Category: Family

Posted in communication, Family, life, Military memories, Scripture

Left, Right, Left

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.” Galatians 5:25

Keeping in step has been a part of my life since I was in eighth grade. I suppose it all started with the Emerald Buccaneers. They were a drum and bugle corp that my sisters and I belonged to in Jacksonville, Florida. We would toot our horns and bang our drums and do our best to stay in step. In fact, I believe stepping together was just about as important as playing together. Anyway, we learned to march.

My big, and I do mean big, lesson in marching came when I joined the Air Force in 1972. Starting with day one we were drilled and drilled some more on the fine art of keeping in step. I can still hear our drill sergeant as he called the cadence, ” Left, right left.” For some this marching thing came pretty quickly–for others, well, not so. For me, because of my experience with the Buccaneers, it came pretty easily which is pretty amazing since I have exactly zero rhythm.

It was relatively easy for the drill sergeant or the drum major to tell if we were in step or not.  If our heads were bobbling and bouncing around he knew we were out of step. When our heads were steady…well, we were. When we were out of step, he would occasionally count the cadence to help us get back in step–left, left, left, right left. Shortly, and hopefully we were once again marching as one.

The other day I was reading one of my devotions and rediscovered a great verse in the Bible. It was written by Paul, a guy in the Bible, to the church that was located in Galatia. In Galatians 5:25 he wrote two important things in fifteen words. The first was, “If we live by the Spirit.” It might be better translated, “If we want to live by the Spirit.” The Spirit of course is the Holy Spirit and in many ways He is like my drill sergeant in the Air Force or my drum major in the Emerald Buccaneers. One of His jobs is to help us keep in step with the Father, and the Son, and of course, the Holy Spirit. And the bottom line is this. If we want to live in the power, and peace, and wisdom of the Holy Spirit, we have to learn to walk in step with Him. Walk in step with Him and experience the essence of what the Christian life, or walk, is all about.

When we marched in the Air Force and in the Emerald Buccaneers, we had to learn to listen. Marching wasn’t a time to left your mind wander. Wandering minds always led to bobbling heads and bobbling heads always meant we weren’t in step. There isn’t a great mystery to keeping in step with the Holy Spirit.  It begins and ends with us committing our heart and spiritual ears to Him. We learn to listen when He speaks. His voice may not be audible but it is certainly real. Learn to listen and you may hear two distinct things. First, a spiritual left, right, left. Translated it simple means, “Walk with me, step by step by step. The second thing you will hear, if your listen carefully, will be His calm assurance not to worry because, “He’s got this.” Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, friends, life, love, loving others, marriage, Scripture

The Power of Remembering

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “But then I recall all You have done, O LORD; I remember Your wonderful deeds of long ago. They are constantly in my thoughts. I cannot stop thinking about Your mighty works.” Psalm 77:11-12

Remember not to forget. You know, God is big on this remembering thing. When Jesus was just about done with His mission here, He met with His disciples on a Thursday night and did two important things. He washed their feet and served them a special supper. Washing their feet was to remind them that they were supposed to serve one another. And, just in case, one or two or all of them thought they were too important to serve He told them just like He the Master was willing to wash their feet so they should be ready and willing to wash the feet of others. Just a gentle nudge in the right direction. They would need it.

He also served supper that night. It was a simple affair jam packed with meaning. He took a loaf of bread and invited them to have a piece. He explained that the bread represented His body that would soon be broken on a Roman cross. Then, He gave them a sip of wine and explained that the wine represented His blood that would soon be spilt on a Roman cross. He told them as often as they ate the bread or drank the wine, they should remember–remember Him, remember what He did and why He did it. They would need that too.

While there are plenty of things we need to forget–you know, the sticks and stones and broken bones caused by harsh words and actions of friends and enemies, there are plenty of things we need to remember. In other words we need to forget the bad stuff done to us and remember the good things done for us. Let the bad go and hug the good. That is true with God stuff but it is just as true in our daily walk about life. And, it is especially true in love and marriage.

