Grits with Grace

Family, Grace, gratitude, life, Scripture, travel

Patience or “Not”

Posted on June 25, 2020 by Dewayne Taylor

Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance.” James 1:2-3

At first it seemed unfair but then, there it was, conspiracy. There is a lot of talk today about conspiracy schemes. When and whatever happens there is someone who will say there is a dark diabolical reason for it happening. I wasn’t sure about it until it happened to me. Yes, there was a conspiracy.

As you may remember, my wife and I were able to attend a pastor’s conference in North Carolina. It was so good to pack a few things, jump into our 44 mpg Jetta and hit the road. Willie Nelson’s “On the Road Again” was ringing in my ears. We cruised across Tennessee and were heading toward North Carolina when it happened. About five miles from the border, our GPS talky thing said, in her most gentle voice, “traffic ahead.” Well, it wasn’t like we were in Chicago or something so that could only mean trouble.

Soon, very soon, trouble was staring me in the face. Brake-lights and slowing vehicles were everywhere. We were in a slowdown—we were in—traffic. Signage and the talky thing confirmed my worse fears—there was construction ahead. Now you need to know something. First, I am not patient in traffic. Ok, that wasn’t totally transparent. I am totally impatient in traffic. In fact, I’m not patient period. Whether it be in traffic or at the store, I am changing lanes like a one-armed paperhanger looking for the shortest and fastest lane. The Bible says we are fearfully and wonderfully made but I must have missed the patience part.

Have you ever been driving and the traffic going in the opposite direction is stopped and you are feeling sorry for them? Well, I was the one stopped and I could just feel the empathy of the other drivers. It turned out to be about a 45 minute stop and go. The amazing part was I did pretty good. Judy was beaming at my surprising patience. I even said, “Well, at least going home we won’t have to deal with this.” Soon (though not soon enough) we were through the construction—we were on our way. Hit the fast forward button.

That was Wednesday. Too quickly the days of the conference went by and in no time it was time to go home. After the conference ended at noon we jumped into our 44 mpg Jetta and hit the road toward home. Willie was once again whirling around in my head singing “On the Road Again.” We were nearing the site of Wednesday’s lesson in patience feeling confident and glad that we were heading in the other direction. And then it happened. The GPS talky thing mentioned traffic, 14 miles per hour, and delays. Wait. What? We were not supposed to have to deal with this. And that is when I knew there was a conspiracy. They had changed sides.

Here’s how I think it played out. The North Carolina Department of Transportation called the conference center, asked when I was leaving and then quickly moved the construction to the West bound side so they could get me again. I am sure of it. So, another slowdown, another wait in traffic, but this time they were merciful since it was only 27 minutes and 14 seconds. Oh yes, I was counting. And the people going East, they were zooming by with looks of mercy for those of us stuck. It just wasn’t fair.

I know the Bible well enough to know that you don’t pray for patience. That is one prayer you won’t hear passing through my lips. Pray for patience and you end up with traffic. Pray for patience and you end up locked in your house with three kids for three months. So I get that. But there is a pesky couple of verses found in James 1:2-3 that say, “Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance.” I really like the Bible but I really don’t like those verses.

Of all the emotions I feel when I am sitting in traffic, joy is not the one that comes to mind—and especially not great joy. But then I read verse 3 and it gives me pause. James says I should appreciate the moments in traffic because it helps me to grow. It helps me to be a better person. It helps me be stronger—it builds endurance. Like lifting weights at the gym strengthens muscles-—so trying situations strengthens our faith in God. Which means part of this whole pandemic deal might be to make us stronger in our faith. Hmmmm. Well, in the end I did pretty good through traffic lesson number two and we managed to get home that evening just about on time. Truth be known…God was good, God was faithful and even in traffic, God can be trusted. No matter what, He has my good at His heart. He wants me to thrive in this world and not just survive. And that means sometimes learning patience sitting in traffic. As you travel today wherever and however that looks, just know God is the traffic manger of your life. Just sit back, enjoy the pause and rest in Him. He’s got this. Honk, Honk.

Family, Grace, gratitude, life, Southern born, thankful

Stonehenge

Posted on June 24, 2020 by Dewayne Taylor

For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost.” Luke 19:10

Roy Smith Allen was a genuine, authentic, real-deal Southern good ole boy. I met him on the road to falling in love with his daughter. I can remember virtually every detail of meeting Judy but Roy, well, its like one minute he wasn’t there and the next he was. I met Judy at her church on a Wednesday night. I walked in the side door and she was standing with a group of five or six girls. It was as if the others weren’t even there. She stole the show…and my heart.

I found out that when I started dating Judy, I also started dating her family. They were a crazy bunch of fun-loving people who turned every get together into a ruckus of stories and one-uppers. Right in the middle of the craziness was Roy. Well, for some reason, Roy took a shine to me. Judy will tell you that both of her parents liked me more than her. That probably wasn’t true. But I guess they trusted me because truth be known she was a little too young and I was a little too old. But here we are forty-four years later so we must have met somewhere in the middle.

Roy was a hard core, church going, deacon. He worked for the county as the superintendent of roads and had been the assistant warden at the county work camp. He had a gun…he carried a gun. He told Judy and I upfront he didn’t believe in pre-marshall (translated premarital) sex. We both agreed with that so the gun stayed in the holster which was a good thing.

