June 7, 2023 It was a typical Darcy moment. I recently completed an upgrade on my entry-level 3D printer, a machine I’ve owned for only a couple months. After the upgrade, the first print was nearly perfect. The second print, however, was a different story. The first layer, the foundation upon which the print is built, was wavy. I spent over an hour making adjustments to various components trying to get a smooth first layer. Nothing I tried made a difference. I did some Google searching. I posted in a couple online groups. There were no suggestions beyond the changes I had already tried. I spent another hour re-adjusting all the things I had tried previously. My prints were still wavy. Then, as I lowered my head to get close to the print surface to examine the printer once again, I saw it. A cable connected to a tiny switch – the limit switch that tells the printer when it’s at the bottom of its available path – appeared to be loose. I secured the cable, a two-second job. Printer fixed. After two hours of actual work and hours of googling and answering/asking questions online, something very simple and seemingly obvious fixed the problem. That’s what’s typical for me: I tend to miss the simple solution. I do it even in my spiritual life. My prayer life has been a bit dry lately. I’ve talked about it with a few trusted friends/mentors. I’ve tried all sorts of different devotions, hoping each will help me connect with the Lord in some new way. It occurred to me as I was laughing at myself for my wasted printer efforts and thinking about it being “a Darcy moment” that I haven’t tried the simple thing to reinvigorate my prayer life. I haven’t tried simply spending more silent time with God. Will that be the fix? I’m not sure. But it makes room for a typical God moment. |