Author: Dewayne Taylor

Southern born. Love God, my wife, family, and a great adventure.
Posted in fear, forgiveness, Grace, gratitude, life, love, Military memories, priorities, Scripture, thankful

Life, Death and Resurrection

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “God decided in advance to adopt us into His own family by bringing us to Himself through Jesus Christ. This is what He wanted to do, and it gave Him great pleasure.” Ephesians 1:5

It was a difficult necessity. Like the Azores, I thought Le Havre (French for “The Port”) was just another port…but I was wrong. I guess I’m learning that few places are just places and few things are just things. Honestly, for us aboard the Majestic Princess, Le Havre was just a jumping off place to see both Normandy and Paris. But for the people who lived there–especially during World War II–it was more much more. Let me explain.

For centuries, Le Havre was one of the most important ports in all of France. That was especially true during World War II. After Hitler seized most of Europe, he instantly realized what an important prize this was for importing the supplies he needed and was a valuable home base for his navy. As the Allied forces prepared to invade France for the purpose of driving Hitler out and reclaiming it for the French people, two things occurred. Hitler determined to do whatever necessary to keep the port–even to the last man and the Allies were determined to do whatever necessary to take it from him.

In the leading up to D-Day, June 6, 1944 and for many weeks following, both air and ground forces assaulted the city and the port. The results were total devastation. You see, as a crucial port held by the German Kriegsmarine and 226th/245th Infantry Divisions, taking Le Havre was vital for supplying the Allied armies. It was the final major city in Normandy to be liberated. On September 5-6, 1944, devastating air raids killed thousands of civilians, injured over 75,000 others and destroyed over 12,500 buildings. Finally, on September 10-12, 1944, British and Canadian forces on the ground attacked in force which led to the Germans finally surrendering. Over 11,300 German soldiers were captured.

By now your saying, “Thank-you, Dewayne for the history lesson” but wait there is something to learn here. You might think that the French people where angry at what the Allied forces had caused. After all, the city was so totally destroyed that it had to be rebuilt from the ground up. There was no repairing–they couldn’t even attempt to rebuild the beautiful, old city. But wait–they weren’t angry. You see, they understood that what happened had to happen. If they were to be free from the German occupation, there would be a price to pay. You see, freedom always has a price. The price to the French people was huge but the price in lives for the Allied forces was also massive. We will talk more about that later.

Now for the big truth. You see, the price for our spiritual freedom was beyond calculation. The only way that we could be free from sin, the only way we could be united with our Heavenly Father was the death of God’s Son Jesus. There was no other way. Yet because He was willing to suffer and die–we can live and be free. And perhaps the most amazing thing is that God willingly sent His Son and Jesus willingly died on that cross. It was their plan–the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit–long before the first sin. Ephesians 1:5 says, “God decided in advance to adopt us into His own family by bringing us to Himself through Jesus Christ. This is what He wanted to do, and it gave Him great pleasure.” Simply amazing.

So in the life, death and resurrection of Le Havre we can see another story–the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. We can see that the price was so very great but somehow God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit counted us worth that price. And that really is simply amazing. This great truth is one of the reasons I know, no matter what, that they really do have it. Amen and Amen. Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, friends, Grace, life, priorities, Scripture, travel

Sabbatical Cruising

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “Be careful to remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy as the LORD your God has commanded you. You are to labor six days and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God.” Deuteronomy 5:12-14a

Sea days were slow days. On our epic journey aboard the Majestic Princess we not only crossed the Atlantic Ocean but we also sailed the entire way around the British Isles. In the process we spent several days in different ports but a lot of days we just sailed…or cruised. Cruising is one of the best things in life. When we are at home, we cruise down country roads and byways in our red Mustang Convertible. Imagine a warm, sunny late afternoon watching the Southern Illinois landscape slip by at, oh, about 25 miles per hour. Imagine the landscape spotted with a couple of dozen deer. That, friends, is good stuff.