About nine months after I started dating Judy, I asked her to marry me. It happened to be on April Fool’s Day which was kinda funny. But I was dead serious and happily she said yes. So, by now Roy had become Pops to me. So I knew I had to ask him if I could marry Judy. After his first heart attack, his doctor suggested he begin a walking regimen. One evening I joined him walking around the track at the park and I said, “Pops, I would like to marry Judy.” It wasn’t a question but it was a statement that needed a response and he gave one. “No you don’t, boy.” Pops called me “boy” a lot. It wasn’t derogatory but more akin to him calling me “son.”

I persisted and said, “No really, I want to marry Judy.” He stoically gave the same answer, “No you don’t, boy.” Well, I can’t remember how many times we bantered back and forth but eventually I took it as a yes. We were officially engaged…as soon as I could afford a ring.

Somewhere along the journey, her parents allowed me to stay in the spare bedroom at their house on weekends. The base was about twenty-five miles away so it seemed to make some sense. Pops liked to get up early and work hard and I became the “young buck” of his Saturday operations . He was building a shed about 20 miles out in the country and he saw in me some free labor. So, he would come in the bedroom at about 4:30 am and declare, “Time to get up, boy.” I would groggily roll out of bed. We would head to the Gold Plate Restaurant for a hearty breakfast with hot, strong coffee and then head to the building site where I wished I hadn’t eaten quite so much.

Pops had acquired some huge, like 10×10 inch, used bridge timbers from the county. While he supervised, I began digging holes and setting these monstrous beams. Then, we (make that me) had the pleasure of trying to hoist them up to form the roof. Well, it near-bout killed me. We never finished the building and I am sure forty-four years later those timbers are probably still standing like some sort of South Georgia Stonehenge.

In the fall of 1975, at church one morning, I went from being a church goer to a Jesus follower. That day I finally figured out that being religious was not the same as having a relationship with Jesus. It was and is a big deal. Everyone was really happy that I had made that commitment. There were plenty of hugs and words of affirmation but none matched Pop’s. He simply said, “I knew there was something wrong with you, boy.” It was apparent Pops wasn’t gifted in the affirmation department. But that was Roy…that was Pops. I was pretty sure he loved me and I know loved him…especially since he didn’t shoot me.

So, about a year later, Judy and I were married and in spite of a bad heart he was there to walk her down the aisle. When Judy and I were assigned to Germany, Pops flew there twice to see us. When we were assigned to Missouri, here came Pops. He came out to see our new daughter and his new granddaughter, Rebecca. And then just six weeks later he was apparently working in his backyard there in South Georgia and sat down to rest. Sometime during the break, Jesus came and took him home. Pops was gone but the legend, the legacy lives on.

Roy Smith Allen had a lot of rough edges, a lot of warts, if you will. But buried somewhere beneath the rough exterior was a good hearted man. I’m sure he required a lot of God’s grace but don’t we all? None us could make the cut for heaven based on our own merit. We all are just like Pops…sinners in need of a graceful, loving God. The Book says that Jesus came to seek and to save lost people. People like Roy, people like me and people like you. And if we are willing to be found, He is will to forgive us and invite us into His family. In his backward way, that is what Pops did. Every time he called me “boy” he was calling me “son.” I like that. So if you find yourself bumping along in life, rough around the edges, you might try what Pops tried. It wasn’t church…it was Jesus. I know it changed my life. It didn’t make me perfect but it did make me forgiven. And the best part? In this crazy, upside-down world, He is always there. I can always go to Him, rest in Him. I know, He’s got this.

Family, food, life, Scripture

Food Truck

Posted on June 23, 2020 by Dewayne Taylor

“When He saw the crowds, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd.” Matthew 9:36

There’s a new food truck in town. For the past several years I have begun my day by walking for exercise. I take several different routes but one of my favorites is around the lake at the city park. It was there I met Bubba the goose (for past readers he said to tell you hi), saw the power of integration in the goose families (they are doing fine), saw a man waging a war with people I could not see, and saw the new food truck in town. Let me explain.

We walkers see two kinds of exercisers. Some people come and go and some are regular as clockwork, they show up to walk each day. Like Forest Gump they start running—or walking—and just don’t stop. These folks become unofficial friends. We may not know each other’s names, what we do for a living or where the other person lives but for those few minutes at the park our lives intersect. And then, there’s the “food truck.”

She loves dogs and really animals. She walks her dogs every day in the park…and there are several. But what is interesting is that for a long time there was a cat walking with her. I mean a lot of people walk dogs, but a cat? The feline wasn’t on a leash but would just quietly walk behind her and the dogs. Talk about intriguing. So after a while I just had to talk with her. It turns out it wasn’t her cat at all. She met the cat one day while walking and it looked a little thin so she started dropping some dry cat food on the sidewalk and …well the cat had breakfast and hung around for dessert. There was a new “food truck” in town.

Sadly, one day our feline friend wasn’t there and I learned that he was hit by a car and didn’t survive. We mourned together…a lady I didn’t know losing a cat she didn’t own but we paused and grieved. But before long, there was another cat. I first saw him on the sidewalk about a block from the park and he was having breakfast on the sidewalk and I knew the “food truck” had been by. The relationship wasn’t as tight or as long but she had made a new friend by meeting a need.

