Category: fear

Posted in Family, fear, forgiveness, friends, Grace, gratitude, Integrity, life, loving others, prayer, pride, school days, Scripture, Southern born, thankful, Trials

Crime of the Century

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

As Jesus went on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the toll booth, and He said to him, “Follow me,” and he got up and followed Him.” Matthew 9:9 (CSB)

It was the crime of the century.  Somewhere right around the time I was learning how to cut watermelon with a butcher knife, I was learning how to be a criminal.  I already had the regular sin thing down by then.  I could be jealous, tell a lie, be angry, be envious and be selfish—yup I was a pretty good sinner.  But one day, one ordinary day, I became a thief.  I became the “Al Capone” of 6008 Carlton Road.

My mom was the Girls Auxiliary teacher at the church we attended.  It was a class that taught girls about God and missions.  As part of the class, they would bring their change, and put it in one of those small, metal world globes.  Momma, to keep it safe, brought the globe home and one day, one ordinary day, I decided to steal.

My plan was never to take all the money—that would be too obvious.  I wanted just enough to go to the store and buy a water gun.  So, one day, Momma and my sisters left, and I was in the house by myself.  I went and took the globe to our porch and with a butter knife I began to fish the money out of the globe.  Nickels, dimes, and quarters fell to the floor.  When I got what I wanted I put the globe back and collected my booty. I don’t remember if I felt remorse, but I did feel fear.  “What if?” I said.

So, later, Daddy went to the store, and I tagged along.  I went back to the toys and picked up my water gun and bought it.  Now those were the days when kids didn’t have money laying around, so Daddy asked, “Where did you get the money to buy the water gun?”  I panicked but quickly and efficiently covered the crime with a lie.  “Oh, I found it.” I replied.  Found it indeed.

The only thing I remember from that point on is going back to the crime scene and making sure I had found all the coins that had fallen to the floor.  I didn’t find any, but I did find something else.  More fear and a burden of guilt.  I don’t remember how the story ended.  I don’t remember confessing, I know I didn’t replace the money, and I know it still bothers me to this day.  I bet Momma is going to have some questions when I get to heaven.  The cat is out of the bag.

So, along with being a regular sinner, I fell into stealing from God and lying to my Daddy—and probably my Momma.  Thankfully, somewhere down the road, I also became forgiven. It’s too long of a story to share here but when I was 13, I was plunged into grace.  I threw aside an unhealthy dose of religion and got a relationship with the God of the universe and beyond.  And do you know what?  That sin, and all my other sins, were forgiven, eradicated, erased, and thrown away. Amazing.

So, put your rocks down.  You might be wondering, “How can a professional criminal that stole from God be a Christian—much less a preacher?” That is the wonder, mystery, and power of God’s love.  You see, the worst sinners in the days of Jesus were tax collectors.  They were professional thieves who betrayed their friends and country men to the Romans.  Matthew was one of those. He was sitting at his collection table taking people for a ride.  Then it happened.

Jesus walks up to this most unlikely person and says, “Follow me.” The other followers’ jaws dropped, the Pharisees nearly threw-up and Matthew, well, he stood up, left it all behind and followed Jesus.  And, like they say, the rest is history.

I don’t know what your story is like—maybe you’re a lot better than me—maybe a lot worse.  Let me tell you what I know—God loves you and wants you in His family.  If you are willing to turn from your sin and follow Him, He will forgive your sins and give you a new past and a new future.

You see God can handle all this stuff we are in.  Crazy days and crazy sin doesn’t faze Him.  He can handle your circumstances—and your sin, no matter how much you resemble Matthew or Al Capone.  Come to Him today, rest in Him today.  He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, fear, forgiveness, friends, Grace, gratitude, life, love, loving others, sovereignty of God, spring, thankful

Larry, Barry, Harry, Terry, Ralph, and Bubba

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But as it is, God has arranged each one of the parts in the body just as he wanted.” (1 Corinthians 12:17-18)

The geese in our city park and I are occasionally on a first name basis. There are two kinds of geese in the park.  Almost all of them are standard, brownish geese.  Then there are also four or five white snow geese.  Now trust me on this.  In the past the snow geese and the regular geese just didn’t like each other.  But something must have happened.

