"My point is this: The old saying GIGO is true of more than just computers."
"O.K., I'll bite," Julie said with a smile. "What's GIGO?"
#34- GIGO
A Character story about diligence.
A light snow blew past the windshield of their car as the Jensens traveled home from Wednesday night prayer meeting. Julie gently patted her baby brother Joshua who was strapped into his car seat next to her.
While Jason watched out the right back window, Julie remarked, "I didn't understand everything that man was saying tonight, Daddy."
"This was the surprise I was telling you about last week," Mr. Jensen confessed. "Pastor, and some of us parents, have been concerned that we have a good program for our young people in the church. After praying and examining various possibilities, we feel we'd really like to start an AWANA program. The man who spoke tonight is the area AWANA missionary and he was explaining what the program involves. If I understand it correctly, Julie, you would be in the Guards, and Jason would be in the Pioneers."
"AWANA is sure a funny name for a children's program," Julie said. "Why didn't they call it . . . oh . . something with 'children' in the name?"
"The name is an acrostic of the theme verse. That means it is the first letters of the sentence, 'Approved workmen are not ashamed.' Do you know what verse says that?"
"I know," Jason interrupted. "It's Second Timothy 2:15. We learned that last month in Sunday school."
"Right," Mr. Jensen agreed. "The main emphasis of the program is the memorizing of Scripture although they do have a good games program also."
"That's what interests me!" Jason announced.
"I don't think I want to get involved," Julie stated.
Mrs. Jensen turned around in surprise. "Why, Julie, what made you say that?"
"I just have too much memorizing already. I have to learn stuff for school, and then verses for Sunday school-"
"That's only one short verse a week," Jason added.
"I know, but it . . . it still adds up. I just don't think I could keep up on it every week."
"Well," Mrs. Jensen smiled understandingly, "I'll be glad to work with you a little every day. I know you can do it if you don't wait until club night."
"Say, speaking of memorizing," Mr. Jensen inserted, "Did I tell you about the computers we have at work now?"
"Computers?" Julie said, puzzled. "What do computers have to do with memorizing?"
"These computers are a real time saver, sure enough," Mr.Jensen continued as if he didn't hear Julie's question. "I read somewhere that a computer can do the math in one second that it takes 20 people to do in a whole day!"
"Hey, that's what I need for my math, Dad," Jason chuckled.
"Don't you think that would make you a little lazy?"
"Well . . ."
"And they're so small," Mr. Jensen continued without waiting for an answer. "While the early computers took up a lot of room and electricity, the main processing unit of some modern computers could fit on the corner of a penny!"
"Really?" Jason said. "Then why are they so big . . . you know, in comparison?"
"Besides the power supply, drives, and mother board, most of the space is just that- space. It is space to expand, to add things like disk drives, tape drives, scanner boards- stuff like that."
"But, Daddy, you didn't answer my question," Julie protested.
"I'm coming to that, Sissy. You see, though these computers cram a lot of power in a small space, they still must be programmed. The information to understand and interpret what is being typed in must either be contained in the computer itself, in what is called the ROM, or it must be put there by the program, into a part of the computer called the RAM. My point is this: The old saying GIGO is true of more than just computers."
"O.K., I'll bite," Julie said with a smile. "What's GIGO?"
"I was hoping you'd ask." Mr. Jensen chuckled. "It stands for 'garbage in, garbage out.' It means that the computer, and the mind, can only process information that has been put into them in the first place.
"Mother and I have a desire that you fill your minds with God's thoughts. The more you do this, the more you will know His will and the more likely it will be that you will obey Him. We especially liked the AWANA program because it encourages through awards of various kinds, the memorizing of God's thoughts as He gave them to us in His book, the Bible. That's why we would love to have you both get actively involved in it and learn all you can while your minds are young and better able to retain what you learn."
Julie sighed. "Yeah, I guess that puts it in a little different light."
"How about let's make a new saying, Dad," Jason suggested.
"What's that, Son?"
"How about GWIGWO. Hey, Sis, guess that one."
"Uh . . . if garbage will come in and garbage will, uh . . . work out?"
"Nope. It's 'God's Word in, God's will out.' Pretty good, uh?"
"Pretty good," Mr. and Mrs. Jensen both agreed, "and pretty true as well."