Well, one day I was again walking in the park and ahead I saw several squirrels having breakfast. Yup, the “food truck” fed squirrels too. And then a few days later I saw several ducks gathered on the walking trail. Turns out ducks like cat food and they too were having breakfast. The “food truck” was a hit in the park and everyone was invited. But the funniest part was yet to happen.

So I am walking, and across the narrow lake I can see her walking her dog. Behind her is a group of ducks having breakfast. Then on my side of the lake there are three ducks and they are on the move. They are waddling as fast as their little legs would take them and they are quacking up a storm. Again, my duck is a little rusty but I believe they were saying, “Hey wait for us.” So huffing and puffing they waddle down a small peninsula and jump in. Paddling furiously they headed straight across the lake. Like kids chasing the ice cream truck they swam on. It was my last lap for the day but the last time I saw them they were on shore and hollering, “Wait, we’re coming.”

I don’t know my friend’s name but I do know her impact. Her acts of kindness to animals makes her a hit with them and with me. She just seems to care and really, besides this strange sort of fan club, gets no other reward. She just does what she thinks is the next right thing. I wonder how different our world would be if we did the same. Jesus did. The Book tells us that when He saw people—He didn’t see social class, He didn’t see color—He just saw people and He had compassion on them. He saw them as sheep without a shepherd or maybe like ducks needing breakfast.

Compassion is best defined as simply love in action. Its seeing a need and then doing what you can to meet that need. Imagine today taking the time to show kindness to someone having a difficult day. Imagine today taking the time to give someone a smile when they are only used to frowns. Imagine today doing simply the next right thing—without reward, without expectation—simply because it is the right thing to do. It might just be amazing. It might just look crazy…like a cat following a lady walking her dog. It might just be game changing.

In a few minutes, I’m going to do my walking thing. I don’t have any cat food. In fact my shorts don’t even have pockets but I can pack an intentional smile for someone who needs one. I can do that. Sometimes Jesus gave out free lunches to crowds—big crowds. Sometimes He healed broken bodies and spirits. But something that I think we overlook is that He probably smiled…a lot. Imagine His joy as He shared and showed compassion—love in action. Like the cat, like the ducks following the “food truck” people followed Him. Not just for the bread, though some did, but because around Him they felt safe. They felt loved. They found a place where they could rest from the craziness of life. We can too. He’s got this.

Family, life, Scripture, travel

Consistently Inconsistent

Posted on June 22, 2020 by Dewayne Taylor

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” Hebrews 13:8

It was a learning experience. Well, it finally happened. Judy and I were able to get away and break away from home. The long awaited opportunity to go somewhere finally emerged from the corona virus fog. After church Sunday we loaded up our car and headed on the great adventure. Soon, the routine of the last several months was in the rearview mirror and we were looking out the windshield at different. The only problem was that different turned out to look a lot like home.

Our journey would take us through three states…Kentucky, Tennessee, and North Carolina. The one thing I quickly discovered is the fact that consistently, and I do mean consistently, everything was inconsistent. Now I have to admit we didn’t have a lot of interaction with Kentucky. Going we were just getting started and coming we were almost home. However, Kentucky had already become our get away place when we wanted to run away from home.

Our first stop in the journey was in Tennessee. We stayed in Pigeon Forge for three nights just to catch our breath. We arrived at our hotel which was a Hilton Tru. It was a new branding for Hilton and was designed to reach out to millennials. Ok, if there was a doubt, I discovered I am not one. The hotel boasted that the rooms were intentionally spartan and smaller. I am more the bigger and plush kinda guy. And then there were the corona differences.

So, the first day, no one came to clean our room. Well, obviously somehow, we were skipped. I stopped by the front desk to let them know of the oversight. She, politely, told me it was not an oversight but intentional. What? “Didn’t you read the little card” she asked? Well, no…we had got in late the night before and I am a guy. Do I look like I read little cards? Anyway, the little card said they would not be cleaning our room until we checked out and that if I wanted fresh towels I needed to ask for them at the from desk. What? Excuse me? Oh, and breakfast was scaled back to a yogurt bread (whatever that is) and a breakfast cereal bar…all courtesy of the corona virus. Of course all this was ok because they there able to cut the price on the room with all the money they saved from not cleaning our room or serving us breakfast. Not! No! Nada! That will be full price, sir, and thanks for staying.

And then there were the restaurants. One was operating at full capacity, one at 50%, one at 25%. All the fast food chains were still drive-in only. It felt amazingly like home. We went to one restaurant with about seven cars in their large parking lot. “Oh good, no wait” I said. “Not so” Judy said. Sorry, there will be a 25 minute wait. So three days later, I went into the largely empty restaurant and discovered anew the joy of social distancing. I had to communicate with the closest table with smoke signals. All of this was from an open state. Yup…consistently inconsistent.

