I had just arrived in the United States where I was registered in a teaching program at an American University. English was actually my third, or maybe even my fourth, language, and I would be taking the same classes as native English speakers.

That was nerve-wracking enough, but to make things worse, I knew I would have to learn to type on an American typewriter…

Since all of my education up until that point in time had taken place in either Belgium or France, I new absolutely nothing about the layout of the keyboard on American typewriters, and back in those days, long before the computer was invented, you couldn’t just push a button on your computer and change the keyboard from the foreign one to the one you knew!

I was soon introduced to the head of the French department at the university, and he took me under his wing. Since French was my native language, he immediately offered me a job working for him, doing things like correcting papers, typing messages, etc. I gladly accepted the job, and it wasn’t until later that same day that it hit me: I had just agreed to a job that required typing… On an American typewriter! Oh dear. What had I done???

The professor was understanding. He didn’t push me, and although it was difficult at first and I was very slow, over time my typing skills improved. Within two weeks I was able to type on the American typewriter as well as I had once typed on a French typewriter.

There was only one way that this was possible: I had asked my Heavenly Father to help me learn to type on the American typewriter, and He came through. With the Psalmist, I could truly sing: “I will extol the Lord at all times; His praise will always be on my lips. I will glory in the Lord; let the afflicted hear and rejoice. Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt his name together!” (Psalms 34:1-3 NIV)

What challenge do you find yourself up against? No matter how big or how small, trust in God and everything will be fine. He helped me, and He can do that to you as well!

Oh, and after my first year in the teaching program, I took a summer job that required… You guessed it … typing! In fact, in order to apply, I had to take a typing test and be able to type at least 60 words per minute. Now, although I could type and had learned the layout for the American typewriter, I had never formally learned to type. I just used the first two fingers on each hand…

Once again, my Father came through. I was able to type at 80 words per minute on their test … And I was only using the first two fingers of each hand! That was faster than a lot of trained typists do while using all of their fingers! Our God is truly wonderful!

In His love,
Rob Chaffart

(To access the entire “The Sling for God” devotional series, please click here.)