Don’t Panic

When I feel inspired to write, I try to make the most of the opportunity, which is why I’m almost never without my laptop computer. Between calls, I can usually be found in the quietest part of the building, pecking away at a blog post or the chapter of a book. A few days ago, I pulled my laptop from its case, plugged it into a wall outlet in a hospital waiting room, and hit the power switch.

Nothing happened.

All the little green and red diodes on the front panel remained dark. It took my mind about five hundredths of a second to process all the possible explanations. And for a moment, I was overcome with a sense of panic.

Don’t panic, I thought to myself. Maybe the outlet isn’t working. I unplugged the power cord from the wall and plugged it into another outlet nearby.

Nothing.

I found a different room and tried plugging it into several outlets in that room and still there were no illuminated lights. The diodes remained completely dark. This was not good, but I had one more thought. Maybe the power cord itself was bad. I went to my ambulance and found the power cord for the computer we use to chart calls. It happens to use the same voltage as my computer. It was connected to our work laptop and it was working perfectly. I removed the plug from that computer and plugged it into mine.

Nothing.

So it wasn’t a lack of power and it wasn’t a bad cord. There was some internal problem with my laptop that was preventing it from powering up. The sense of panic returned. The laptop I own is a Panasonic Toughbook. These computers are used by the military, law enforcement and EMS because they’re nearly indestructible. I’ve had it for five years, and although it’s suffered its share of abuse, it’s never failed me. It’s the best laptop I’ve ever owned. And now it was deader than dead. I was in the middle of writing a book and the hassle of getting a replacement and transferring the files to another computer was not something I looked forward to. And then another thought came to me.

Why don’t you just pray for it to be resurrected?

Yes, I thought. That’s the ticket. I need to pray for it. But first, I need a little breakfast and a cup of coffee.

I left the laptop in the ambulance and went inside the hospital. I found the cafeteria and ordered a breakfast sandwich and a cup of coffee, then took a seat at a table. I began recalling some of the dead electronic devices and broken cars I’d seen God heal over the last few years. As I thought about these testimonies and the awesomeness of God, the panic I felt earlier was gradually being replaced by faith. God had done it before. Why wouldn’t He do it again?

I finished the sandwich and walked back to the ambulance with my cup of coffee. I opened the side door and placed the dead computer on the floor. I placed my hand on it and began making declarations. I said that the computer would live and not die. It would be resurrected from the dead and it would work as it was supposed to. I felt even more faith (confidence in God) as I prayed, and after a couple of minutes, I felt as though it was done. I plugged the laptop’s power cord into the outlet in the ambulance and the red diode for the battery charge indicator immediately came on. I hit the power switch. The hard drive hummed and the other diodes sprang to life. My beloved laptop had just been raised from the dead.

I took it back to the waiting area where this story began. I plugged it in and it charged without problems off the same outlet I tried without success 30 minutes earlier.

My encouragement for you is to believe that God wants to do miracles for you—even miracles involving electronic devices. All things are possible for those who believe. So the next time something goes haywire, don’t panic. Think about the things God has already done, and by faith—expect Him to do the impossible again. You’ll have one more testimony you can share with the world about the incredible goodness of God.