Now imagine a day at sea. You can sleep in or get up early–your call. Someone has made your coffee and it is waiting for you. You go and find a seat next to a large window and watch God’s giant swimming pool, the Atlantic, slide by.  Finally you eat breakfast, which someone cooked for you, you go and exercise in the gym and then find a lounge near the railing and just relax. We would have our quiet time, read a book or just nap. Eventually it would time to eat again…and we would…and we did. That, friends, is why sea days were slow days. And, that dear friends is a pretty good picture of something in the Bible called Sabbath rest.

While a large chunk of the world knows how to do this well, we Americans just don’t. It seems that an American that knows how to do Sabbatical rest is as rare as a unicorn. In almost every port we stopped at, street side cafes would be filled with people drinking tea, coffee or something else, chatting and relaxing. You could almost sense their stress pooling at their feet. Why is it that we Americans are so bad at Sabbatical rest? I do believe we somehow pour our value, our self worth, into a mold that requires us to always be doing something.

Well, here’s some big news. God knew exactly what He was doing when He gave us a day, a whole day, to rest. He even put it into the big ten.  Remember the one that says, “Be careful to remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy as the LORD your God has commanded you. You are to labor six days and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God.” You can read it for yourself in Deuteronomy 5:12-14a.

It seems that this command is the only one from the Big Ten that was allowed to stand in the New Testament.  Wow…it is that important. God designed us to rest, to occasionally, cruise. We need that pause button because we were designed to enjoy Sabbatical rest. Now it doesn’t have to be a particular day but it does need to happen. Not only do we physically need it, it also teaches us to depend on God.

So there you go…you need to take time to cruise…to rest. I know this sounds crazy and perhaps totally out of date but trust me…no, better…trust God. Find time, make time to enjoy a cup of coffee on the back patio, a ride around enjoying tonight’s sunset or maybe just talking with those you love the most. Oh, and be sure that includes the one who’s always got this.  Bro. Dewayne  

Posted in forgiveness, Grace, gratitude, love, Scripture

Christ the King–Christ the Bridge

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 John 14:6, “I am the Way, the Truth and Life and no one can come back to the Father except by Me.”

On the ninth sea day, we finally found ourselves docked in Europe. Our second port of call was Lisbon, Portugal. After so many days at sea it was good to see land for the second time in a lot of days. Lisbon is a beautiful old European city with too many hills (pant, pant) and several large and majestic cathedrals. We took a tour of the city but quite honestly it didn’t seem to leave a large impression on my wife Judy and I–that is until it was time to leave.

When you cruise, at the sail-away from each port of call, there is always a large gathering of passengers on the upper decks. There is always something special about the sail-away. Usually the captain blows the ship’s horn and often there is a gathering on the pier to see us off. It is quite stirring…especially in the case of Lisbon. As we slowly moved away from the dock, we edged our way toward the open sea via a large channel. As we sailed away, two things caught, captivated our attention. 

The first was a bridge that crossed the channel. What made this bridge so special is that it was designed exactly, well, almost exactly like the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. In fact, it was made by the same company that made the one there. It was, well, majestic. When we were in San Francisco, we drove over the Golden Gate and that was pretty amazing. But to sail under this bridge, its twin, was equally so. Now for the second thing.

Located on the left side of the channel on the top of a small mountain was a statue of Christ with His arms outstretched. The statue is in fact called “The Sanctuary of Christ the King.” It is a massive 360 feet tall and its outstretched arms measure 92 feet finger tip to finger tip. It appropriately commands the view of the entire area. So, imagine with me. First, you see the massive bridge spanning the great distance from shore to shore and then your eye is captured by Christ the King. And instantly the connection is made.

You see, in our human state, we are separated from God. The great divide is caused by the fact that God is holy and we are not. The Bible clearly states that all of us…all of us…have sinned and therefore separated from God. We needed a bridge, a way back to God and that way is Christ the King. Jesus said it best in John 14:6, “I am the Way, the Truth and Life and no one can come back to the Father except by Me.” Jesus left the splendor of heaven and died on a cross so that we could come home to God. Amazing.