Recently I discovered something that was literally a game changer. When they invented the iPhone and all its cousins, they also invented the portable, go anywhere camera. If you are like most people we now can snap digital pictures all day long. Snap one here and snap one there. They have no development fees so feel free to snap away. Unfortunately we tend to never look at them. They are usually just filed away. Well, this game changer is a feature featured on my iPhone. Let me explain.

You see, I have the ability to search for all the pictures I have on my phone of my sweet wife Judy. Then, I can tell the iPhone to show them when I mash the magic button to turn the screen on. Wait there is more. Then I can tell it to show a different picture every time I do that. So whenever I get ready to use my phone, a different picture of a different adventure with my wife Judy shows up on the screen. Each one reminds me in full and living color of why I love her so much–and why I love our live together. It has been like a fresh breeze of our lives together and it is awesome.

So, if you have a smartphone, be sure and see if it has this feature and turn it on. You can choose your spouse, your kids or both of them, your pet, or your walk about life. But in the process you are going to remember all the things we have to be thankful for–and most likely–it will be a bunch. Oh, and you are also going to be reminded how many times God has whispered in your ear, “Don’t worry, I’ve got this” and that will be a whole bunch too.  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, Father's Day, gratitude, life, Scripture

My Daddy

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

“You are the salt of the earth.” Matthew 5:13a

I think you would have liked my Daddy. With yesterday being Father’s Day and all, I just felt like I needed to tell you a little bit about my Daddy. On a Sunday morning in 1974, he up and moved to heaven. As far as I was concerned we both were too young.  He was 62 and I was 20. If I was to try and describe my Daddy I would probably go to the Bible and look at some of the characters there because my Daddy believed the Bible and in a very good way, my Daddy was a character.

My Daddy was like Adam–the very first man in the Bible. While there is a lot to be said for Adam the one think that sticks out to me was that he was a hard worker and so was my Daddy. Everyday, without question, he would get up and go to work at the Jacksonville Naval Air Station where he worked on jet engines. His shop was not air conditioned and since it was Florida it could get kinda hot and humid. It was my Daddy who taught me to value work. He was the one who taught me to take the family push mower and go from house to house knocking on doors and asking, “Sir or Ma’am, would you like your grass mowed for $2.00?” Yup, I made and spent a lot of money mowing grass. He’s also the one who taught me to get a job washing dishes at a local restaurant for seventy-five cents an hours and to bag groceries for a dollar an hour. My Daddy, like Adam, knew the value of hard work.

Oh, and the fella in the Bible who built things like an ark–my Daddy was like him too. No, my Daddy didn’t build an ark but he sure knew how to built a home. He and Momma put their lives together and eight kids later made a home. Neither one of them was perfect but they sure did love us a lot. They sacrificed so much and made sure that the house we had, an old repurposed Army barracks, was not a house but a home. Together they built a marriage and home and taught us to love one another–even when it was hard. My Momma and Daddy both knew the value of love.

My Daddy was also like that guy in the Bible named David who was a giant killer. When one of them, Goliath, decided to challenge God and His people, David took a couple of rocks and took care of him. Giants didn’t bother David and they didn’t bother my Daddy either. Raising eight kids wasn’t easy–in fact you could probably say it was ginormous. Plenty of times, despite all he did, there was more month than money but somehow the lights stayed on and the table was always set. When his heart gave out and he had to retire, he would work all night as a security guard just to make sure we stayed afloat. My Daddy knew the value of keeping his family secure–even when it meant killing giants.

