Family – Page 117 – Grits with Grace

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.

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.”

Family, gratitude, life, Military memories, prayer, Scripture, thankful, travel

Welcome to Knob Noster

Posted on June 11, 2020 by Dewayne Taylor

But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9

We had to have the wrong address. Judy and I came home after living three years in Germany and headed to our new duty assignment. We stopped in Georgia to visit with family for a couple of weeks and then headed to Missouri. We were assigned to Whiteman Air Force Base near Knob Noster, Missouri. Yes, friend, there is a Knob Noster. We arrived there only to find out that the State Fair was being held about twenty miles away. There were no hotel rooms. Nada. None. Period.

Knob Noster only had a couple of small hotels and both said they were full. Judy was expecting and I was starting to feel like the Bible story of Mary and Joseph. You know, the whole no room deal. Well, the one place said try back that afternoon and maybe someone will check out. They did and we had a room.

First, you need to understand this was back in 1980 so there was no internet to check ratings and all of that. Second, the bottom line it was the only room in town. Third, it was bad—as in not good. Bad as in bugs. Bad as in bad. But still, we were grateful. It was a place to sleep. God is good. Probably though, I need to be more specific next time when I ask for a place to stay. I needed to learn from Judy.

The very next day we start looking for a place to live. There was a town called Warrensburg about ten miles from the base. It had a small university and was a nice midwestern small town. Unfortunately, housing options were very limited. The few places the real estate person showed us were small, dated and pricey. Now Judy had this prayer thing down. She had asked God for a house with a fireplace. My expectations weren’t that high. I had asked God for a house without bugs. She was much more creative than me. Honestly, I wasn’t sure God was going to pull off either one of our requests. And then he came along.

No, it wasn’t God but he was God’s delivery man. His name was Mario—like the brothers. He kinda looked like Danny DeVito. He too was a real estate agent and he had heard us talking with the other agent. He came over and introduced himself. He said, “You know, I have a house that I had built but haven’t been able to sell. I might be willing to rent it to you.” He gave us the address and told us go and check it out. It was just outside of town in a neighborhood called, “Valley View.”

We drove out and turned in and started checking addresses. At the end of the first road we had to go left or right on Valley View Circle. We went left and began looking for house number 209. Soon, on the right, was number 209. But wait…this couldn’t be the right place. It was a new, beautiful three bedroom split level brick home. We were shocked and said, “No, this can’t be right.” We went and peeked in the windows. “No, no way. Must have the wrong address.” And then we saw it. A massive chimney connected to a big fireplace.

Well, this was too much. Judy and I were beyond excited. This was more, so much more, than we ever expected in our wildest expectations. We immediately went back to the real estate office and hunted down Mario. “Well,” he said, “I’ve changed my mind. Sorry, no deal.” Naw…just kidding. He said he liked us, trusted us and would be willing to work with us. The bottom line is he rented it to us at below market value. He said he would need a security deposit and we told him we didn’t have anything saved up. He readily agreed to tack $25 a month onto the rent till we had that covered. Oh, and of course, it was refundable.

So, that is how Judy and I moved into our Cinderella castle at 209 Valley View Circle. Oh, and the yard needed landscaping, so he paid me to do that and took it off the rent. Amazing. You have probably already guessed that this is one of our favorite God stories. I still smile as I write this because it is just one example of how God has showered us with His love and grace. A fireplace? Really? New brick home? Yup. God is good.

Now God wasn’t good because He gave us a really nice house when there was no way we could afford one. God wasn’t even good because He gave Judy a fireplace. No, God is just good. Sometimes it is very obvious and sometimes it takes a little faith to see it. But He is good. Someone once said, “God is good and He is good at being God.” I was thankful for the Knob Noster Motel (bugs and all) because it was better than sleeping in our car. But I was also thankful for the time He gave us our wildest dream. 1 Corinthians 2:9 says, “But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him.” I know that is probably talking about heaven but I think it has to apply here too. Over the years there have been some real winner mountaintops when God just showed off. But do you know what? There have been some valleys too. Hard times when we couldn’t see the next step. The big take away has always been, “God is good. God is faithful. God can be trusted.” So, I’m gonna lay my head down tonight and rest in Him believing that. After all, He’s got this.”