As we sailed out the channel, when the angle was just right, you could see both the bridge and Christ the King and that is what I most remember about Lisbon–Christ the King is the bridge–in a way they are one in the same. So as I write this, I am grateful for that sail-away on that day from that port. I am grateful for a God who loves me so much, for a Savior that loves me that much and for the precious Holy Spirit who too loves me that much. I am grateful too that no matter what–Christ the King–well, He’s got this–always.  Bro. Dewayne 

Posted in Scripture, life, Family, travel, thankful, gratitude, heaven

Look Up–Look Around

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “Everything on earth will worship You; they will sing Your praises, shouting Your name in glorious songs. Selah” Psalm 66:4

As we transversed the Atlantic Ocean on our great 50th wedding anniversary adventure I was once again reminded just how big and awesome our God is. The Bible tells us in Psalm 19:1-2 “The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display His craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make Him known.” I love those verses. Last night my wife Judy and I were sitting out with our neighbors (remember when you used to do that?) and we began to look up and were all amazed as the stars slowly began to show themselves. It was amazing. While I was looking one way, Judy was looking another and she was treated to see a beautiful falling star. Wow.

I spoke out loud to no one in particular that God has placed and named each star. One of the kids spoke up and said, “How can He do that?” Well, the answer is simply that He is God and He can do anything. Now, back to the cruise. We quickly discovered that in the middle of the ocean that stars can and do showoff…each one declaring God’s greatness. But after sailing for several days and not seeing land I realized something else. You don’t have to look up to see the glory of God–really all you have to do is look around. You see the Bible also says in Psalm 66:4, “Everything on earth will worship You; they will sing Your praises, shouting Your name in glorious songs.” 

Imagine with me looking in every direction and seeing the vast ocean. On some days it was relatively calm…on others, quite the opposite. But whether it was calm or rolling, it was big, really big, and it all said that if God created this big ocean, He must be really, really, really big and He is. The last word in Psalm 66:4 is the word, “Selah.” It is a Hebrew word that implies the idea that right there you need to pause. Someone once said it is saying, “There what do you think of that?”

Our first port of call was a group of islands in the middle of nowhere that belonged to God but were claimed by Portugal. At first I thought we were only stopping there to get some gas–nothing more–nothing less. I soon found out that I was wrong. You see, the Azores are called the  “Hawaii of Europe” and the reason was soon evident. While the islands were diverse as a Baptist church, the one we stopped at was simply beautiful. It was massively green and tropical plants were everywhere. We were treated to seeing quaint small towns, a beautiful botanical garden and perhaps best of all, a place where boiling water spewed out of the earth sending steam rushing into the air.

So the Azores was so much more than a gas stop, it was a wonderful testimony of the greatness of God. It was a place where God had once again showed off His power and creativity. It was a spotlight of His love and grace for us. So, tonight be sure and look up and see what God has done up there but today, well today, be sure and look around and see just how great our God is. If you do, you will soon realize that no matter what you are going to bump into, you have the assurance that, “He’s got this.”  Bro. Dewayne   

Posted in Family, gratitude, life, love, marriage, Mother's Day, Scripture, thankful

Mother’s Day–God’s Bigger Idea

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

“Honor your father and mother.” Exodus 20:17a 

This Sunday is Mother’s Day. I used to think that it was something either Hallmark, the florists or the candy people dreamed up to make money. But now I know better. You see I think God came up with the idea. When He gave the big ten to Moses, He included the foundation for not only Mother’s Day but Father’s Day too. Here’s what He said in Exodus 20:17a, “Honor your father and mother.” There you go…as plain as day. The big difference between His plan and Hallmarks is that God said it shouldn’t be a one day a year thing but an everyday of the year thing.  We are to honor our parents–everyday.

You see, respect is a big thing to God. He deserves and expects our respect–but that’s not all. He expects us to respect those who are in positions of authority and that begins in the home with our parents. And guess what–that respect thing doesn’t have a statute of limitations. In others words, we are to respect them when we live with them and when we don’t.  We are to respect them while they are alive and then honor and respect their memories when they are no longer with us.