Well we moved on to North Carolina…a largely closed state. We checked into our hotel, a Holiday Inn, and I tentatively asked the polite desk person about what restrictions might be in place. “Will you be cleaning our room?” I asked. She gave me a quizzical look and said, “Why yes, of course.” “Do we get clean towels by any chance?” I asked. Her look said “This guy must be from Mars. Of course we will be providing towels.” So the closed state acted like an open state and the open state acted like a closed state and I am slowly going crazy. Our meals were provided at the conference we were attending so we didn’t try any off-campus restaurants. But Judy did want to go to a couple of boutiques. In case you are wondering, boutiques are little stores with big prices. Anyway, most were simply closed and the few she (and notice she) went in required masks to shop in their empty shops. Oh the bliss of being consistently inconsistent.

I am a guy of routine. I love consistency so you can imagine this was quite a challenge for me. It amazes me how the rules are always different in this corona world and the enforcement of those rules are also different. And that is why I like God. He is the Rock of Gibraltar when it comes to consistency. The Word says that Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. The Jesus you have today is the one you will have ten thousand years from now. The love you have from God today will be the love you have tomorrow and the day after tomorrow. As a song says His love is “sure as a steady rain.” I like that.

If you are just a little tentative about this consistently inconsistent world I have a great recommendation. Try God. He doesn’t change the rules midstream, He won’t change His mind about you tomorrow and His Book remains the constant of constants. Rock solid…that is God. We had a great time on our trip and I came back realizing that the crazy rules aren’t just in Illinois. We found a pretty fair sprinkling of them everywhere. I also came home with a deep appreciation for my island of normalcy…my family and my church family. Both groups are a bit crazy at times, but they are mine and I feel secure around them both. I came home and found the God on the road was the same God at 217 W. Poplar Street and I can rest in Him at both places and all places. I also found that the God on the road was big enough to handle it all. He’s got this.

Family, Father's Day, Grace, gratitude, life

Daddy

Posted on June 19, 2020 by Dewayne Taylor

Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.” Exodus 20:12

He didn’t wear a cape or an iron suit but he was a hero to me. A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away I was born. It all happened on January 6, 1954 in Orange Park, Florida. I was number eight in a family of eight. This can’t be confirmed but I think it went something like this. My daddy was somewhat of a perfectionist and he and my mom had tried seven times to have the perfect child. He went to my mom and said, “Well, honey, I know we have tried seven times to pull off this perfect child thing and I say we give it one more shot. I really think eight is going to be our lucky number.” So, ta-da here I am…living proof that persistence pays off.

My daddy was 42 years old when I was born. He had plenty of experience at the Father thing and you know, I think he did a great job. I don’t recall a lot of special events in my early and later childhood but that isn’t because they didn’t happen. I can remember family camping trips to the beach as well as all night fishing trips to the same. I can remember family vacations to see relatives in all the hot vacation spots like New Jersey and Texas. I can remember trips to Silver Springs, Six Gun Territory and Doctor’s Inlet which was a great place to go for a lake swim. But there are also several memories with just dad and me.

When I was about six, daddy took me fishing on Cedar Creek. It was just me and him. At this age, I wasn’t very good at fishing or paying attention. Truth be known I had a hard time staying focused on anything for very long. Anyway, the fish were biting that day but I had a hard time watching the bobber. Over and again, daddy would ask, “Dewayne, where’s your bobber?” I would look and it was gone. We lost a lot of good worms that day.

Later, when I was about ten, daddy took me hunting. The big deal was that he allowed me to take my BB gun. I wasn’t allowed to carry a real gun; you will see why in a moment. So, we were walking through the woods and I was about four feet behind dad. Silent as a F5 tornado, I crept through the woods. I was too noisy but dad was way patient. And then, well, I shot him in the back. Now wait, don’t panic. It was only a BB gun and he did have his heavy hunting jacket on. I had my finger on the trigger (oops) and every so slowly and without even realizing it, increased the pressure. Just like that it went off and got dad square in the back. Bummer.

Do you know what? He didn’t holler and in fact he didn’t say a single word. He just looked over his shoulder and gave me that “I’m glad that wasn’t a 12 gauge” look. I appreciated that and have never forgotten the fact that he could have made me feel “less than” but didn’t. I’m sure we had a talk about gun safety and it must have worked out because I never shot him again.

My two favorite memories of him don’t involve a fishing pole or a gun. They involve God. Honestly, daddy didn’t go to church a bunch but I know he was a Christian because of the way he lived. Two events, two memories are burned into my mind and heart. The first is a time when we were having prayer time together as a family. Some people call it family altar…at the time I probably called it too long. I remember it was time to pray so we all got down on our knees around the room. I got a little bored so I peeked and there across the room was my daddy, on his knees, talking to God. It made a big impression on my young heart.

Later, when I was about 17 I caught daddy praying again. I came home from a date late one night and there sitting at the kitchen table was my daddy—praying. With his hands clasped together he was talking to God. I don’t know what prompted the late night prayer meeting but I know it again made a big impression on me as a young man. And that is the point. My daddy made an impression on me that impacted so many areas of my life. Integrity, work ethic, caring and providing for your family and being a man were all part of the core curriculum.

I didn’t get to keep my daddy too much longer. When I was in high school he had a massive heart attack. He lived a couple of more years but when he was just 62 and I was 20, God decided to take him home. Suddenly, on a Sunday morning he went to heaven. It was hard and is hard to this day. He never got to meet my wife, children or any of his eight great grandchildren. He never got see much of my career in the Air Force or hear me preach a sermon. I hope in heaven they keep tabs on us down here and I hope I’ve made my hero proud.

