My oldest bought me a smoking and grilling cookbook for Father’s Day. Kind of a Bill Nye the Science Guy meets a smoky Julia Childs. Or something like that.

Before explaining the proper technique for grilling that steakhouse ribeye it explains the science behind the technique. (Like I said – Bill & Julia.)

To ensure I properly grilled Mr. Meat Formerly Called A Cow I paged to the steak section where at the age of 59 I discovered the need to grill a skinny steak (1” or less) much differently from a steakhouse steak (1 1/2” or more).

The skinny one gets flipped repeatedly over ultrahigh heat. The thick one spends about 30 minutes over no flame in 225° heat then moves to the sear station for the final pièce de résistance.

I confess it took me a few days to decide if I would embrace the new grilling method.

The resistance grew partly from a fragile Texan grilling ego and partly from a sense that what I was doing was good enough. Or as good as it gets.

Some of us are open to new ways of doing old things. Some of us love our old ways too much to embrace new. We would rather eat a tough steak than learn from Bill & Julia.

Following Jesus involves new everyday. New ways of loving. New ways of giving. New ways of forgiving.

New people who need Jesus’ love through you brand new. Old people who need Jesus’ love through you anew.

Everyday offers new opportunities to receive Jesus’ grace and forgiveness which enable me to turn away from living for me and embrace living for Him. And for you.

To vacate the lead chair to One who loves me more than I love myself.

The 1 1/2” reversed-sear ribeyes were melt-in-your-mouth marvelous. No more skinny for me.

I wished I would have known this years ago.