I was blessed with a great Momma and Daddy. While they weren’t perfect (none are) I am certain they both loved God and loved me. And while they went to heaven a long time ago, I still honor and respect their legacy. I told my wife Judy today that as I have grown older I have learned to honor and respect the both of them more and more. To a large degree I am who I am because of their impact on my life. I loved them then but I love them even more now.

Anne Graham Lotz, the daughter of Billy and Ruth Graham, wrote a brief tribute to her mother that I would like to share with you here. She writes, “As a teenager growing up, my room in our house was directly over Mother’s. At night I could see the lights from her room reflected on the trees outside my window. When I slipped downstairs hoping to talk to her a few minutes, I would find her shapely form bent beside her bed in prayer.”

“It was useless to wait for her to rise because she would be there for hours on end, so I would trudge back up to my room. And no matter how early I awoke in the morning, I would see those lights from her window once again reflected on the trees outside. When I tumbled down the stairs, I would find her seated at her big, flat-top desk, earnestly studying one of the fourteen different translations of the Bible spread out around her. My mother chose to make abiding in Christ one of the priorities of her life.”

“Mother’s abiding was rooted in a love relationship with Jesus that was the secret of her life. As a result of her abiding, and the obedience that was integrated into it, the hallmark of Mother’s life was joy. Her face radiated it! Her eyes sparkled with it! And I’m left to wonder . . . what outward evidence of my inner relationship with Jesus do my children see?”

That last question is one that really matters. Is the life story that we are writing one that our children and grandchildren can gladly read at our funerals? While God certainly blessed me with a wonderful mother, I am so grateful that He also blessed me with a wonderful wife and mother for our children. I love my wife Judy so much because she loves Jesus, she loves me and she loves our family. This Mother’s Day, be sure and thank God for the ones who shaped your life. And be sure and thank Him that no matter what, “He’s got this.” Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, friends, Grace, life, loving others, Scripture, travel

Don’t Judge a Book by Its Cover

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”  Matthew 5:16

People…there were people everywhere. No matter how big the Majestic Princess might have seemed the bottom line is when you put that many people on a boat–well, two things are guaranteed. First, at times it is going to seem a bit crowded. That mainly happened at meal times. While in the evening there were several restaurants to choose from, during the day the main place to eat was the Marketplace. This was grand buffet which not only included a lot of food, it also included food from all over the world. And trust me, it was good.

The second guaranteed thing was the variety of people. You see, the crew of the ship comes from all over the world. In fact, very few of them were from the United States. And even the passengers were an amazing array of humanity. Now that I think about it that is one of the attractive things about taking a cruise. First you go to different parts of the world and different parts of the world come to you. You get to see God physical creation but you also get to see His handwork in people.

To be truthful, this was sometimes challenging. It was just amazing how different people can be. My wife Judy and I loved to sit in the various sitting areas and just “people watch.” And trust me…there was plenty to watch. Of course, keep in mind there was probably someone else doing the same thing and thinking the same about me. I realized that it was too easy to judge someone based on the “cover of their book” rather than what was on the inside. Remember, God’s Word warns us about that.

One example of this happened when I noticed a particular server who worked in the Marketplace. The first thing I happened to notice was, for whatever reason, he wore makeup. I’m not sure what the deal was but his “cover” kept me from reading his story. The bottom line was he was one of the kindest and nicest people we met on the cruise. He always called the ladies, “Mama” and I know he called me “Master.” At any rate, he was joyful and always willing to serve–looking for ways to go beyond what was expected to serve you. I know by the end of the cruise, Judy and I both didn’t see his makeup but rather saw his kindness–his heart.

So, who is it in your life that has a “cover” that keeps you from seeing the real person? In other words, what is keeping you from seeing people for who or what they really are–creations of a very loving God. We need to remember that God has not called us to judge people but to love them. That is what Jesus did…period. I’m still amazed that He called a hated tax collector to be on His team. Imagine how hard that was for Peter and boys to swallow.