Let me tell you what happened one day. First, there were several of the standard brownish geese families.  They were teaching the kids about swimming, eating, how to potty on the walking path…you know the standard things.  But then there was something else happening.  There were four white geese and they had like five babies, and they were one big happy family. I’m sure there was a mom and a dad but there was also at least an aunt and an uncle.  They were all doing their family thing.  But hang on.

There was also a pair of standard brownish geese, and they had babies.  What was different was they had two brown babies and a baby that obviously came from the snow geese. No really.  I’m thinking they adopted one.  And you know what?  They treated him just like the rest.  But that wasn’t quite the end of the story either.  So, there was a pair of standard brownish geese, and they had five brown babies.  They were so cute.  I think their names were probably like Larry, Barry, Harry, Terry, and Ralph.  Anyway, there’s one more thing.

There was one of the big snow geese in the family mix.  He obviously had to be a distant, and I mean distant, relative.  But he was one tough dude.  The little babies were on the sidewalk and mom and dad were standing there.  Usually, when I would walk by a family, the dad would hiss at me, and I would act afraid.  I wasn’t but I was hoping it would make him feel better.  Anyway, mom and dad were casual—no deal.

But then there was the snow goose named Bubba.  I mean when I got close, he puffed his chest out, stretched his neck, glared at me and gave me his best manly hiss.  You know the kind those big cobra snakes do in India. The hair stood up on the back of my neck and on my arms and I kept moving.  I don’t know who Bubba was, but he likes his family—brown or not—a lot.

You know, the more I thought about it…the more I thought it wasn’t weird at all.  I thought maybe that’s exactly how it is supposed to be.  The geese, regardless of their feather color, came together, formed a family and a community and were doing life.  Everyone seemed happy to me.  Well, all except Bubba.  He had an attitude, but I think even that was because he loved and cared for the others.

Someone once said it takes a village to raise a child.  It takes all kinds of people to make life work.  And do you know what?  It takes all kinds to make God’s family work too. If you go to church, you know sometimes it can get just a little bumpy. Someone doesn’t like this or doesn’t like that.  Someone wears the wrong thing or not enough of the right thing.  Someone thinks things are too loud or too soft or too hot or too cold. Well, I think we need to take a lesson from the guys and gals at the park.

In the Bible Paul wrote that things would be weird if a body was one giant ear or one giant eye.  If we were all the same, we would just be in a hot mess.  It takes every part—every person—being themselves and doing what God designed them to do.  And do you know what else it says?  It says in 1 Corinthians 12:18 “But as it is, God has arranged each one of the parts in the body just as He wanted.”  As.He.wanted.  That means that the person that you just love at church was put there by God.  And it also means the person who irritates you the most was put there too.  And perhaps they are there just for you.

Of all God’s creations, the church, His body, is one of His most beautiful.  A flower garden is made beautiful not in its sameness but in its variety. The body of Christ is made beautiful the very same way.  So, in these trying days, these crazy days, these days when it is so important that the church be the church, be sure and remember that the body is a bouquet of people and personalities selected and arranged by God himself.  We need the Bubbas, and we need Larry, Barry, Harry, Terry, and Ralph too.  We need the younger and we need the older.  We need each other.  Sound too difficult? Sound a little overwhelming?  Don’t worry about it.  God’s good at helping His rowdy, sometimes difficult kids grow.  So, take a rest in Him. He’s got this. Just ask Bubba. Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, fear, food, friends, Grace, gratitude, life, love, loving others, prayer, priorities, Scripture, thankful, wisdom

Sticker Shock

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23

I was shocked. Most of us are familiar with the term “sticker shock.” That normally applies to cars. You know when we finally decide it is time to shop around for a new vehicle. The air is filled with excitement at the prospect of something new sitting in our driveway. We can feel the neighbor’s admiring smile as they drive by our driveway and admire our new wheels. We can’t wait until we can go to the dealer. There is the car of our dreams. We stop, get out and look and then we see the sticker price and then quickly our dream becomes a nightmare. We quickly get back into our car before we can be accosted by the salesman. We know he is bent on convincing us we can afford the car which is worth just about half the value of our house. Sigh and then sigh some more.