When Jesus was teaching that day on the side of mountain, he looked at the people and all the daddies there and said to them, “You are the salt of the earth.” He was telling them that they were the foundation of all that He was about to do and teach. My Daddy would have fit right in there because he was the foundation of my small part of the world. I remember the time I came in from a late night date and he was praying at the kitchen table. I also remember the time he was leading us in family worship and he was kneeling at his chair talking to God. Those are precious memories. My Daddy was indeed the salt of the earth. He was a good man who loved God, loved Jesus and loved me. And along his life journey, he learned and taught me that no matter what, our Dearest Daddy could be trusted and could and would say, “Don’t worry…I’ve got this.” Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Scripture, Grace, Family, gratitude, prayer, loving others, friends

Church: Different Sizes–Same God

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.” Romans 12:4-5

Amazing Grace…how sweet the sound. So since my retirement on June 1, 2024, I occasionally preach at other churches. By choice my name is not on the official “pulpit supply” list rather I simply wait and if a church calls and it works on my calendar, I usually will fill in. Supply preaching is interesting for several reasons–the first being the opportunity to worship with other churches. Invariably the churches that need a guy to “fill the pulpit” are small–some are very small.

At least twice I have shared this great truth. I tell them to remember that it is not the size of the church that matters but rather the size of the God in the church. I was preaching this last Sunday and I shared that the same God that works in a mega, mega church is the same God that works in a church running under twenty. Same God.

I preached Sunday at a church that probably runs about twenty or twenty-five people. I like the fact that it is a folksy kind of church. The people are friendly and non assuming. The atmosphere gives me that same feeling I get when I put on my favorite sweatshirt on a cool fall night. Warm and comfortable. They begin their Sunday morning service the same way every Sunday–by reciting the pledge to the American flag, the Christian flag and then the Bible. There is just something about that that warms my soul. Three great reminders–we should thank God for our country, we should thank Jesus for dying for us and we should thank God for His word. Check. Check. Check.

The songs that we sing there are from an old hymn book that we actually used in our youth choir back in the seventies. It is called the Inspirational Hymnbook (followed by a number). The songs are old yet soul stirring. I was surprised how satisfying I found these songs. Oh, I still love the new stuff but the old stuff reminds me that the words of truth that carried me then can still carry me now. I appreciate that a lot. I like that a lot.

I’ve done the church thing all my life even before I became a Jesus follower in 1967. The churches I attended and even the ones that I pastored were as varied as the names on their signs. Churches are different because people are different. There are a few constants that should be noted–like love God and love people– but just like people’s personalities are different so are churches and do you know what? That is just ok. We are blessed to have so many places to worship here in America. We just need to remember that it really is all about Him and that no matter what–He’s got that. Bro. Dewayne

Posted in communication, Family, life, Scripture, spiritual battles

Unity

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “How wonderful and pleasant it is when brothers and sisters live together in harmony!” Psalm 133:1

My memories of a place called Belfast were troubled. I was anxious to visit Belfast, Ireland mainly because it was part of my memories. I don’t remember much but I do know it often occupied a chunk of the CBS Evening News. Even back then there was plenty of news and unfortunately too much of it was difficult–most would call it bad. In the late sixties here in the States trouble was on every corner. There were riots, mainly about race and the Vietnam War and there were even assassinations. So, I guess what was happening in Ireland was only more of the same.

For years, the Catholic/nationalist minority in Northern Ireland faced unfair treatment, and these injustices finally erupted into civil rights protests in the late 1960s. This sparked a harsh response from Protestant/unionist groups, resulting in the British Army being sent in. The Irish Republican Army was resolute in their goal to drive the British out of Northern Ireland, and the violence they unleashed included bombings, shootings, and, unfortunately, assassinations in Northern Ireland, mainland Britain, and the Republic of Ireland. Sadly, over 3,500 lives were lost during this period.

The Good Friday Agreement in 1998 played a big role in resolving the conflict. This important political agreement created a government that shared power in Northern Ireland and included plans for the IRA to disarm. Because of these measures, the Provisional IRA officially stopped its armed activities in 2005.