Let’s be honest…we live in a pretty weird world and guess what?  We are part of that weirdness. Let’s strive to be like Jesus and His Father. Let’s look beyond the cover of a person’s book and try to read their stories. Let’s try and see what God sees in them. It’s not easy but do you know what? It is sure Jesus like. I’m sure that He would be more than willing to help us, after all, He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in communication, fear, priorities, Scripture

Got Your Radar On?

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

“For we walk by faith, not by sight.” 2 Corinthians 5:7

The Majestic Princess is one big girl. Let tell you a little about her. She was born on March 31, 2017 (the date of her first sailing) and born again (the official term is a dry dock renovation) last year in 2025. She can accommodate 3,560 guests. Imagine throwing a party and inviting over three thousand of your closest friends. She also has a crew of 1,346 to care for those guests. She is 1,083 feet long, 126 feet across and 224 feet tall. Her height is divided into 19 decks. I guess you could say she was a little on the hefty side too weighing in at 143,700 tons. Like I said she is quite the lady.

The Majestic Princess is massive to say the least. She’s not the biggest ship on the seas by any stretch but she is big enough to demand respect. I can’t imagine the responsibility that rests on the shoulders of the captain and his immediate bridge staff. While she can cruise a little faster, she is happiest averaging about 25 mph. And when you are as big as she is one thing is certain…you don’t really do anything fast…especially turning and stopping.

In our room we had a television that had an app called the “bridge cam.” It shows what the bridge crews sees–night and day. On a good clear day the view is impressive but on cloudy, rainy, foggy days and at night–well it is almost scary what you can’t see. Several times I tuned in and was overwhelmed by the sense of darkness. I imagined this massive piece of metal moving through the seas in total darkness. Frightening.

How could the crew do this with safety and confidence? Well, the most important part of the answer is an impressive array of radars. The bottom line is the radars can see what the human eye cannot. It can spot another ship or some obstacle long before a collision becomes a fact. It pierces the darkness. Without these radars, guiding the Majestic Princess would be almost impossible–and certainly a whole lot more dangerous.

Did you know that we Jesus followers, have our own radar? Well we do and the word that the Bible uses for it is…faith. You see since God operates in the ream of faith…we have to also. Faith allows us to see what human eyes cannot. The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 5:7 “For we walk by faith, not by sight.” It also tells us in Hebrews 11:6, “And it is impossible to please God without faith.” It even tells us that faith in Jesus is the way, the only way to have a relationship with Him. It says in Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”

So as you navigate the beautiful and yet sometimes treacherous waters of life, I hope you will be sure your life is equipped with God’s radar–faith. It is the best way, the only way to truly navigate life. If you need more information, grab your closest Bible and there you will find all the answers to all your questions. You will quickly discover that no matter what it is–He’s got it. Bro. Dewayne

Posted in gratitude, loving others, Scripture, travel

Faithful Steward–Silent Servant

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful.” 1 Corinthians 4:2 

His name was Jerry but He looked a little bit like Jesus. On our grand journey across the Atlantic Ocean and then around the British Isles, we spent 25 days on the Majestic Princess. Even though it was actually two cruises, ours was combined into one. Because of that my wife Judy and I were able to spend all of our time in the same room…and that is when we met Jerry.

Jerry was our room steward. You might know from the Bible that a steward is someone who is responsible for caring for someone else’s property. And just about now is a great opportunity for us to remember that if we are Jesus people we actually own the grand total of…zero. As it turns out God owns everything…He just allows us to manage it for Him. So for those 25 days that we were sailing, Room B241 was ours and Jerry was assigned to be a steward, to care for us and the room.

We met him on the first day and he assured us that he would do everything he could to make sure our room was like a home away from home. Judy made a couple of special requests. First, could he possibly find us a small fan (when we sleep, we like the breeze and the noise it makes) and some ice for us to use during our excursions. He supplied both of these requests. Everyday he cleaned our room, made our bed (and changed the sheets) tidied up the room and cleaned the bathroom. While we didn’t see him very often, the evidence of his presence was felt everyday. We knew he was there by the way our room looked. He was a very good steward.