Sticker shock chapter two.  Sometimes it doesn’t take a visit to the auto dealer to experience sticker shock. Sometimes it can be right there in our email inbox.  Just last week I was going through my emails to sort out things I need and things I don’t. I like a nice and neat inbox.  So, I receive several “good deal” emails and occasionally I find some very good deals. Today was not one of those days—but something did catch my eye.

The top of the email advertised a bunch of deals from Amazon—up to 85% off. Well, I learned a long time ago that “up to” doesn’t mean a thing in advertising but still it was intriguing.  I took a look, and something caught my eye—not because it was such a good deal, but because it was a sticker shocker. Amazon was proud to announce that you could buy six regular size Hershey bars for…get ready…hang one…recharge your pacemaker…$5.38.  The regular price was $7.10. I was shocked.

My problem was twofold. First, I guess I don’t buy many candy bars, so I was unaware that candy bars and gold were on the same level these days! Someone reading this will probably think, “Where has this guy been?” Well, apparently on another planet…and that leads to problem two. You see, when I was growing up, and I acknowledge that was a few years ago, I can remember going to the store with my Daddy.  On special occasions he would splurge and buy a six pack of Snicker bars. I suppose it was always Snickers because that was his favorite.  The price was a whopping 49 cents…not for one but for six.

No, I am not stuck in the sixties but the last time I checked candy prices I thought it was like 69 cents…and for the record I thought that was too high.  As you can imagine I had candy bar sticker shock on steroids. The bottom line is everything is going up and everything costs more than it used to so I guess we might as well get used to it.

Of course, there is one thing that is immune from inflation and that is God’s gift of eternal life. Over the centuries it has never gone up…and it never will. You see, when God sent His Son to earth and when His Son willingly died on that Roman cross the price was paid in full. Anyone willing to ask can have the gift free of charge. Imagine all your sins forgiven and wiped away and a forever home in heaven. Oh and did I mention a new Best Friend who will never leave you or forsake you?

I may be shocked about this extravagant gift but not because of sticker shock…but because of love shock. How could the God who made it all pay it all for a world of people who are all unworthy.  And that is the amazing thing.  Because He is God. So, no matter how long your sin list, I hope you will trust and believe and take God up on His amazing offer.  Trust me…He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, fear, gratitude, life, love, prayer, Scripture, sovereignty of God, thankful, Trials, wisdom

-346 Degrees

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

“I have refined you, but not as silver is refined. Rather, I have refined you in the furnace of suffering.” Isaiah 48:10 (NLT).

COVID…did all that really happen?  COVID was such a crazy time.  I remember being excited because I got to go to the skin doctor.  That’s right…I got to go.  My skin doctor is in Paducah so that meant I could jail break from staying home.  Judy and I hopped in our zippy little car and headed south.  It was good just to be going somewhere…even if it was to the doctor.  When we arrived, there were special precautions.  It reminded me of what going into the White House might be like.  Sitting in my car instead of the waiting room, masks, temperature checks.  I’m sure I saw a Secret Service agent poking around the corner.

Anyway, I finally made it inside.  Now this was a skin check.  They look and make sure something is not growing that shouldn’t be there.  Being a southern boy who regularly thought it was cool to go to the beach and get sunburned, this is particularly important.  What I thought was cool then is setting me up for skin cancers and the like now.

The nice skin doctor (at least I think it was her…she had a mask on…she could have been the secretary for all I knew) came in and checked me over.  You will be glad to know that things went well. She did find one “pre-cancer” thingy on my ear.  She said they should freeze it off.  I said, “Yes Ma’am, you go right ahead.”  It was then she got her little freezing tool and cut loose.  Ouch.

I have had this done before I just forgot how bad it hurt.  It’s funny…freezing feels a whole lot like burning.  There is a reason.  Liquid nitrogen, the stuff they use for this, is -346 degrees.  Yup… you read that right.  I had a couple of other things that needed to be frozen, so she did those too.  Speaking of frozen, after this chilling experience, I wonder how all those Disney characters could be so happy in that movie by that name. Anyway, it was over, it was done.  After a couple of hours, the pain went away and so did the pre-cancer.

