Our son did not grow up watching TV. We had a TV. It had to be turned off by 9 on a school night, but, other than that, there was little in way of restrictions. We were all readers. Much more common for the three of us to be in the living room reading than the three of us watching TV. On Friday or Saturday night (depending on his schedule) we would have pizza and a movie, but that was mostly all the three of us watched TV together.

          When Adam left home, he decided he didn’t want cable. He bought a 60” TV before anyone even knew such a thing existed. No flat screens then. That thing was HUGE! He bought it for watching movies and to use as a computer terminal. If you know the game TETRIS, it is awesome at 60”! But he has always had the latest, newest whatever. Yet, he would rather read.

          When he got married, his wife was fine with it all. Her parents are movie watchers, rarely using their TV to even watch the news. Now, Adam and Kim will have nights where friends will come over for an evening of board games (they have a room where one whole wall is stacked with board game, 95% of which I have never heard of) and maybe a movie. A regular geekfest.

          Marsha and I don’t do a lot of TV. When we moved here we didn’t get cable or Dish or an antenna. Adam bought us something called an Amazon Fire-Stick, a device that plugs into your TV that draws programs from the Amazon web page, mostly movies and old TV programs. We are currently enjoying old “My Favorite Martian” shows. We like 1960s TV. No commercials, no swearing, no sex and all for just $10 a month. We like it. Some nights we never turn it on.

          Back in April, Adam and Kim came for a visit. I was going to have my by-pass and they were going to be here for a while. The night before my surgery, Adam looked up what we used to call a ‘stupid movie.’ One that was so bad you could watch it and make fun of it through out. He and I started that when he was about 12 and we did it once a week for at least 20 years. We watched a lot of poor movies together. So, all four of us watched this really stupid movie the night before by-pass.

          Marsha and I didn’t know it at the time, but Adam and Kim didn’t like that we had a small TV. A couple of weeks ago, Adam called Marsha and told her that for Christmas, he and Kim were getting us a new, 55” TV. Marsha tried to talk him out of it, but he was insistent. Dad needs a bigger TV so he doesn’t have to strain to see the screen. Which is funny. The only straining I do is straining to stay awake for a half hour program. But, there it was. It will be delivered to our door.

          The next question is where do we put it? Not what room, but what does it sit on? We decided we needed a TV stand. For me, a lightweight metal job was fine, but Marsha wanted a piece of furniture. Her rational is that, since we didn’t need to by the TV, we could afford the piece of furniture. My thinking is, we weren’t going to get a TV anyway, so let’s just get the metal stand. Strong and cheap.

          We got the piece of furniture.

          Assembly required.

          I am not like Duane Wagner, who can look at a piece of wood and envision what it will look like and then just build it. However, with a box full of wood and materials and instructions, I can build it. Part way through, Marsha said, “Why do you have to do this?” My answer, “It’s step 14, that’s why.” “Well, yeah, but why?” “Because it’s step 14.” “OK, I have that, but how does step 14 figure in to the end result?” “How would I know? I never read the end of a book first.” Step by step, and you are done.

          And that made me think. We don’t know where God is taking us. Well, in the larger sense, we know we, as believers, are going to heaven. But what will the trip be like on the way. Right now, I am in prayer for four churches that are searching for pastors. Two in New York, one in Virginia, one in Texas and one in Indiana. I have communicated with people from these churches and, for the most part, they know what they need. But they don’t know what they will get. They have to be careful not to let emotions get the best of them. They have to be open to the Lord. And they have to know that it isn’t what they want, but what God wants for them. It is the unknown. But, step by step, and you are done.

          God told Abraham to pack up his family and move without telling him where he was moving to, and Abraham moved, trusting God daily. God told Paul to take his ministry to Macedonia and Paul did, never realizing that the Gospel would spread throughout all of Europe and then to the new world because of Paul’s faithfulness. God led Martin Luther to take a minor stand against the abuses of Catholicism, never knowing it was the start of the Reformation. These people suffered because of their step by step pursuit of God’s will, but they changed their worlds.

          God is leading you out of your comfort zone. But if you go step by step, it will get done. Move forward! Eyes on the prize! His will, not yours.

          Blessings.