THE APP THAT MATTERS

“I want to design apps,” my grandson Joaqui recently told his mother Lucci.

Joaqui  earlier declared he’d be designing cars. Quite smart—excelling in both Math and English (he devours books), he’s a ten year-old fifth-grader who’s determined to win.  

He could fly to the moon if he wanted to. Of course, that’s me, Lola (grandmother) speaking! Believe sa apo!

But when Lucci shared Joaqui’s new dream, this Lola’s brain started pole dancing with dollar figures.

Well, because I recalled this recent UK news that 17-year old Nick D'Aloisio created an app which was reportedly bought by Yahoo for a cool £18m: “Nick’s app provides bite-sized summaries of content from news and other sites. He joins an elite group of teenagers who have become internet millionaires.”

If Nick can do it, so could my apo!

App, for the uninitiated (grandmothers like me), is “application” abbreviated. In compu-speak, apps are software to make computing tasks easier—meant to make ordinary mortals’ lives like moi rosier.    

If you ask me, the more apps I’ve needed to use, the more confused— hilo—I’ve become. And the more confused I’ve become, the more thankful I am that I’m old—no longer working full time, needing to keep up with nerdy stuff.  

But my old soul grieves. Young people nowadays are so smart especially with techie things. Yet they’re reading less and less, or interacting superficially with others, and spending more intimate time with their unfeeling companions—social media and games. 

Oh yes, they’re fast and agile with their cellphones and computers, sharing more photos, videos and ha-ha stuff.  But why are so many young people disconnected? Why their seeming lack of vision and direction?

I’ve been teaching college students for many years. Every year, I seem to be facing bigger roadblocks trying to reach them. I get more blank stares and empty minds—not a sign of empty hearts I hope. But I’ve sensed that too.

As parents, we should give our kids a daily dose of the apps that matter.  Just like the vitamins you give them regularly for good health. I’m glad Joaqui and his sister Charlize get a lot of them.

The Word of God, the greatest app of all!

“Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” Deutoronomy 11:18-19

The app to success? “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,” Proverbs 1:7. All other apps follow suit.  

Joseph, in Genesis, rose from slavery to be Egypt’s second most powerful man—because He feared God, so He always went with him—even when trials seemed inevitable.

His Word alone, revealed in Christ, ensures greater victory over life’s many glitches. Did I say Joaqui loves this app better?

(Originally published at CBNAsia.org)

Photo credits: digitaltrends.com, blog.wordofgracechurch.com