Ten years ago our son Lukas was a karaoke machine for Halloween. It still boggles my mind how he pulled it together, never mind carried around 43 pounds for the duration of the party. The songs were amplified, the lyrics were on an ipad with a battery powered mixer, it had dual mics, pitch correction, and a clipboard to sign up on. His fingers were illuminated with disco lights. He had a ton of fun. Probably the video would have been improved if he had been behind the camera but even Lukas can only do four things at once. 

 

Looking back from the vantage point of his career as an engineer in 2024 it makes sense. Now he manages projects with thousands of wires and inputs, getting the signals where they belong. The karaoke machine was for friends, while his job now involves paying customers. 

 

I love that we are lured in by what sounds like a great time, and then find out how to do it for real. Surely marriage woos us through the door with promises of romance and congeniality. Then it evolves into work, as we are thrust into parenthood, or compromise. 

 

Yet I think God helps us over the bumpy parts, with mental pitch correction, ("I would love to help with the dishes, honey!") and fueling our batteries by some invisible means not yet traced.