You know, sometimes pain is part of the process.  In this case I was probably part of the problem.  My neglect earlier led to a situation that had to be fixed—painfully fixed.  Sometimes it isn’t our fault at all.  Sometimes it is just part of life.  Sometimes it is for our good.  And that is where God comes in.

God loves us a lot.  He knows what is good and what is best for us.  Sometimes that means pleasant trips and sunshiny days.  Sometimes it means pain.  There are some lessons, and yes, some consequences, that require a season of pain to teach us. No one likes them.  In fact, sometimes we get just a little mad at God.  That is where faith comes in.  Is He a loving Father? Yup. Is He all wise? Yup? Does He have our good at His heart? Yup.  Are we willing to trust Him? Well, that’s just a little harder.

At least twice in the Bible the scriptures talk about the “refiner’s fire.” Proverbs 17:3 puts it this way, “A crucible for silver, and a smelter for gold, and the Lord is the tester of hearts.” The metalsmith will heat gold or silver to the point it melts and then all the impurities will float to the surface.  He does this again and again till he can look into the pot, and he can see the reflection of his face in the molten metal.  The.reflection.of.His.face.

Our Abba Father, our Dearest Daddy, loves us enough to allow us to go through the fire and make us more and more like Him.  And that usually means suffering. In Isaiah 48:10, God says, “I have refined you, but not as silver is refined. Rather, I have refined you in the furnace of suffering.” Some suffering is easier than others but honestly, none of it is pleasant—but it is all purposeful.  God doesn’t know wasted suffering. Remember that.

So, as we walk these twisted paths we call life, regardless of what that means, remember that God is with you, and He is in control. He.is.in.control.  You see, He is honestly more interested in our holiness than our happiness.  Don’t take that harshly. As God’s kids, we are happiest when we are holiest.  It’s just the truth.  That path, the one directed by Him, means less regrets and less consequences.  So, no matter what today looks like…trust Him.  Rest in Him.  He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, fear, friends, Grace, gratitude, life, love, loving others, Military memories, prayer, priorities, Scripture, Southern born, sovereignty of God, thankful, Trials

Forty

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning.” Lamentations 3:22-23

It was a crazy consequence…or was it. I was sitting at the computer trying to figure out what to write. I thought about the eclipse, but I hit that a couple of days prior and it was rapidly disappearing in the rearview mirror, and it wasn’t due to reappear in our area for another 375 years.  I’m pretty sure that none of us, or the sun, moon, and earth for that matter, will be around for that one! So, after pondering for a few minutes, I realized that something important had happened in my life and I should share.

On Sunday, April the 7th, I shared with the church family that I was planning on starting the next chapter in our Jesus journey. I would be stepping down as Senior Pastor after 24 years.  Oh, it wasn’t a sudden decision. Judy and I had been praying and talking and talking and praying about it for more than a few months and we felt it was time for us to surrender to whatever the Lord has next for us. So, we waved the white flag.  What makes it easier for us is that if the Lord is willing, we are going to hang around and be a part of the Dorrisville family.

Well, anyway, about that consequence thing.  I realized that in April of 1984 (as in exactly forty years or four decades ago) I began my final preparations to leave the Air Force to begin my new life as a full-time vocational pastor.  Now trust me…that was a giant leap. At that time my wife Judy and I had two small daughters, ages three and two. We were leaving something we dearly loved, the Air Force, and jumped into a world with no health insurance and a much smaller income. While on the surface I was confident I was also very nervous.

Well God was more than faithful and now we find ourselves once again jumping and once again leaving something we dearly love (our vocational career as pastor and wife). The big truth is that the same God that was faithful forty years ago is faithful today. The same God who led us to four wonderful congregations over the last forty-two years, will lead us till the sun sets.  And yes, the same God who took care of us as we raised our girls will take care of in the coming days.  Just as a standby I told a couple of our deacons to be ready—we might have to move in with them. Smile.