Family, life, Scripture, Southern born

Five-Eight or Seven…Just About Right

Posted on June 10, 2020 by Dewayne Taylor

Be angry and do not sin. Don’t let the sun go down on your anger, and don’t give the devil an opportunity.” Ephesians 4:26

I think I have figured it out. From the time I could remember my mom always told me, “Dewayne, I think you are going to be six feet tall when you grow up.” I believe she based that on the fact that I kinda looked like my brother Joe and he was somewhere near that. Anyway, I grew up with the expectation that I would, well, grow up. Somewhere something got lost in the translation.

The bottom line is for all of my life I have been “height challenged”. Now, it wasn’t as bad as it could have been but it was apparent early on that mom had misjudged the gene pool. Unless a miracle was on the horizon the height expectations needed to be lowered…a lot. By the time I was in the eight grade I was still about five-six. I had managed to lose some of my pudginess but I just came up short (pun intended) on the height deal.

When I was in the ninth grade I was at the top of the pecking order grade wise. In Florida ninth grade was still in Junior High. I, we ninth graders were the kings of the campus…even if you were a tad short. Well one day in class the teacher stepped out of the room. A guy I knew, and he might have even been a friend, grabbed my pencil and said he was going to break it. “Don’t do it, man” I said in my deepest, tallest voice. He kept threatening to break it and I kept threatening to break him. He broke it and I exploded.

Now before we go on you need to know I was a pretty compliant kid. I am a conflict avoidance adult and I was a conflict avoidance kid. Something just snapped. I flipped the table over on him, put him in a head hold and proceeded to teach him not to break my pencil. Can someone said, “Stupid?” Well, the teacher walks in, someone breaks up the fight and we get a free trip to the principal’s office. Judgement was swift and right to seat of the problem. Two swats a day for five days administered by the athletic director. He was not five-six.

So for the next five days it was report first thing in the morning to his office, bend over and grab your ankles and two hard swats. Pow—pow. Swift, powerful and man did they hurt. And they worked. I always left with a strong desire to join the Peace Corps. I never got into another fight. Break my pencil? Sure go right ahead. I have a spare. I always wondered what sparked that outburst. I think I know. It was short man syndrome or SMS.

I found out that SMS is “an angry male of below average height who feels it necessary to act out in an attempt to gain respect and recognition from others and compensate for his short stature.” I’m pretty sure that is what happened that day. I was wanting some respect and was willing to act stupid to get it. Did I mention two swats a day for five days? So, that week, about day three and swat number six I got over my syndrome and a chunk of my anger. I was just fine at five-six. Fortunately the Lord gave me a couple of more inches and I ended up at a respectable five-eight. However, I think I am back down to five-seven now. You know, the Lord gives and the Lord takes away. Smile.

I really did learn a valuable lesson that day. You should never, and I mean never, let your anger get the best of you. Anger is not a sin when it is controlled and directed in the right direction. Jesus got angry at the people who were abusing His Father’s house. So the problem isn’t anger—the problem is control—or lack of it. Paul wrote about this when he said, “Be angry and do not sin. Don’t let the sun go down on your anger, and don’t give the devil an opportunity.” Keep your temper tame and don’t let it simmer over night. It’s great for a pork butt but terrible for anger. And every time we don’t, we give Satan the opportunity to win. And, when he wins…we lose. Every time. So, I’ve learned to be happy where I am. I think five-eight or seven is just about right. I’m still taller than Judy and she thinks I’m tall, or at least tallish, dark and handsome. Also, I’m learning not to lose it because I always lose when I do. And, I am learning to trust in Him. If someone breaks my pencil I just let God handle it. It’s much better than visiting the coach every morning for five days. There’s something else. I found out that when I’m not facing the coach in the morning, I rest better…especially in Him. I fall to sleep knowing, “He’s got this.” And He does.

Family, life, Scripture

One Big Earthworm

Posted on June 8, 2020 by Dewayne Taylor

Can a man carry fire next to his chest and his clothes not be burned? Or can one walk on hot coals and his feet not be scorched?” Proverbs 6:27-28

That’s gotta be one big earthworm. It was a great spring morning. Judy and I were living in Cobden, Illinois and over the years we had put together a really beautiful yard. Judy can visualize how something is going to look and then has the knack to make it grow. I do the grunt work. I’m the yard man and she is the architect. That day we were putting some mulch around the flower beds.

