Computers don’t like coffee.
There is no question about that.
Of our addictions, coffee comes right after horses. We like coffee.
Despite having proven twice that we could stop drinking coffee for an extended time as personal penance, we’ve since vouched to never quit drinking the stuff again unless by doctor’s orders.
Several of the oldest and healthiest people we know drink several cups of coffee every day and have done so for many decades.
However, that’s definitely not the case with our former laptop computer.
It was well before sunlight as we were composing a response to a controversial situation that had arisen. We’d carefully checked our writing and were a split second away from pushing the send button.
As we lifted our elbow, it was at just the angle to tip the cup positioned right next to the keyboard and spill coffee everywhere.
We jumped to the other room, grabbed a towel, returned and quickly sopped up the liquid, thinking that we still hadn’t sent that e-mail.
Suddenly, the screen went blank. Our heart stopped beating. We hit the refresh key. Nothing. Again and again we tried, praying heavily under breath. Still nothing. The computer truly was dead as a door nail, as the saying goes.
Still before light, we called the computer guru out of bed. “That’s not good” was his instant response.
Again, our heart stopped momentarily. “The computer’s likely shot,” he verified without hesitation.
But, “The hard drive with all data can probably by retrieved.” We breathed again.
Without computer service for two days wasn’t nearly as bad as if we’d had to miss a cup of coffee, but it was an inconvenience that put us behind schedule even further than we already were.
However, the new computer only cost a fraction of what our other computers had.
The most important thing is that all of our thousands of hours of writings stored in the computer were salvaged.
As aggravated as we are at our self for so being so clumsy and careless again, it was a blessing that we didn’t lose any of the irreplaceable information, much more valuable than a computer.
Again reminded us that what initially our discomforts can end up being like Joel 2:13: “When all’s said and done, there’ll be blessings full and robust.”