Saturday night my husband and I finished viewing a crime-thriller-drama series via online streaming. Thirty episodes spread across three seasons but all accessible to watch at the time of our choosing. We love how streaming services make it possible to “binge” or, in our case, watch an episode or two each night. My aging memory so appreciates not having to wait seven or fourteen days for the next installment.
With social engagements being slim these past months and network TV shows forced to take an extended hiatus, the appeal of anytime, anywhere viewing of a vast selection of series took on even greater appeal. As a lover of stories—of both the true and fictional varieties—I adore how these new-fangled viewing options allow me to more fully immerse myself in the characters’ lives and become super invested in the storylines.The downside? Due to the easy-peasy access coupled with the high
engagement factor enhanced by the easy access, we tend to “blow through” said series
at a pretty good clip. And then it’s all over, leaving us sad and a bit mopey
which soon finds us channel surfing through 200+ cable channels of mostly
reruns and offerings that do not interest us.
Sometimes it takes a few days before we’re ready to take the plunge again, to dive wholeheartedly into a new series. Why the hesitation, especially seeing as how we love this whole streaming thing? Well, what if . . .
- We don’t LIKE this series as much as the last one?
- What if the storyline is lame?
- The characters unrealistic or underdeveloped?
- The actors run-of-the-mill or just plain bad?
- What if the amount of foul language leads us to abandon the show despite other positives?
- What if we just can’t get “into” the story?
You can imagine the dilemma. And understand the wavering.
Despite a carefully curated watchlist, one never knows if a
series will pass muster once we venture past the description and reviews. Remember,
we will potentially be spending many hours of unwinding time within this story
world. We will allow the highs and lows of these characters’ lives to take us
away from the realities and mundaneness of daily life. We will anticipate their
fate even as we cheer for their success. We are choosing to invest ourselves in
the unfolding of this particular story.
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Photo by Jude Beck on Unsplash |
- What if THIS year is no better than LAST year?
- What if it’s WORSE?
- What if the key players really muck things up?
- What if more bad things happen?
- What if ___________ ?
While most of us are anxious to leave 2020 behind, the mere
flip of the calendar page doesn’t insure we can simply close the door on the happenings
of an unprecedented year. And considering the events of the very first week of
this brand-new year, the above noted concerns have already been proven valid. We
sincerely, with our whole hearts, hoped for a better, brighter, smooth-sailing
2021. But the unknowns loom as large and worrisome as ever.
Back to our which-series-next dilemma. Last night, with remnants
of the last series still swirling in our minds, we chose a new a show from our
watchlist. Settled into our recliners, we took the plunge. Heart, mind, and
soul engaged, we dove in. It wasn’t the thrilling, edge-of-your-seat kind of
action we’d enjoyed from the last series. But the cast of characters—some endearing,
others villain-like or humorous—piqued our curiosity as numerous, subtle
questions posed in the first episode began to engage our minds. While it didn’t
garner an immediate, “I LOVE this show!” from either of us, we concurred we’d
give it a go. We’ll invest our end-of-the-day unwinding time in this series.
I doubt any of us have yet announced, “I love this year!” But
it’s what we’ve got. While no year—day, week, or month even—comes with a
script, still we are tasked with diving in. And unlike the streaming series
that we can choose to stop watching at any point, we can’t get out of 2021 so
easily.
So, what do we do? We commit to giving it our best effort, to being all in. We cling to the fact that Jesus never, ever changes. We walk close to His side, seeking direction and discernment and wisdom. We lay our 2021 questions at His feet. We walk through the doors that He opens. We guard our hearts and our minds and our tongues. We remind ourselves that He has a plan. With the Father’s help, we invest our time and energy and passion where He directs.
Here's to traversing 2021 with Him. All in and fully invested.
Beth connects with the YA crowd via substitute teaching and through her “back booth” office at the local fast food joint, and by reading YA fiction.
She's a "cheerleader" for saving sex for marriage and for "renewed waiting" because it's never too late to make wiser choices. She writes and speaks about her experiences as a "foundling" who located her birth parents and is making up for lost time with her biological family. Find her at BethSteury.com and on Facebook at Beth Steury, Author.
"We commit to giving it our best effort, to being all in. We cling to the fact that Jesus never, ever changes. We walk close to His side, seeking direction and discernment and wisdom. We lay our 2021 questions at His feet. We walk through the doors that He opens. We guard our hearts and our minds and our tongues. We remind ourselves that He has a plan. With the Father’s help, we invest our time and energy and passion where He directs."
ReplyDeleteAmen and amen!