Our yard had a retaining wall at one of the front corners and the yard sloped in that corner. I would mulch leaves (we had four large maple trees) and put them there in the fall. The next spring we would use it as free (and I love free) mulch. I would take my trusty pitchfork and our oversized trash can down to the corner, fill up the can and take it to wherever she wanted it dumped. Then we would spread it out. Great plan. Beautiful day. All is well. And then he showed up.

I went to the corner, loaded up the can, brought it to the middle of the yard to one of our flower beds and she said dump it. I dumped it. I was about to use the pitchfork to start spreading the mulch when I noticed the tip of an earthworm barely sticking out of the mulch. In order to appreciate this, you need to know that earthworms, in Judy’s eyes are held in very high regard. It’s something about they aerate and loosen up the soil making it better for the flowers. I thought they were just fish bait. Silly me.

“Hey, there’s an earthworm” Judy exclaimed with the excitement of a kid on Christmas morning. “Grab him and put him in the garden.” So, hey, I’m just the grunt man so I reached down and pulled on the little fella. The little fella didn’t move. I looked at Judy with a quizzical look. My thought was that if he wanted to stay that bad he could just go with the next pitch fork load. No…that wasn’t gonna happen. So I gave it another shot and this dude wasn’t moving. “Poud (that’s Judy’s nick name) this guy isn’t coming.”

I took matters to the next level and took the pitchfork and shoved it into the mound around the earthworm and gave it a lift and a flip. Well, shoot that thing, there was a stinking snake. It wasn’t some innocent “let me aerate your soil” earthworm it was a 14 foot boa constrictor. Ok, that might be a slight exaggeration. But it was a snake, it was about two feet long and it was moving and so was I. Now both Judy and I were a lot younger than but even for our age we were out of there. And I do believe the grunt man outran the pretty little architect.

You ask, “What kind was it?” Don’t know. Don’t care. There are only two kinds of snakes—living and dead and this one was definitely alive. Honestly, I have blocked out what happened next. I can’t tell you if we went back and he was gone. I can’t tell you if I got a shovel and in pure self-defense ended the life of the slithering creature or what. I can only tell you that he was no longer a threat and I never, and I mean never, looked at the pile of mulch in the same way.

If I learned anything that day…and trust me I did…it was to be careful what you decide to pull on because things are not always as they seem. Ask Eve. The Genesis account of creation and the fall of man says that the serpent (that’s Bible code for snake) was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. The Hebrew language implies that the snake was beautiful, appealing. Intrigued she decided to strike up a conversation with him. “Bad idea, Eve.” Just run. But she didn’t and now we have this messed up world and it was all because Eve grabbed a hold of something she should have left alone.

There’s an old tale about a man who was walking up a mountain and it was getting cold. The man saw a rattlesnake and the snake said, “Please put me in your coat and take me down the mountain.” The man said, “No way, you will bite me.” The snake assured him he would not. He picks the snake up, puts it in his coat and goes down the mountain. As the temperature rises the snake gets a little more frisky and bites the man. The man, shocked, says, “You said you wouldn’t bite me.” And the snake replied, “You knew what I was when you picked me up.” So true. So tragically true.

The Bible also says this, “Can a man carry fire next to his chest and his clothes not be burned? Or can one walk on hot coals and his feet not be scorched?” “What does that mean?” you ask. It means the next time a snake wants to strike up a conversation, run. It means the next time you are tempted to sin, run. It means the next time your wife wants you to grab the tail of an oversized earthworm, run. No…it doesn’t mean that but it does mean be sure you know what you are grabbing before you take hold. Fortunately, our Abba Father knows all about snakes and sin and grabbing hold when we shouldn’t. He also loves us enough to give us wisdom to know the difference. James, the half-brother of Jesus, wrote, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God.” With wise counsel like that we don’t have to fear oversized earthworms or the other stuff we are living through right now. No, we can rest in Him. He’s got this.