Sometimes it's the simple things that trip us up. I've been thinking that a lot lately, as I work on the decrepit Dig Dug machine I have in my garage. I got iy for free because it was broken, and lugged it home to my shop to fix it up. Several people at work know I have the fool thing, and are chomping at the bit for me to fix it up and bring it on in for them to play. If you don't know what it is, Dig Dug is an upright arcade machine where you, the crazy guy in the space suit, are tasked with killing some interesting creatures. You can dig around and drop a rock on their head. You can stick them with an air hose and pump them up until they explode (sounds pretty violent, doesn't it?), or you can dig up all the diamonds or jewels or whatever there is on the screen and escape. The monsters, for their part, come right at you and can actually ghost their way through solid rock to get you. Not very sporting of them, but not sporting of you to explode them, either!

In any case, the machine is broken. If you look inside an arcade machine, there are all kinds of switches and electronics and transformers. Lots of wires, warning signes, and fuses. It looks rather complicated. However, there is only one thing wrong with my game. Almost trivial, really. The monitor doesn't work.

Now, I can turn the game on. I can plop in a quarter or two. I can hear the attack music play. I can move the guy around, and hear him digging happily. I can push the pump button, and how about that if a monster is chasing me I can turn around suddenly and pump it to death. Once in a while, I dig around and a rock falls on ME instead of the monsters. So I know the game itself, the circuitry, the elaborate electronics, are all in just fine shape. I just can't see anything. Nothing. Zip. When I turn the machine on, there is no hum from the monitor. No momentary blip that just about every TV and monitor put out when first fired up. This monitor does nothing.

All these complex things that could be broken, and it's just the monitor. But it is enough. isn't it, to keep me from playing. Kind of like when we have a meeting, and maybe a friend who is usually very busy happens to be free. He also would be very interested in the lesson topics. I just never happen to mention our meeting to him. Just a simple thing, really. But enough that he never gets the word, that he never comes, that he never hears! It can be difficult to convince someone to seek God. But why do we so often seem to trip on the small things? Don't let this happen to you! Invite everyone you can!

Matthew 5:13-16 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.