Well, now that we are all sad and weepy let me throw this in. Whether you are young or older, take the time this Father’s Day, and every day, to tell your dad (and mom) how much you appreciate them. One of God’s big commands is that we honor our parents and when we do—we honor Him. There’s no better way to do that than to tell them and show them that you love them. I know things don’t always work out with dads and if that is the case with you I am so sorry. My dad wasn’t perfect…none are but his love outweighed his warts. If you are a Jesus follower, I hope you can extend some grace…just like God did to you. And always remember, you have a Heavenly Father who is perfect, who always gets it right. He’s always waiting for you to crawl up in His lap and take a rest. And the icing on the cake is He is stronger than a super hero…and because of that, He’s got this.

Grace, gratitude, life, Scripture, thankful, travel, wisdom

We Shouldn’t Be Here

Posted on June 18, 2020June 18, 2020 by Dewayne Taylor

If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?” Esther 4:14

I looked at Judy and said, “We shouldn’t be here.” I know when you normally hear those words you are at a movie and a couple of teenagers are standing in a cemetery at midnight with a full moon with a wolf howling and a guy with a chainsaw standing a few feet away. That was not the case.

So, as you know we live in a world of cancellations. Vacation. Cancelled. Conference number one. Cancelled. Conference number two. Cancelled. In an attempt to get some refreshment I went ahead and registered for conference number three. About ten days before it started they called and said due to state regulations (North Carolina this time) they were having to dramatically reduce the number of attendees—from 400 to 110. Judy and I didn’t make the cut…by a long shot. We registered in early April and they were cancelling all the way back to December of 2019.

I had gotten used to the rejection notices by now. Like a struggling actor or writer it seemed nothing was going my way. So, after my normal foot stomping, “this is crazy” and the all time favorite, “when will it ever be normal” I settled back into life…desperately needing a fresh drink of water from the well. Then it happened.

Less than a week before the conference was to start I received a phone call on my Dick Tracy Apple watch. I checked the caller ID and it was the conference center. I ran to the kitchen to get my phone, answered, waiting to see what they wanted. She told me that they had been allowed to open an overflow room and would we be interested in coming? If I could speak ten languages I would have said yes in all ten.

So we arrived at the conference and this is when it got interesting. The people in the main auditorium (and there were only 110 of them—normal attendance is 400) had white name tags and the ones in the overflow had tan name tags. We received our tan tags and waited for supper. I began to notice that there were not many tan tags. How interesting. When it was time for the conference to start, the white taggers headed to the main room and tan taggers headed upstairs to the overflow area. And that was the turning point.

In this room meant to hold 150 people there were 28 of us. Blue covers draped over the back of 28 chairs showed where we could sit. It turns out I was member of a pretty, small select group. Totally attendance was only 138 people and somehow I was one of them. Keep in mind all those people who made reservations before April were in front of me in line and somehow, some way we were here. That’s when I said to Judy, “We shouldn’t be here.”

The topic for the conference was about rebuilding the church in a post quarantine world. One of the first things he said was that perhaps each of you are here for a specific reason. He then told the story of a young Jewish girl who, against all odds, found herself as queen in a foreign land. A plan had been hatched to kill all of the Jews in the land and her uncle was asking her to go the king on the Jews behalf. He said, “Perhaps for such a time as this God has put you here.” For such a time as this. Hmmm.

I honestly feel that for some reason God has allowed me this opportunity to help lead my church in the coming days. The speaker made it clear that any thought that things are going to be same are just not true. It is going to be different and challenging. It is also exciting. All of this has caused me to revisit the sovereignty of God in all of this. I mean, I just believe that God is in charge. Not circumstances, not government, not me. That means that He does have a plan that He is working out. The only question is are we going to trust Him and be a part of His plan or are we going to write our own. Spoiler alert. That never goes well.

So whether it your every day, walk around life, or a business, or a church, if you are a Jesus follower, are you willing to let the Whisperer whisper and share with you His plan? I hope I will have the wisdom and courage to do so. It will mean stepping out of my “I’ve done it this way for 38 years” comfort zone and perhaps, just perhaps, do something different…perhaps radically different. Who knows, maybe we, with Him, can change our world. So, we shouldn’t be here but I sure am going to be listening for the Whisperer to speak to my heart. I know it will be right. I know it will be challenging. I know it will be exciting. I know somewhere along the way He is going to say, “Rest in Me. I’ve got this.” He does.

Family, food, life, Scripture, thankful

Miss Pauline’s Sour Cream Raisin Pie

Posted on June 17, 2020June 17, 2020 by Dewayne Taylor

Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!” Psalm 34:7

Try it. You’ll like it. Over the years I have met so many incredible people. I have learned that people are not perfect but people add spice and challenge to life. People make life…life. I am a pastor by call and by trade and I love it. There are many reasons that is true but one is the people I get to serve with. One of those was Bob. Bob is a friend from my past but at the same time Bob is a friend that I could see tomorrow and we would pick up right where we left off.

