated he was
ready for combat. I love that kid. Skillfully
avoiding mortal injury I decided to look up black box on Wikipedia and what I
found was interesting. Here is what I
found:
Black box
From Wikipedia, the free
encyclopedia
In science and
engineering, a black box is a device, system or object which can be
viewed in terms of its input, output and transfer characteristics without any knowledge of
its internal workings. Its implementation is "opaque" (black). Almost
anything might be referred to as a black box: a transistor, an algorithm, or the human
mind.
The opposite of
a black box is a system where the inner components or logic are available for
inspection, which is sometimes known as a clear box, a glass box, or a white box.[1]
If you read
further along in the article you will see this:
Other
uses of the term
- In aviation, a "black box" (they are actually bright orange, to facilitate their being found after a crash) is an audio or data recording device in an airplane or helicopter. The cockpit voice recorder records the conversation of the pilots and the flight data recorder logs information about controls and sensors, so that in the event of an accident investigators can use the recordings to assist in the investigation. Although these devices were originally called black boxes for a different reason, they are also an example of a black box according to the meaning above, in that it is of no concern how the recording is actually made.[2]
As it
relates to you and me the black box is our heart and mind. The data it records, input, are past
experiences. The output is how we choose
to live our lives in response to the input.
Sometimes we live as Asiana Airline, although we haven’t necessarily
crashed, we fly too low and don’t reach the altitude or heights God has set for
us to soar. We even miss His runway-
that place where we know we are on solid ground. We are virtually flying too low and too slow
being outside of God’s will and timing.
On the
other hand, as in the case of the train, we are traveling too fast trying to
make up time or force God’s hand. We get
a word from the Lord and, instead of waiting on His perfect timing; we set our
minds to do things our way instead of co-laboring with God. Yes, we are on the right track but we are too
busy being on the track and not really listening or following the Holy Spirit’s
instructions. In this case, when there’s
a turn, or God wants you to change direction- be it a new spiritual gift, a
deeper relationship or fellowship with Him, we totally miss the turn and
overshoot the destination- we come off the rails.
The Lord
is looking for our black box to analyze it and repair the damage. Jeremiah 29:11 says
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. (NIV) As Timmy would say He wants to defeat the
hurt and pain. He wants to put the sword
to offenses. Without acknowledging it we
have crashed and the debris of our lives is spread out all over the tarmac. Parts of us have died but we keep going like
the energizer bunny; dead dreams, lost
ambition, lost hope- we’re going and going and going hobbling and limping
facing the world with a smile but on the inside we have fully retreated and
hidden ourselves from the world to avoid the input of more hurt. Jesus wants to restore all that was lost. He wants you to soar like an eagle at the
altitude He has set for you; not fear.
Ok, I just
have to stop a minute to note that Timmy just came into the room with a black
box on his head- one of those soft storage things that ordinarily has books or
toys in it. He just tried to take off
running with it still on his head but his mom stopped him to tell him to take
it off his head saying ‘You can’t run with a black box on your head!” No you can’t.
