Thanksgiving

It’s the day after Thanksgiving, and I’ve got a lot to be thankful for. Family and friends are still healthy, Friends of the Groom is still here, and—despite the lack of live performing—we still have new and challenging work ahead of us. Most of that challenge comes from venturing into the world of video creation. We’ve turned our rehearsal room into a green screen studio, and we’ve managed to produce content for an online Vacation Bible School, an improvisational worship project, and most recently—a series of Christmas videos, including a “Virtual Christmas Pageant.” (See details below.)

This new direction comes with a steep learning curve, and there have been plenty of late-night editing sessions where I’ve harbored less than charitable thoughts toward certain software designers. Nevertheless, when I see the results, I find myself asking: “Why in the world didn’t I do this when I was young and pretty?”

One answer, of course, is that it’s not until now that technology has made quality video production affordable. But I’m also aware that the barriers created by the Covid crisis are forcing us to walk through a door we had previously dismissed. I’ve often said my path through life seems to be guided by divine default. I seldom see God’s plan laid out ahead of me. Instead, as I move forward I’m repeatedly faced with a selection of doors. And which one do I open? Simple—the one that’s unlocked. It’s only when I look behind me that I see all the doors I journeyed through are lined up in a way that testifies to God’s guidance. So—though I seldom demonstrate patience when I face life’s many obstacles—it’s those very obstacles that channel me toward new and often rewarding destinations. As it says in Psalm 16: “Lord...you are my lot. And the boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance.”