So, God’s timing is always perfect.  If you do a little research in the Bible, you will find that more than a few times the number forty is a big deal! One of my favorites is the fact that Jesus stuck around after His resurrection for forty days just to encourage His disciples.  How great is that. I think He timed this out so I could remember His faithfulness and take another leap of faith.  I’m sure there are many more Grits stories coming and I am also sure some of them will speak of His faithfulness. Our desire is to finish well…celebrating each day and remembering that God is good, God is faithful, and God can be trusted.  If you find yourself at a place where it is time to jump into the unknown, and surrender, don’t worry, you can rest assured that, “He’s got this.” Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, fear, forgiveness, friends, Grace, gratitude, life, loving others, prayer, pride, Scripture, sovereignty of God, thankful, Trials

Mercy Me…Mercy You

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

Be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.” Luke 6:36

I heard her before I saw her. I was sitting in the backyard enjoying a beautiful Spring early afternoon and I could hear two things.  First, there was a heavy, shuffling of someone’s feet. It is the sound when a person’s feet never quite leave the ground amplified by the heavy shoes on their feet.  Second, there was a quiet mumbling coming from the same place.  I got up for some reason and walked from the patio to our driveway and as I did, I glanced down the alley that runs next to our house.  That is when I saw her.

She was wearing a worn-out flowery dress that hadn’t seen a washing machine in a very long time.  The heavy shoes that I had heard were a pair of rubber boots that strangely were flowered like her dress.  With each step, as I suspected, her feet barely left the ground. At first, I thought she might be physically challenged which caused her shuffling but then I noticed that she was staggering as her feet shuffled. It was obvious that she was under the influence of something—drunk or high or both.

I said hello to her, but she didn’t hear me or ignored me.  It was one of those times when she was there physically but not mentally. About that time some of my tribe joined me in the driveway.  My son-in-law recognized the woman and said the other day she had pulled a hatchet on him and my daughter while they were walking, and I guess that explained what happened next.

I mentioned how sad I felt for her, but I guess because of the hatchet deal he didn’t share my compassion. She struggled on past us to make it to the end of the alley.  While attempting to cross the busy street in front of our house almost stepped in front of a car. We all sorta gasped and it was then that someone mumbled something along the line that it probably would have been better if the car had hit her. I gave the Jesus lecture about she was someone that God loved, and Jesus died for, but they weren’t buying it. Oh, not that they are a hard-hearted lot, but compassion for her had been fatally wounded by the story of an old rusty hatchet.

In this crazy story, I was wanting to judge them for judging her. The bottom line is they should have felt more compassion for her—hatchet or not and I should have felt more understanding for them because of the hatchet.  You see, it really is easy to enter the courtroom of judgement in life, isn’t it? And it’s too easy to extend mercy to one while withholding from another. Perhaps it would be better to leave the judging to the one true Judge while extending mercy to everyone and anyone.  After all, that is what He did and that is what He does.  Until we have walked a while in someone else’s shoes, we probably will misread the story.  When you find yourself in an alley or anywhere else and you are tempted to judge, just remember the One who extended mercy to you…the One who no matter what…always has this.  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, fear, forgiveness, friends, Grace, gratitude, life, love, loving others, prayer, Scripture, thankful, Trials

Humpty Dumpty and Me

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

“I am the Way, the Truth and the Life and no one comes to the Father but by Me.” John 14:6

Some things never change. As we were growing up, we all learned various nursery rhymes and fairy tales.  Some were funny, some serious, and some a little bizarre.  One of my favorites was Humpty Dumpty.   Why?  I think because his story could have easily been our story—after all, we’ve all fallen off a wall at one time or another. I love the story too because what didn’t happen for old Humpty Dumpty, can happen for us.

If there had been a headline that day it might have read something like this, “Local Egg Takes a Tumble.” The story would begin with, “Apparently a well-known and respected egg, Humpty Dumpty, decided to take a rest on top of a wall just outside of town. While sitting there he lost his balance, fell off the wall and was shattered into several pieces. Fortunately for Mr. Dumpty there were witnesses who immediately called 911. Paramedics, along with representatives from the local government, were quickly on the scene. It is reported that local clergy were also on scene, though they didn’t stay long. Unfortunately, no one was unable to put Mr. Dumpty back together again.”

