The Siri God
I can't tell you what version of iPhone I have nor when I secured it. Historically, I fail to read the manual or learn the commands. I know, pitiful, right? At any rate, as a previous iPhone owner of numeric identification, I used to know how to connect with Siri, the internal helper; but now, I find her when I happen to fumble some sort of combination. Additionally, my difficulties are even more enhanced when I've somehow not only summoned Siri, but also forged somehow to take a screenshot by accident. A few days ago, I performed the combo move that resulted in the photo attached to this blog. It reads, "What Can I Help You With?" I was so tickled because I thought to myself, "Gurl, if only you knew." Let's begin with thoughtful and compassionate leadership, and while you're at it, a vaccine, resolving food insecurity, a job for the all but thesis graduate, student loan forgiveness, unemployment and stability of small businesses and soon, the screen went black, but not before I could take my shot. To be sure, we are maneuvering through a myriad of situations that it often feels understandably, overwhelming, and yet, there is God asking in the form of Siri, "What Can I Help You With?"
We are not alone. Allow me to say it again for the people in the back. We are not alone. It may feel like it. Tangibly speaking, even within your atmosphere and surroundings, it may appear to be so, but tis not true. When we feel like or believe that we are alone, we certainly experience a sense that we do not have access to assistance or the assumed help we need to make it through. Circumstances can make us experience loneliness and sadness and even depression, consuming our thought patterns prompting us to feel in solitary confinement. Certainly our God created us to desire to be in community with one another and as such, often when we feel a sense of connectedness, we are comfortable in asking for what we need. The beauty about being in relationship with God is that we can be in contact with Him whenever we desire and we can be certain that He is available to help us in any way that we need. Psalms 46:1 affirms, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." When trouble emerges, where do we look for assistance? Is our immediate response, "God help me," or "God why me?" The distinction can make all the difference.
Siri was created to be a highly clever and personable assistant and as valuable as she is, truly we are sometimes more willing to be vulnerable with technology such as her, asking for directions, suggestions and instructions than we are with our Creator. Siri has assisted me in navigating my way out of challenges and disappointments (think late night, hungry, find restaurant closed), but Siri is developed as a prototype if you will, while God is the original and cannot be duplicated. She is generic to whomever asks for her help, whereas God is fashioned to suit each of us individually, and customized to provide said directions, suggestions and instructions uniquely attributable to us for our good success. Conversely with Siri, we have to figure the manipulation for asking for help each time the phone is upgraded. With God, the methodology for help never requires upgrading, rebooting or recharging. Day and night, 365, whether we've system'd updated or not, God stands desiring to meet us at the point of our need, whether in a whisper or wail.
Perhaps the common thread that Siri and God share is that it responds based on hearing our voice at any time of the day or night. Although Siri doesn't know our thoughts and will not respond without our voice activation, neither will God. God too prefers to operate upon hearing our voice, our words, our cries, our pleas, our requests. A simple Google search chronicles the steps one can follow to create the conditions for Siri to use profanity and curse, while without any manipulation of our own, there are somewhere between 3000 and 800 promises in the Word of God. No matter what our day holds, daily God stands asking, "What Can I Help You With?" Not only may we respond, but we may also take comfort in the response to be in our favor. Oh and, in Scandinavian, Siri from "Sigrid" means, "beautiful victory." Now who should we commit to contacting for help? Now Siri gurl, we good, but you ain't got nothing on God.