Jerry was a silent servant. It seemed He didn’t need our praise  (though we always tried to tell him when we saw him), and I’m not sure he did it just because it was his job. Jerry seemed to really like caring for us. He found purpose and fulfillment in being a good steward and for him that was enough. Like I said…Jerry in his actions looked a little bit like Jesus. You see, the Bible tells us in Matthew 20:28, “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give His life as a ransom for many.” Let’s be honest, when we boarded the ship, we had paid the fare and expected to be served. When Jerry boarded he expected to serve others…and that is what he did…serve others.

So, my question is this. How well do we mimic Jesus as we live our walk about life? Can people tell that we belong to Him by the way we love and care and serve others? We like to assign our Christian identity to a few habits like going to church but Jesus said people would know we were Jesus followers by the way we loved others. Let that soak in. Like I’ve often said, going to church is a good thing but even a dog or cat can find their way into church. 

So hats off to Jerry the silent servant–and steward. We thanked him appropriately when we left the ship and I hope he knew how much we appreciated his care and service. Let me challenge us to be more than a little bit like Jesus today. Let’s show kindness and compassion to those we bump in to today. Let’s show them what the real Jesus is like not with just our habits or words but by our actions. If all that seems challenging, just follow Jesus and He will show you how. After all, He is the greatest example of love and service there is. Yup, He’s got that too. Bro. Dewayne

Posted in food, Grace, gratitude, heaven, marriage, Scripture

The Majestic Ship of Zion

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “Delight yourself also in the LORD, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4

It was a warm and sunny morning in South Florida. My wife Judy and I were in town to add another link, and a major link at that, to our chain of events celebrating 50 years of marriage. From Fort Lauderdale we were boarding a luxury cruise ship called the Majestic Princess and I must say she lived up to her name. We would be sailing across the Atlantic Ocean with stops in the Azores, Lisbon, Portugal and then to a stop that would allow us to see Normandy, site of the D-Day invasion that reclaimed most of Europe from the tyranny of Nazi Germany, and Paris. From there we were to cross the English Channel and dock for a day at South Hampton before taking a grand tour of the British Isles including England, Ireland and Scotland. It was a grand journey and it required a grand ship to carry us.

In case you have never cruised I want to share with you the big deal–or at least one of the big deals. From the moment we boarded that Friday morning, all our worries and cares were left behind. It seemed that the 1300 members of the crew were there to take care of the passengers–all of them–regardless of social status, race or creed. The ship, of course, had a captain and it was his job to carefully guide our vessel to its final destination. He ultimately was responsible for us.

You see, for the next 25 days we were totally and completely in his care. Our every need–and I do mean every need–was in his hand. We didn’t have to worry about anything. Someone made our bed and cleaned our room everyday–and then checked on it a couple of more times. Someone, or more than a few someones, cooked our food. Someone was there to plan and provide for our entertainment. So with our needs and desires taken care of and our safety safely in his hands, all we needed to do was enjoy the journey.

And that is exactly what we did…enjoyed the journey. Judy loved the fact that someone else did the cooking and cleaned “the house.” I enjoyed the fact that there were very little responsibilities…no grass to mow, no car to wash…not anything. It was pretty amazing. Wow…how would it be if life was that way…everyday? But wait, in a way, in a big way, it already is. You see, for those of us who have become Jesus followers we have the same assurances that we enjoyed on the Majestic Princess–and so, so much more.

I know He doesn’t cook supper but He sure provides for us. He plans beautiful sunrises and sunsets for us to marvel at and enjoy. We are surely in His safety and care–not for 25 days but for all eternity. He doesn’t clean house but He marvelously cleans up the messes we make in life. Amazing…Simply amazing.