What a sad tale! There he lay–his life in pieces–kinda like a lot of folks today. You would have thought the local citizenry, government, and churches would have been sympathetic but no. First, some questioned why an egg was on the wall in the first place. After all, given his rounded bottom he was certainly a high risk. Second, he was in a fragile state–in fact, he lived in a fragile state. Others blamed the builders of the wall. If the wall had only been six inches high, he wouldn’t have suffered such massive fractures. Others blamed the weather service because they didn’t put out a high wind warning that day for eggs on walls. And the church–well, they said a respectable egg should have been in church, for it was a Sunday.

Well on and on it went, and in the end–Mr. Dumpty was still broken. You know, some things never change. When sin entered the world Adam blamed God, (God, because He gave Adam the woman & Eve because she gave him the fruit), Eve blamed the snake, and the snake? Well, he just smiled. It wasn’t a time for finger pointing then, nor is it now.  For all around us are Humpty Dumpty’s…broken lives in a broken world.

But then, along comes God. God made the very first promise of a Rescuer, a Redeemer, and a Savior way back in Genesis 3. One day the Redeemer would come and provide the cure for sin–His own death on a Roman cross–and then come back to life thus defeating death forever. And the snake, well, he would be cast into a very hot fire for a very long time.

You see, I am so glad that God is more interested in redemption than blaming. He is still inviting people, all people, to come home. Scared people, sick people, broken people, mean people, and nice people–all get the same invitation–come home. And the path is always the same. Jesus said in John 14:6 “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life and no one comes to the Father but by Me.” It’s not religion, it’s not good works, and it’s not winning by out-blaming the person next to you. It is grace.

The world could use a little good news don’t you think? So today why not share some? When you see the next scared person, the next broken person, the next difficult person (and it might be in the mirror), just assure them that God loves them and that regardless of their past they can come home. Tell them to rest in Him. Why? Because He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, fear, food, forgiveness, Grace, gratitude, life, love, school days, Scripture, Southern born, thankful, Trials

I Just Couldn’t Resist

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.” (Hebrews 12:11)

I just couldn’t resist.  All of us have stories that we don’t necessarily remember but are passed down through the years.  Some are humorous, some are serious, and some are the things legends are made of.  Well, this one I believe qualifies as all three. 

When I was quite young, probably six or seven, life was pretty good.  We lived in a country setting that was rapidly becoming the suburbs of Jacksonville, Florida.  There was a subdivision being built right next to where we lived.  Some of the men who were working there would drive these cool wedge shape sticks in the ground at the corners of each lot.  They had numbers on them.  They were surveyor markers.  We thought they made great rubber band guns so we would help ourselves.  We had an endless supply of rubber bands because the newspaper came each day with one or two wrapped around it. We weren’t trying to be mischievous; we were just trying to have fun.  I bet it wasn’t fun for the guys who did the surveying.

Sometimes, our fun might become someone else’s pain.  And that is where the story really begins.  Back in those days, going to the grocery store was a great adventure.  My dad got paid every other Friday.  On payday night we would load up in the car and go to buy groceries.  It seemed we would always buy the stuff to make sandwiches for supper when we got home which invariably included a gallon of chocolate milk.  It never saw the light of the next morning.

Well, one Friday night, we were at the grocery store and apparently, I had a rubber band left over from my adventures that day. I must have reached in my pocket and found the small piece of rubber and thought, “You know, we can have some fun with this.”  Well, I probably should have thought that through a little better, but when you are six or seven and mischievous by nature, anything is a game.  I started looking for targets.

Down the aisle was a rather large woman.  And what happens next has been blocked from my memory but is stated as fact.  As we got closer to the woman, perhaps as she studied what brand of mayo to buy, I took the rubber band, placed it between my thumb and pointer finger, moved my hand, near the intended target and let it fly.  I can only imagine what happened next.