Bob is one of those people with a quirky sense of humor. I love that because I do too. I remember one time he showed up at the church office and beeped the horn. I went and opened the door and went out. He told me to come around to the other side of the truck and hop in. Well, I went and opened the door and what greeted me was a five or six foot rattlesnake coiled up on the from seat. We almost had a natural disaster there on the spot. Turned out the snake was headless. Bob liked snakes so I don’t think he did the honors but why miss the opportunity to scare your pastor to death?

Now Bob and I are Baptists. One thing you need to know about Baptists is that we believe food is the cure all for all things. If we are sad—we eat. If we are happy—we eat. If someone dies—we eat. If someone gets married—we eat. And sometimes, well, we just eat for fun. Well, Bob and I were at one of our meetin’ eatin’ times and I was eating some raisin pie. Now this wasn’t your normal raisin pie. This was Miss Pauline’s sour cream raisin pie and it was incredible. I was working on my second piece when I invited Bob to have a taste.

“Nope,” he said, “I don’t like raisin pie.” Well I began to persuade him with all of my preacher passion. “This,” I explained, “is like no other raisin pie you have ever eaten.” I went on to explain how this pie would make your tongue slap your face. So after about five minutes of “you really need to try this,” he did. The results were as expected and immediate. Two or three pieces later Bob was an official member of the Miss Pauline’s sour cream raisin pie fan club.

Here is what he and I came to discover. There is raisin pie and there is Miss Pauline’s sour cream raisin pie and the two are not the same. And once I tasted Miss Pauline’s pie, I wanted him to experience it too. I just knew that if he did, he would be a fan for life. And do you know what? I think that is true about Jesus too. I find a lot of people are not too keen on God or Jesus. The reason is simple. They have tasted religion and decided pretty quick that wasn’t too tasty. I agree with that one. Some have tasted church and depending on their experience it was either a disaster or a delight. At any rate, church isn’t the fix all that people think that it is. Religion or church are just plain ole raisin pie. You need more…you need Jesus.

Yup, Jesus is like Miss Pauline’s raisin pie. He is so much more than religion and so much more than church…He is the One who knew the price for sin was death and then willingly paid the price for that sin. He died on a Roman cross to pay the price for our sin and then came back to life three days later to prove He was the Son of God. It is a pretty amazing story. If you have never read about it let me suggest you get a copy of the Bible read about Him. You will find Him in the first four books of the New Testament. You will find He is like sour cream raisin pie…delicious and irresistible. But you can’t know that if you don’t take a taste.

David (he is one of the Kings of Israel from Bible times) was on the run from one of his enemies when he wrote, “Oh taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!” David was saying if you will take just one taste of the real deal you will like what you taste. Its not religion, its not church—it is the Man who died on the cross because He loved me and you.

So, if you ever get the chance to taste sour cream raisin pie, especially if somehow you can find a piece of Miss Pauline’s, well don’t wait and don’t delay. Even if, especially if, you have tried plain ole raisin pie you are gonna be surprised! And if you haven’t read the story of Jesus, well don’t wait and and don’t delay. Even if, especially if, you have been turned off by church and religion, you are gonna be surprised. You are gonna find out that He is the real deal. You are gonna find out when and if you decide to follow Him, He will be your new BFF (best friend forever) and He will never leave you sitting beside the road. He is the kind of friend that you can call at 2:00 am and never get a busy signal. He is the kind of friend who invites you to sit and chat on the front porch and rest a while. He is the kind of friend that is like a strong, big brother who loves you. Strong enough to say, “I’ve got this” and pull it off. Try Him…You’ll love Him.

Family, life, Scripture, wisdom

Here Kitty, Kitty

Posted on June 16, 2020 by Dewayne Taylor

“Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God—who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly—and it will be given to him.” Proverbs 7:5

“Dewayne, we have a problem.” It was Judy and it was what greeted me as I was going out to the garage to get something I needed. I think I know how it must have felt when the crew of Apollo 13 uttered those now famous words, “Houston…we have a problem.” I had started painting our upstairs bathroom. You need to know I am no Leonardo da Vinci and this was not going to be a Mona Lisa. Into that throes the news came. “We” have a problem.

I quickly explained to Judy that I didn’t have time for a problem. My paint was drying and some of it was in the wrong place—like the floor. She told me there was a cat trapped in her car. Wait. What? Well, the night before she had told me she saw a cat go in our garage and I should check before I closed it up for the night. About 9.30, I went out and did the “Here, Kitty, Kitty” thing, shined my flashlight around in the corners and such. No cat. “Good.” I said. Or not.

So it turns out our homeless friend didn’t move on—it moved in. The crazy part was that it took up residence in the engine compartment of her car. Silly cat. I was going to say, “stupid cat” but I thought you might think me harsh. So anyway, I left the drying paint in the bathroom to attempt a rescue. It was about then that I discovered why it is so expensive to work on Volkswagen cars. You open the hood to only discover that every square inch is stuffed with something. And somewhere in all of that was the cat. Silly cat.

A friend was there with Judy and all three of us looked and prodded, we called and cooed and nothing—just the occasional meow of the cat. Judy volunteered to look if I jacked up the car to see if we could see anything from underneath. I did and she couldn’t. It was time to call in the calvary. I called my neighbor Jared who manages a local tire place. Surely he would have an idea. As we waited for him to come, we continued to prod and poke, coo and call. In my sweetest voice I kept saying, “Hey silly kitty, come here silly kitty.” I wanted to say stupid cat but I was trying to be Christian about this whole deal.

