So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when He adopted you as His own children. Now we call Him, “Abba, Father.” Romans 8:15
It was a good gig. It was my daughter Jennifer’s 40th birthday and her husband Matt decided to do it right. He booked them on a Disney cruise and then to top it off a couple of days at Disney. They asked Judy if she could come down and stay with the kids and of course she said yes. After some adjustments with her calendar and making sure everything at 217 (our Airbnb) was covered…she was on the road again. And me…well…I stayed back, watered the plants, filled the fountains, and did work stuff.
Well, by Thursday night I was ready for a visit so I loaded up the car and headed south to Murray. It is funny but when you cross the bridge into Kentucky, you can tell you are in the south. After a couple of hours of driving I found myself with my favorite big person and two of my favorite smaller people—my wife, Judy and two of my grandchildren, Ellie and James. All three of them are pretty keen on me and that always makes me feel so special. After a night of riding around the neighborhood with the windows down and the sunroof open, we headed back to the house and before too long…bed.
The next morning, after we took them to school, we eventually ended up back in Murray and it was time for lunch. There are plenty of options in Murray but we ended up at a place we had tried before and really enjoyed. As we walked into the door, the sign said the special of the day, since it was Friday, was fish. That sealed the deal. Now the special sounded good for a couple of reasons—lots of food and a great price—$10.99. So here is how it played out. For my $10.99 I got four large fillets of fish. Now, I’m pretty sure they weren’t farm raised catfish but they were still plenty tasty. So, plenty of fish…check. Then it came with French fries…hot and plenty…check. Three hushpuppies…fried golden brown and very good…check. Three onion rings…these also were very good…lightly battered and fried just right…check. Whew. That was a lot of food…good food. But we weren’t done.
The special also came with two more sides. Now this place listed about twenty-two different sides and they were not just sides…many of them were southern sides. I won’t list them all but I will tell you what I got. First, I got a bowl full of cheese grits. They were delicious with lots of cheddar cheese. My final side was a bowl full of southern seasoned turnip greens. Well, by now I am in hog heaven. I mixed up a mound of tartar sauce and ketchup and started eating and it was just good. Believe it or not, this food eating preacher didn’t even come close to eating it all. I was forced to leave some it behind…too full to even think of carrying some home.
Now that you all are wanting to know the name of the place in Murray and you are drooling over yourself, here’s why I wrote this. First, I just love a good deal. I love it when I go to a place to eat and it is a good value…plenty of good food for a good price and this place nailed it. Second, it spoke to my heritage. Everything from the hushpuppies to the cheese grits to the turnip greens just tasted southern. And since my roots go deep in the south, all of it said one thing…home and we all know there is no place like home.
Now that I think about it that is what I like about Jesus too. When I think of Him…when I spend time with Him, I always feel at home. I never feel like a stranger, I never feel like a visitor. It’s like He invites me in and tells me to sit back, relax and sit a while. And when I am with Him I know I am experiencing my new heritage. Every day with Him my roots grow deeper and deeper. On one side it is like spending time with my best friend and on the other it is like being with a special family member. Maybe that it is…after all, when I asked Jesus to forgive me of all my sin, His Father became my Father…my Dearest Daddy and that is all so very special.
So, if you are planning a trip to Murray, Kentucky, let me know and I’ll point you in the right direction. And if you are looking for a place that sure feels like home, well, just ask Jesus and He will invite you in to stay. But like those southern sides…it gets better and better. When you get Jesus…you get the Father…one that invites you to call Him Dearest Daddy. It’s true…it’s in the Bible. And He will be glad to help you as you do life. Take it from me, I know, He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne
Grits with Grace 