So, like I said, my memories of the late sixties here in the States and what was happening over there were indeed troubling. Perhaps what was most troubling was the fact that like our civil war which raged from 1861 to 1865, brothers were fighting brothers and families were fighting families. I know you didn’t tune into Grits today for a history lesson but there is something to be learned from what you have read today

Conflict and division are so damaging…no matter where it occurs. Two of the most tragic battlefields are within the home and within the house of God. Once again, too often you see families members fighting each other and brothers and sisters in Christ spiritually and emotionally slugging it out. And while all of that is going on, the world watches and wonders if Jesus is so good why aren’t His people.

Two verses come to my mind as I write this. The first one is found in John 13:35 where Jesus tells us, “Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” Remember, the proof of our faith is not the checks we write or how often we go to church. People will know that we are Jesus followers by our love. Underline it. Memorize it. Tattoo it on your arm if you have too.

The second verse is found in Psalm 133:1.  There we read, “How wonderful and pleasant it is when brothers and sisters live together in harmony!” Our unity, our harmony is like a sweet smelling aroma to our Father. Remember this does not mean we agree on everything but it does mean that we simply will not allow our dogma and opinions to divide us. Our unity in Jesus should always win the day. If you find this too difficult, don’t worry. Our Dearest Daddy loves to help His children…especially when it comes to loving each other.  He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne 

Posted in Family, Grace, heaven, New Year, Scripture

New Life…New Land

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17

Her name was Annie Moore. Our next stop aboard the Majestic Princess fulfilled a “bucket list” dream for my wife Judy and I. We have long wanted to visit Ireland and that day…we did. The port and town of Cobh, Ireland (also know as Queenstown) was really quite simple but also quite amazing. It seemed to be everything we expected Ireland to be. What we didn’t expect was to be introduced to the story of a young lady and her two younger brothers. Their names were Annie, Anthony and Philip. And they were the very first immigrants to pass through Ellis Island.

As New York City welcomed the year 1892 with the ringing of church bells and the honking of horns, a 17-year-old Irish girl named Annie Moore found herself anchored off the southern tip of Manhattan. Alongside her two younger brothers, she had embarked on a journey from Queenstown, on December 20, 1891, aboard the steamship Nevada, seeking a new life in a new land. After a 12-day voyage, including Christmas, the girl from County Cork, Ireland, was finally just hours away from reuniting with her parents and two older siblings, after a four year separation.

The Nevada arrived too late on New Year’s Eve to be processed. However, at 10:30 a.m. on New Year’s Day, a flag on Ellis Island was lowered three times, signaling the transportation of the first boatload of immigrants. A symphony of foghorns, clanging bells, steam whistles, and cheers accompanied a barge adorned with red, white, and blue bunting as it ferried the Nevada’s steerage passengers to the dock at Ellis Island, standing tall in the shadow of the Statue of Liberty.

Among the passengers was the brown-haired Irish teenager, who eagerly bounded down the gangplank with her brothers. She entered the enormous double doors of the building and skipped two steps at a time up the main staircase. Turning to her left, she was guided into one of the 10 aisles and led to a tall lectern-like registry desk. “What is your name, my dear?” inquired the agent. “Annie Moore, sir,” she replied. With a pen poised over a fresh sheet of paper, the clerk meticulously inked Moore’s name and those of her brothers, Anthony and Philip, on the first page of the first registry book. Annie was then escorted into the next room and was soon embraced by her waiting parents. Over the course of the next 62 years, more than 12 million immigrants would follow in Annie Moore’s footsteps, passing through Ellis Island.

Her story is amazing–a new life in a new land–a reunion with her parents and older brothers after a four year separation. She was home but to a home she had never been to before. And in a very real way, Annie’s story is the story of every person who puts their faith and trust in Jesus Christ. By faith we trust Jesus and begin a new life in a new land. Paul, the guy who wrote a chunk of the New Testament, says in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” Then Jesus promises in John 14:2 “In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.”

Just like Annie, we too can leave the past behind and step into a new life in a new place. How about you? Are you willing to believe and trust? That’s all you have to do…believe in Him and trust Him and leave the rest is in His hands.  Like always, He’s got this.  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 Family, gratitude, heaven, life, Scripture, thankful, travel

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