Then it happened. The cat, who turned out to be the cutest kitten south of Chicago, wiggled out of its tight spot and ran to the corner of the garage. So I moved from poking and prodding under the hood to poking and prodding in the corner filled with stuff we didn’t need. Cute or not this kitten was about to mash my button. Not to bore you with details but four grown adults spent the next ten minutes chasing this cute little silly kitten from one corner of the garage to the other. From behind the washer and dryer to the corner of no return, we played hide and seek. Finally, the cute little kitten saw the light of day, ran through our friends hands and legs and out the door. Game. Set. Match.

The cute little silly kitten was on the run and that was all that mattered. Jared went back to work, the ladies went on with life and I went upstairs to scape dried paint off the floor. I know I heard this kitten laughing from across the street. So what is up with all this? Surely the kitten knew better. Surely he or she knew the danger of living under the hood of a car—but probably not. To the cute little kitten it was just a place to hide.

You see the kitten wasn’t silly, the kitten wasn’t stupid (well, not real stupid anyway). The kitten just lacked experience. It was naive. It hadn’t lived long enough to understand the dangers of garage living. And do you know what? That is true of a lot of us. Solomon, the wisest guy to ever live, wrote in Proverbs, “I saw among the inexperienced, I noticed among the youths, a young man lacking sense.” And the crazy part it was nothing to do with age. We have all made some crazy decisions at one time or another. Too often we just throw common sense to the wind and well, we end up with a train wreck.

God is in the train wreck avoidance business. That’s why He led the half-brother of Jesus to write in James 1:5, “Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God—who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly—and it will be given to him.” If we would do that one simple thing we could avoid a lot of painful situations. Just stop for a moment, ask God if this is the wise thing to do, and wait for an answer. By the way, silence might be an answer, so don’t miss it.

Well, I hope our cute little kitten found a new place to live and hopefully it isn’t in someone’s engine compartment. And I hope we will learn to trust a wise, loving Father to give us the wisdom we need to live better lives with fewer regrets and better consequences. You know He loves you, don’t you? He wants you to come to Him and rest in the safety of His arms. He wants you to know He has this. And He does.

Family, Grace, gratitude, Holidays, life, Scripture, thankful

Flag Day

Posted on June 15, 2020 by Dewayne Taylor

The heavens declare the glory of God, and the expanse proclaims the work of His hands. Psalms 9:1

It was for better or worse. In a little more than a week my wife and I will celebrate our 44th wedding anniversary. I know if you have ever seen us you would find that hard to believe because we look so young. Smile. The years have flown by so quickly. I can remember the days we would go to a conference and something and they would introduce the guest speaker saying they had been married for 35 years or so. The crowd would erupt in applause. I would think how old they were. I am now that person. But they say that age is just a number and that’s true.

When I married Judy that hot (and I do mean hot) June day in south Georgia we made a commitment to each other. It went something like this, “for better, for worse; for richer, for poorer; in sickness and in health till death do us part.” It was a deal we made with each other that no matter what we were stuck on (and not stuck with) each other. We decided that we were in this for the long haul. There have been speed bumps, detours and even a few fender benders but love somehow learns to forgive, and sometimes ignore, those.

I bet you think this story is about marriage, didn’t you? Got you. Nope, it is about my love for this country. Yesterday, June 14th, was Flag Day. It garnered a place on our church marquee and a mention in the sermon intro. Oh, and I also worn a flag pin. But it had a much bigger place in my heart. I love my country, the land where God put me, America…not because it is perfect but because I can stand every week in our church and say what I want…and no one is going to arrest me. I love America because it is still the land of the free. I am writing this in Tennessee. I didn’t need anyone’s permission to leave; I just got in the car and off Judy and I went. Yup, I love America. Having lived in and visited over twenty-five countries in this world…I have seen and experienced many others and America still tops the list.

You are probably wondering, “Dewayne, with all its warts and imperfections, with all its injustices and wrongs, with all its junk, how can you love America?” Well, the answer is two fold. One, from where I sit, it is still the best place in the world to live. Its landscape and people-scape are just amazing. It is filled with people willing to die for what they believe…that is why we are free. It is a place where you can speak your mind and even protest a wrong. The second reason is I signed up for the long haul. Its kinda like the deal that Judy and I made. “For better, for worse; for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health till death parts us.” I’m an American till the end.

Judy loves me…a lot. She somehow manages to love me in spite of my failures and faults. It kinda reminds me of God. He just refuses to give up on us. He extends grace and mercy and works to make us more and more like Him. With that comes a better me. As we work to make America a better place to live and work, as we extend grace and mercy to each other, we are mirroring Him. Sounds like a good plan to me.

Like I said earlier, yesterday was Flag Day. When I look at Old Glory I see the rich history, imagine the price that countless men and women have paid for this experiment in democracy and fall in love all over again. And in these stars and stripes I see the hope not only for you and me, not only for America but for the world. I see the gospel according to Old Glory. I know each color and each part of the flag has special meaning but allow me some liberty…pun intended.

