What began as an attempt to watch In the Heights on my smart television ended with me marveling at hidden treasures.
Like so many, I was excited about the movie but disappointed that I did not have the HBOMax app on my smart TV. A technical incompatibility does not allow it to download HBOMax. But I have the app on my laptop. I did not want to watch it on my laptop, I wanted to watch on my TV.
I thought for a few minutes: How do I connect my laptop to my television? I have watched videos on my DVD player, so I knew I could do it. I just could not remember how I did it. When I saw a suggestion from an internet search, I realized I could use an HDMI cable to connect the laptop. That sounded simple enough.
It took me a few minutes to find the HDMI cable input on the back on the TV and connect it. My next question was: Where is the input/source button on the remote control? I could not remember so I just pressed the one in the top right corner. It was red and looked like it was important. And then the most amazing thing happened: an entire menu of channels popped up.
“What are these and how long have they been on my television?” was my first thought. I quickly forgot about watching In the Heights because I was now fascinated by what seemed like hundreds of streaming channels.
“And God is able to bless you abundantly.”
There were channels for news, sports, music and TV shows (there is a The Love Boat channel). It took me about 15 minutes to scroll through every channel listed. I was amazed at how many there are and the fact that I had no idea they were there. I discovered one I wanted to stream but had not made the time to download it…and there it was already on my television.
After I watched the movie, I scrolled back through the channels in awe of all the content. The more I thought, the more I felt that this is how we treat God and his blessings/promises for our lives.
We do not realize all we can access. It may take going down an unexpected path to realize all that God has for us. 2 Corinthians 9:8 says, ““And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.”
I thought my pressing a remote-control button was going to show me one thing, then it showed something even more amazing.
Shewanda Riley is a Fort Worth-based author of “Writing to the Beat of God’s Heart: A Book of Prayers for Writers.”