Easy

 The problem

Waking up in the morning, not exactly looking forward to the day. Trying to pump myself up.

What am I thinking? That never works. Turning instead to prayer. Expressing my physical and mental fatigue. Praying not just for a supernatural infusion of energy (which is what I really, really want), but for my back-up plan—perseverance and endurance and the ability to be content with whatever the Lord has for me today.

It’s not likely to be an easy one. I need to deal with an issue that’s been weighing me down for a while. A little thing, but in this time of big things like coronavirus and political upheaval, this little thing could become the straw that breaks the camel’s back.

It’s my printer. My wildly popular model of printer. So popular, the ink cartridges sell out as soon as they arrive in the stores. A consequence of the pandemic’s stay-at-home orders and work-from-home opportunities.

I ran out of black ink a few months ago. Drove to the nearest office supply store, only to find an empty shelf where my cartridge should have been. The rest of the shelves were full. The sales clerk was the one who told me just how popular my printer is. They can’t even keep the ink in stock on their website. He suggested trying the competitor across the street or the ink-and-toner warehouse a mile away. I called both places before leaving the store. The competitor was out of the cartridge that I needed, but the warehouse had an off-brand version. By the time I got home the exhaustion was settling in.

Next I ran out of color ink. I had a gift card for an electronics store. Week after week I went to their website, typed in my brand of printer and searched the list of cartridges until I found the one I wanted—along with an out-of-stock notice. Finally, a new idea. I entered the exact model of my printer instead of just the brand name. A different list showed up. There was the cartridge I needed. In stock. I ordered it and received the delivery the next day. Mission accomplished, but only after putting more time into it than my weary body could afford.

Then my black ink started acting up again. Either it was already empty (it shouldn’t have been, but the ink had been soaking into the paper more than the name-brand versions did) or the jets were clogged. Yesterday I spent more time, more energy cleaning the nozzles twice, followed by a deep cleaning. It didn’t help. Why does life have to be so difficult? All I need is the ability to print. It shouldn’t be so complicated.

So here I am this morning, knowing I’m going to have to deal with the problem again. I’d looked for ink while shopping for some other items at a department store yesterday. Of course they didn’t have it. But the salesman gave me a tip. They restock while the store is closed at night. If I went to their website before they opened in the morning, I might get ahead of the in-person shoppers and find a shipment that had just arrived. I could order one to pick up later.

My prayer

Now I’m lying in bed, resenting the potential difficulties of the day. Praying for God’s help. Then the thought: I just want my life to be easier. Resisting the temptation to actually pray for such a thing. That’s not what good Christians ask for, is it? Shouldn’t I stick to my request for contentment and perseverance and endurance?

And yet, isn’t that thought reflected in nearly every prayer we offer up in Sunday school? One reason we ask for healing is our desire for an easier life free of pain and sorrow and doctors and healthcare expenses. One reason we ask for safe travel is our desire for an easier life free of all the repercussions of an accident or breakdown. One reason we ask for an end to the pandemic is our desire for an easier life free of the unpredictable shutdowns and shortages and illnesses and deaths.

Yes, our prayers are mainly based on a genuine concern for the suffering that we see all around us. But most of them reveal our longing for life to be easier. A longing based on our yearning for heaven, where the difficulties of living in a broken world will be wiped away forever.

I remember one of the leaders in a Bible study that I went to many years ago sharing the story of how she was running late for a meeting, so she prayed for a parking space close to the door of the building where the meeting was being held. She arrived at the address, sped through the parking lot, and found the only available space. Right next to the door. Maybe it’s okay to ask for life to be easier.

So I do it. I pray: Lord, please make my life easier today. It’s so complicated right now, and the older I get, the more these challenges drain my energy away.

Still feeling a little uncomfortable that I would actually make such a trivial, selfish request. But I’m supposed to be honest with Him, aren’t I? And, honestly, that’s what I’m craving right now. An easier life.

God’s response

I get out of bed. Check my phone. The battery is about thirty percent lower than it should be. It’s been months since it’s acted up like this. Not a good sign. Will I face the hassle of having to replace it soon? I get dressed, plug it into the portable charger, stick it in my pocket.

Head to the study to order the ink cartridge before the store opens in half an hour. Turn on the computer. Click on the internet browser button. Up comes the home screen, along with the message, “You are not connected to the internet.” So much for easy. Try a little troubleshooting. After twenty minutes of fooling around with the system, it’s working again.

Go to the department store website. Search for the printer cartridge. Out of stock. Lord, why aren’t You answering my prayer? Why does it have to be so difficult? You know how this struggle will impact my entire day. Why won’t You make my life easier? I’ll have to try again tomorrow. And maybe the next day. And the next. Meanwhile my printer is practically useless.

I’m about to give up and get some breakfast when an idea hits. Maybe other businesses work the same way as this one, receiving deliveries at night and entering the new merchandise into their system before the shoppers arrive. I go to an office supply store’s website. Search for the black ink cartridge. There it is! Place my order.

A few hours later, I get a text saying it’s available. I pick it up and install it. My printer is fully functional once again. But it wasn’t easy.