Anger and iPods

So, my iPod has been acting up recently. Dave Brubeck was showing up as a blank line under artists, and The Band was a symbol that looked like it was maybe Chinese. So, I decided to "restore" the iPod last Friday. It didn't go well. iTunes crashed during the sync, but the process eventually finished. On Saturday, I was trying to listen to Soul Survivor by the Rolling Stones and Taneytown by Steve Earle to pump me up to help my buddy Aaron move, but neither song would play past about 25 seconds. Weird.

So, Saturday, I wasted time (even ignoring Caroline to my shame) trying to restore the iPod again. I finally got the iPod fixed on Monday (or so it seemed). I then bought "Slow Dark Train" by Bill Mallonee and the Vigilantes of Love today, plus the sermon from Redeemer last Sunday and I tried to sync the iPod. No luck. The iPod won't even show up in iTunes.

As I type this, I am re-installing iTunes - one of the suggestions on apple.com, so the process of attempting to fix this mess is still, well, in process.

The point of all of that is that I was very, very angry as I drove home today from work. I had a frustrating afternoon at work and the iPod added on, I guess. I was mad that things weren't as I thought they should be. I thought I deserved and needed work to be peachy and my iPod to work perfectly. One of our pastors tonight talked briefly about prayer. I will admit here that I don't have a robust prayer life, and I'm looking forward to the cirriculum in our Gospel Community group that should help with pathways to grow in that area. Anyway, the point was that a failure to pray is essentially saying that you don't need God - you need better circumstances, more ability and more money, but not redemption, acceptance and adoption as a child of God through Jesus. I think the same applies to my iPod. Having good circumstances and a working iPod is somehow more important to me than a relationship with my wife and a relationship with God.

So, even if I get my iPod working perfectly again (and even if my whole life turns up roses), it won't satisfy what I really want. Only God is and can. OK...well, I should probably learn not to post after 9pm as the above is likely long and rambling. If you're still reading at this point, you've probably already come to that conclusion. My folks are coming to Kansas City this weekend, and we're going to see Bob Dylan on Saturday night. That should be a hoot. I don't think my mom has been to a concert at any time in the last decade (my dad and I saw Bob Dylan at the Uptown Theatre 2 years ago), although I believe she did see Chicago live back in the day and maybe some others - I'll have to ask her again. Anyway - hope everyone has a good Thursday.