I found a streaming channel that has all of the television series that I grew up with as a child—thank God! Because there is so much perversion and darkness on regular TV one wonders…are there any wholesome television shows left? Anywho, in watching the Donna Reed Show the other night there was a very interesting episode entitled Explorers Ten. In case you’re not familiar with the Donna Reed Show it was a 1960s weekly TV series about an American family consisting of Alex Stone, a pediatrician, Donna Stone, the dutiful housewife, and their son Jeff and daughter Mary. I believe The Cosby Show was built on this premise.

Back to the Explorers Ten — the episode title is named after The Explorers, a group consisting of ten high school boys, one being Jeff, who are interested in everything from archeology to outer space. Their first project was to purchase a telescope that cost about $200. This purchase was to be achieved by washing cars.

One day after washing cars, Jeff stopped by to visit his friend Mr. Coxy at the Home for Senior Citizens and when Mr. Coxy observed Jeff having all this money he asked if he’d robbed a bank to which Jeff explained he’d been washing cars to help raise money for a telescope. Mr. Coxy and his friend Morton are playing checkers and Jeff is rambling on about how one day man will walk on the moon some 35 years in the future.

Mr. Coxy tells Morton how Jeff is talking about going into outer space and he’s never even been to Kansas City, Pittsburg, or Washington, DC. Then he elaborates that he didn’t miss going to Kansas City or Pittsburg, but he sure missed not going to Washington, DC. He continues giving a brief history lesson about Washington. Everything from the Frenchman, Pierre Charles L’Enfant who designed it to wanting to see the Lincoln Memorial. Then he tells Jeff it might not seem as high as outer space but the Washington Monument stands 555 feet tall with 898 steps to the top. He asked Jeff if he knew about Lindbergh whose plane was hanging in the Smithsonian and spoke of the Declaration of Independence that you could see but not touch because it was under glass…

Mr. Coxy’s conversation must’ve impressed greatly upon Jeff’s heart …

When the Explorers met after their first week of washing cars they’d raised $75.75 and were very hopeful that after two more weeks, they’d have the money for the telescope. Mr. Coxy’s conversation must’ve impressed greatly upon Jeff’s heart because he addressed the group and asked if they could do another project first and get the telescope later. Jeff emphasized that just like the lot of them he wants the telescope too, but he feels another subject is more important. He begins telling them about his friend Mr. Coxy, who Jeff deems as “the oldest friend” he’s got who is 81 years old and if you were to ask him what he wanted to do more than anything else he’d probably say that he would like to go to Washington, DC.

After telling his club mates his story the next thing you know Mr. Coxy is standing in front of a taxi surrounded by his senior citizen friends with the ten boys of the Explorers Club and Jeff’s parents looking on. With tearful eyes, Mr. Coxy says, “The taxi says we’re running late and that’s just too bad because I have more than a thousand words to say to you boys. When I get to Washington, DC you know I’m going to see a lot of wonderful monuments. But I don’t believe boys that I’ll ever see a monument half as wonderful as you boys have built in my heart.”

But that’s not how the story ends…

But that’s not how the story ends…Sometime later in the week when the boys go to their clubhouse they check the mailbox and find a postcard from Mr. Coxy that says, “The guy that designed this place must’ve been a checker player because everything here is jumping.” Jeff is the first to go upstairs — his eyes are big as saucers and he yells to the guys “Look at this!” They find a beautiful telescope with a sign on it that reads, “Compliments of 10 Proud Fathers.”

Moral to this story…” Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.” (Luke 6:30 NKJV)

May the Blessings of the LORD be with you today and always. Thank you for your continued readership and support. Until next Sunday…Blessings and Peace!

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