Romans 12:9 “Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.”
“Mom, why can’t I watch the same cartoons as my friends?” James asked.
“Well, I don’t know. Which cartoon did you want to watch?” Mom questioned.
James sat down on the kitchen stool and watched as his mother loaded the dishwasher. “Tommy watches Dark Force Rescue. All the guys watch it. And at recess, they like to pretend to be the Dark Force team.”
Mom laid the dish towel on the counter and sat down next to her son. “I don’t think I’ve heard of that show. Have I told you not to watch it?” she asked.
James rested his chin on his hands. “No. But I know you wouldn’t like it.”
“Why is that?” Mom asked.
“Because the guys have these eyes that glow red, and they call on evil powers to help them. Then, they use those powers to rescue people.”
“You’re right. I wouldn’t like it at all,” she said. “But it sounds like you’ve already watched the show.”
“Yeah. I watched it one day when I was at Tommy’s house.”
They both sat in silence for a moment. Finally, Mom asked, “Is it a show you really want to watch?”
James thought about his answer. “No. It kind of made me feel bad, watching it at Tommy’s. I don’t know why, but I didn’t like it.”
Mom nodded in understanding. “You didn’t like the show, but you also don’t like feeling left out.”
“Yep,” James replied. “I mean, Yes, ma’am.”
Mom propped her elbows on the counter and said, “That’s a tough spot to be in. What do you think you should do?”
James grinned. “I was hoping you would tell me what to do.”
Mom smiled. “Well, I can make rules for you. And you certainly know you won’t be allowed to watch that show. But there’s something even more important than whether or not you watch that show . . . and that’s whether or not you even want to watch the show.”
James shook his head. “No, I really don’t. I’d rather watch something where people get their powers from good things.”
Mom reached over and tousled his hair. “So what will you do at recess?”
James thought a minute. “Well, there is this one kid who doesn’t watch Dark Force Rescue, either. I guess I could play with him.”
Mom stood up and kissed her son on top of his head. “Son, you make me very proud,” she said. “Before you know it, all the kids will want to be playing your game, and they’ll have forgotten all about Dark Force Rescue.”
“Hey, maybe we can make a new team, and call it Light Force Rangers!”
