Seek Ye First...

For weeks, I struggled to figure out a glitch that suddenly came upon my laptop.  Any external device I plugged into it (USB flash disk or SD card) would mysteriously become write-protected [however, the same devices would work in other laptops or computers].  I spent many long nights searching for a solution to this problem -- I checked out various forums and tried out things other people did when they too, encountered this glitch.  But I kept hitting dead ends.  They remained "write-protected." (note: my devices don't have write-protect switches on them that you could just slide back and forth, in case you're wondering).

This morning, I gave it another go; but after spending more precious minutes surfing, poking around, and ending up with the same results, I decided to finally forget it.  I was wasting too much time trying to find a solution to this problem -- I was fast approaching the fine, fine line between persistence and obsession!  And so I LET GO.  I told myself that if I can never again copy files off my laptop into an external hard drive, so be it!  I'd just have to burn everything onto DVDs! (but oh my, just the thought of this was already too taxing!)

So I proceeded to do something more productive with my time -- I began to put together a Powerpoint presentation for a group report in a Bible Study class that I attend.  I spent the next few hours looking for pictures, selecting verses, and carefully creating the presentation to the best of my abilities.  I managed to get most of it done before it was time for me to head to work.  

Before shutting down, I felt a bit of a nudge to go back to Google for the nth time and try ONE LAST TIME to search for a solution to my external device issue.  This time, I tried typing yet another set of words in the search box [I would always use different combinations of words when searching -- "how to remove write-protect," "write-protect on USB device," "how does a USB flash disk become write-protected?" etc].  Scrolling down through one of the forums I hadn't visited yet, I noticed one post that had a step-by-step instruction that looked very similar to the ones I had previously encountered... but it contained an additional step that I never saw before!!!  

With a hopeful prayer in my heart, I went ahead and tried this process -- the last step of which, was of course, to reboot my computer.  I think I literally held my breath as I waited for my computer to restart and come back on... as I plugged my [seemingly write-protected] flash disk into a port... and as I dragged a random file from my desktop to the F: drive.  VOILA!!!  It copied!!! [exhaaaaleeee]  I tried the same with another device and it also worked!

Instinctively, I bowed my head, closed my eyes and whispered, THANK YOU, GOD!  

* * *

Gosh, that sure felt like a prize from God for being diligent in the task that was set before me (the Bible Study group report thing).  For choosing to do that rather than waste time over my 'borderline-obsession.'  

Immediately, the following verse came to mind, "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." - Matthew 6:33 (NASB)

Hear, hear!