When I see the field of stars I am reminded that in Psalm 19:1 “the heavens declare the glory of God.” It reminds me that every star in the sky is a witness to the existence of God. The blue field reminds me that there is a King in heaven. Blue is the color of royalty and it points to the King of the universe…the creator of all. His name is Jesus and He loves everybody regardless of skin color, language spoken or place lived. The red reminds me of the measure of this King’s love..He died on a Roman cross. He was not murdered and He wasn’t even martyred…He willingly died. The payment for sin…all sin…was death and He paid the price. Amazing.

And the white…well that is my favorite color because it stands for forgiveness. White shouts that my sins are forgiven, that I am free and that I can call the Creator of the universe, “Abba Father or Dearest Daddy.” I know you might think I’m taking a little too much liberty with that title but that is what He is.

Anyway, I’m grateful for a wife who loves me regardless of my shortcomings. I am grateful for a place to call home that gives me the freedom to live, worship and believe as I see fit. Perfect? Not even by a long shot but I’m gonna stick around and do what I can to make her better. I’m gonna stick around and make sure the America my grandkids grow up is even better that the one I knew and know. And I am very grateful for a God that loves me unconditionally, that He is big enough to handle all the fears and warts of life and big enough to give me a place to rest…in Him. Oh, and I’m glad that He is big enough to conquer sin, death and grave because it just proves…He’s got this.

Family, Grace, gratitude, life, Military memories, Scripture, thankful

This Day

Posted on June 12, 2020 by Dewayne Taylor

“This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24

June 12th is a special day in my life. I graduated from high school on June 8, 1972. I am amazed that 48 years have passed beneath the bridge of my life. Time seems to travel so quickly. As a child it was a gentle stream and now as a mature (that is in years and not necessarily actions) adult it seems a raging torrent. So 48 years ago I was member of the largest graduating in the state of Florida for that year…714 seniors from one high School. Trust me…it was easy to be a small fish in that big pond. By Monday all that was in the rearview mirror.

On Monday, June 12, 1972, I raised my right hand and swore to protect and defend the constitution of the United States and to obey the orders of those appointed in rank above me. I was eighteen, naive, had never been away from home and wondering what in the world I had gotten myself into. If I remember that day correctly we took the oath, had last minute medical exams, and filled out a mountain of paperwork. They took us to Morrison’s Cafeteria for a last meal of sorts and then on to the airport for the flight to Lackland Air Force Base. Intentionally we arrived at about 2:00 am…something they still do today. We were given a couple of hours of sleep before beginning the great journey of becoming airmen.

The privilege of serving my country for the next twelve years marks that day as one of the great days of my life. The training I received there impacted the rest of my life. The skills I received in my advance training and then in my career prepared me for something far greater then I could imagine. Little did I know on June 12, 1972, what God had planned for me. Saddle up your horses boys…this is the great adventure.

After twelve years in the Air Force it became apparent that the winds of change were blowing in my life. I so loved the Air Force—it was my niche, my calling. Starting in 1980 there were these whispers from Abba Father, my dearest daddy, that He wanted to do something more. It was a whisper from Him to jump into the unknown. It was a whisper to trust Him at a level that I had never before experienced. He was calling and it was undeniable.

The details are still vivid in my mind but time doesn’t allow the whole story to be told. On February 14, 1982, I went forward in a morning worship service and told God I would do whatever He wanted. Four short months later I found myself still in the service but in His service pastoring a small church close to our home. Those days were crazy days. Over the course of a few months the deal was sealed. He whispered that He wanted me to give myself completely to Him. He no longer wanted share me with the Air Force. With that, Judy and I, along with our two very young daughters, prepared to jump big.

That leads to our second June 12th. On that date in 1983, on a hot Sunday afternoon, I sat before a large ordaining council and a larger crowd. That day, June 12, 1983, I was ordained, set apart, to serve Him. My fondest memory of that day came after the council had asked all their questions. They had been graceful to me and I was grateful. The chairman of the council told the moderator that he had no more questions. The moderator then asked if anyone else had an questions. I only thought I was done.

An elderly pastor, slowly stood to his feet and said, “Young man, the Bible says that the husband is the head of the home. It also says that a pastor is to rule his house well. Are you going to rule your house well?” And he sat down. If there was ever a time that I needed for God gave me the right words to say it was probably then. With all the intentional fortitude I could muster I said, “Yes sir…if Judy will let me.” The room erupted and I got ordained.

And here I sit thirty-eight years later so grateful for a God who believed in me and hundreds of people who were patient and loved me. I have seen wheelbarrows full of grace from the God of the universe and His people. If you ever wonder why I am grace heavy in my teaching it is because I have needed it so much and I have experienced it so much. I am blessed. Game. Set. Match. The Bible says that this day, this very one, is a day that the Lord has made. We get to choose how we are going to live it and how we will remember it. Well I am so grateful for two days in June, both the 12th. They are markers for this incredible journey called life. How about you? Do you have some special days that God moved, that God spoke, that God just showed off? Let me encourage you to celebrate them…and Him. He is such a good Abba Father to do less is unimaginable. So go ahead, relive the times, relive the days when He showed up, when you rested in Him, when you just knew “He’s got this.” Then you can be the whisperer and softly say, “Thank you, Father.”