Things I've Learned from My ipod This Past Year, Part 2

I recently realized another lesson since I got my ipod a year ago. As before, I need to explain some events leading to the realization...

If you know little about ipods, you first have to install a program on your computer called "itunes" to essentially manage the songs, playlists, etc., for your ipod (you generally don't use your actual ipod for those tasks), as well as buy songs, convert songs from CD to mp3, etc. Also, your ipod (which has an "indentity"; mine is named "The Angus", surprise surprise...) can only be recognized on a specific edition of itunes. Mine has always been synched to my work laptop.

Well, two Thursdays ago, my itunes stopped "recognizing" my personal ipod. Now, that doesn't mean songs on my ipod were gone, or I couldn't recharge the battery (by plugging it into my computer), but instead I could not add songs, make playlists, or do any other ipod management. Apparently (after I had researched some "help message boards"), I can save my preferences, etc., in other locales, but you have to be proactive, which in this case, I was not.

So I had two choices: either decide to keep my ipod "as is", with 7000+ songs, 20ish playlists, etc., or click "synch The Angus" to the empty version of itunes now on my computer. The kicker with choice two is that it completely erases your ipod of songs, playlists, etc., since the itunes on my computer was now a blank version.

I also realized there were two "attitude" choices I needed to make. Either be bitter, possesive of "my ipod" (like what I experienced in Part 1 of this series), or try to find the lessons and opportunities present.

I chose option B. I started realizing that of the 7000+ songs I had, easily 1/3 had never once been played in the past year. Over 2000 songs essentially "taking up wasted space"! I had tons of songs put on there "just in case", when in reality, they were never touched. Also, of my over 20 playlists, only 7 or so were ever listened to... Add to those facts the increasing anxiety over my ipod "only" having around 2 GB left (out of an original 30 GB), wondering when I would run out of room and have to start purging certain files.

So, with excitement (believe it or not), I decided to have a "do-over" with my ipod. I clicked "synch The Angus with this version of itunes"...and erased my ipod. Now thankfully I had every song on file in a folder in an external hard drive, so no song was truly gone; just gone from my ipod. Yet, I knew I had alot of work to do to "re-do" my ipod...

But it was exciting! I went back over a two-week period and made only the 7-or-so playlists I really listened too. As a result, I now have "only" around 4000 songs, but over 11 GB of free space. I basically got rid of 9 GB of "wasted space" and have lots of room.

How does this compare with our lives? As followers of Jesus, we get "do-overs" as well: forgiveness and repentance. When Jesus died and resurrected, he atoned for all our sin once-and-for all, and we who trust in that have forgiveness. Our lives are viewed as clean and worthy before God. Yet we still struggle with "stuff" that holds us back, much like wasted songs on an ipod quickly filling up room. At some point, my ipod would be full and I'd have a painful taks of picking and choosing what to "cut". We are the same way. We have "stuff" (like struggles that we choose to cultivate, forgiveness we need to accept, forgiveness we need to give, attitudes that kill our souls, etc.) that continue to fill us up, and it hinders us from being the people God intends for us to be. Where I parked in this realization was the realm of forgiveness. First, we need to realize as believers we are already forgiven. Too often we act like we have to "get forgiveness" over and over again, almost like we lose forgiveness. I don't buy that, or see it in scripture (see John 10:28-29, where it looks like those who God has brought to himself can't be taken away, and that inclues his forgiveness: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=john%2010:28-29&version=31). Instead, we need to remember we are already forgiven and rely on God to help us truly repent (or, "turn the other direction") from our sinful behavior and attitudes. But forgiveness has a facet we too often gloss over: we may be forgiven by God, but our hearts toward others hold us back:

14For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. *** Matthew 6:14-15, NIV.

It does appear we can "lose forgiveness" (or at least not recieve it) there, but I think it more accurately means that when we don't truly forgive others, we aren't able to truly "grasp", accept, and "live in realization of" the fullness of God forgiving us. Essentially, we allow all the wasted songs/stuff/people we need to forgive to take up space in our lives, and we have less room to live as redeemed people. One of my faborite quotes is from G.K. Chesterton: “And the more I considered Christianity, the more I found that while it had established a rule and order, the chief aim of that order was to give room for good things to run wild.” *** from "Orthodoxy"

When we forgive others, and truly live like people who grasp the fact that we have been forgiven, it allows us to free up "dead space" in our hearts...and let the, "good things run wild". Too often we look at God's plans for us, his guidelines for behavior and attitude (including forgiving others...even when we don't think they deserve it), and feel like it holds us back. Not true! Instead, it frees up dead, wasted space...and allows for good things to run wild and amok in our lives. THAT is what I want! Just like my new-and-improved, freed up, more efficient ipod...