Now to be clear all of that doesn’t make Him our butler and room steward but it does make Him a friend, a Good Shepherd and a Dearest Daddy that loves us enough to never stop loving us. His Word is clear that before the foundation of the world was laid, before we ever did anything right or wrong, He loved us and made a way to guide and carry us through life. And all of that is made possible by believing, by faith…nothing more and nothing less.

I hope you have made the decision to board His ship and trust Him for your life and your eternity. Trust me when I say, it is a decision that you will never regret. He promised that if we would believe, He would guide the ship of our lives safely into His eternal harbor. With Him there is never a doubt about our safe arrival because as always…He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Uncategorized

Washer Hoses and a Dose of Oops

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.” 1 Peter 4:8

It’s an old, old story…at least for we Taylors.  As the baby of our family, I came along toward the tail end of so many good memories.  Daddy and Momma had eight kids in all.  They had five, apparently needed a break, and then decided to have three more. Well, I’m not sure how much it was a decision as it was a fact of life…no pun intended.  There were plenty of tales in the Taylor household but like I said, some happened before I came along.

Daddy and Momma started out with three boys.  From everything I know, they were all rough and tumble and that’s just the way it was.  Well, apparently, one day things got a little out of hand.  More on that in a few minutes.  What you need to know now is that one day my Momma went out to use her washing machine and made a startling discovery.  Someone had cut the hoses to the machine and the natural suspects were the three older brothers.  I’m not sure why they were suspects unless that was part of their rough and tumble motif.  I can’t verify it, but I would suspect that at some point, Momma said, “Just wait till your father gets home.”

Well, eventually he did, and Momma told him what had happened.  He lined the boys up for a time of interrogation.  They assured him that while they were rough and tumble, they weren’t stupid—there was no way they cut the hoses.  Well, Daddy didn’t buy it.  He was sure that they did.  I’m not sure how long they were in the “police lineup” but eventually Daddy said if no one would confess they would all get punished…and they did.  I don’t know if it was a switch or a belt, but they got a spanking.  Case closed.  Daddy was sure they wouldn’t be cutting anymore hoses.

Well, the only problem was this—they didn’t cut them in the first place.  Several days later, one of their rough and tumble “friends” confessed to the deed.  It turns out in their rough and tumbling the “friend” had gotten mad and decided to get a little revenge so…he cut the hoses.  When word got back to Daddy, he called a meeting of “the boys.”  Again, I wasn’t there but I heard it went something like this.  “Boys, I found out you didn’t cut the hoses to the washing machine—your “friend” did it.  Now, at this point in the story it would seem logical that Daddy would at least attempt to apologize for the undue punishment.  That didn’t happen.  Instead, he said something like this, “You probably needed the spanking anyway.”

I know, you’re thinking, “What! That’s not right.  It’s not fair.” But don’t be too quick to cast judgement on my Daddy.  The bottom line is he should have apologized, but that was a different time and we don’t know all the details.  Sometimes it is hard for people to apologize…even when they are wrong.  Can you identify with that?  I know I sure can. Often the words, “I’m sorry” just couldn’t find their way off my tongue. And if you are a member of the human race, you have probably experienced that too.

Here’s what I do know.  My Daddy was a good man, but he wasn’t a perfect man.  He, like me, made mistakes.  When I heard this story a long time ago, honestly, we probably all laughed.  Later, I’m sure it made me think and I came to this conclusion. Instead of judging him for a lapse of judgement in a moment of time I decided to go with what I knew to be true.  My Daddy loved them, and he loved me and that was simply enough.  I was willing to let love cover a multitude of sins.  I know God’s love has sure covered a big multitude of my sins…and I am grateful for that.

The big take away is this.  If you find someone has cut your washing machine hoses the most likely suspect probably doesn’t live in your house—possibly but not probably.  But more than that—always remember we are recipients of a whole pile of God’s grace and we should be willing to extend a little.  Forgiveness is not for the person you’re forgiving—it is for you.  A heart willing to forgive is a happy heart.  And, when you find yourself against a rock and hard place trying to forgive someone who hurt you…just remember your Heavenly Father is an expert at forgiving and trust me, “He’s got this.” Bro. Dewayne