First, I am certain she was shocked.  It must have felt like a killer bee had bit her but that wasn’t logical since she was in a store.  I’m thinking she probably spun around and looked only to see this smiling kid with a rubber band still in his hand.  To me it was all fun.  To her it was all pain.  Lesson one.  Don’t let your fun become someone else’s pain.

Second, I am certain my parents were devastated.  Since this would have been about 1960 or 61 there were not the social rules about child discipline that we have today.  From what I know of my Daddy and Momma, there was probably swift and lethal retribution.  I can imagine one of them, perhaps both, making sure my bottom felt like her bottom.  No one would have called Children and Family Services.  They all would have said, “Let me help you with that.”

Third, I believe that this was when I began to really understand repentance.  Repentance means to turn around and go in a different direction.  If I could have gotten loose from Daddy that night, I would have practiced that repentance…I probably would still be running.  The other meaning of repentance is to have a change in attitude.  I am certain that happened.  If you were to ask me how many other times, I decided to pop a strange lady with a rubber band in the grocery store that number would be zero.  Somehow the urge suddenly left me.  I had repented.

This is going to sound hokey, but it is memories like this that show how much my parents loved me.  They loved me enough to teach me right from wrong, respect for other people, a strong work ethic and to believe in God.  And they loved me enough to give me a swat or two when I needed it.  It all came together to help me grow, and live and love.

God is the same way.  My Daddy and Momma loved me very much, but God outshines even them.  He loves me and teaches me to live life with fewer oops and fewer consequences. I never carry rubber bands in my pocket just to avoid the temptation.  But He also loves me enough to discipline me when I need it. The author of Hebrews says it best.  He writes, “No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.” Spot on.  He must have popped some lady too.

So, try and show some grace.  I shouldn’t have popped the lady, and I haven’t popped any more.  Don’t judge my parents for taking care of the problem.  I am grateful for the way they raised me.  And don’t be mad at God if He disciplines you.  He is way too wise to make a mistake and way too loving to do the wrong thing.  He is our “Abba Father,” our Dearest Daddy so we can trust Him.  We can rest in Him.  Because…He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, fear, friends, gratitude, life, priorities, Scripture, thankful

What Do You Want?

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

Then Jesus answered him, “What do you want Me to do for you?” Mark 10:51

What can I do for you?  It seemed like an odd question but really it wasn’t.  The other day I was at the doctor’s office accompanied by my wife Judy.  The wait in the waiting room was very short and as always, the first stop was the stupid scale.  You can tell this is not my favorite part of any doctor visit but regardless it is part of the deal. After making me face my weight, she took us back to the screening room where she asked questions, and I gave answers. She did a great job and soon we were waiting for the doctor to come in.

The wait wasn’t too long and when he came in, I could sense he was a good guy.  This visit was to begin to hopefully write the final chapter about my pancreas and an abnormally high-test result.  He was a specialist dealing with all the various parts of the human digestive system so I was a little surprised when he asked, “Now, what can I do for you?”  See what I mean about seeming a bit odd.  You are a doctor, and I am a patient…either tell me I’m not broke or fix me. But I wasn’t perturbed by his question…in fact, I was pleased. He wanted to know how things looked and felt from my perspective and I valued that.

Well, we had a great conversation and like our nurse friend, he asked a lot of questions, and I gave him a lot of answers. After a while, he made several suggestions concerning a few more tests to make sure that things were good and, in the end, I felt like he cared and that he understood my need. And, get this, it all started with that odd question, “What can I do for you.”

There’s a story in the Bible with the same question and it might seem crazy too. A blind guy is sitting by the road, and he hears Jesus coming by. He begins to holler asking Jesus to stop and heal him. Jesus calls for him and members of the crowd lead him to the Healer and that is when Jesus asks the question, “What do you want me to do for you?” It might seem obvious since obviously the guy is blind, but Jesus wanted him to acknowledge his need. After all, he might have wanted a new walking stick or seeing eye donkey.  No, Jesus wanted the man to say it, express it—I want to see. So, the guy says exactly that, Jesus heals the guy and well, it was a pretty happy ending.

Sometimes asking the right question is important…very important. Jesus was the master of everything He did and that included asking the right question. I wonder if that is something we need to learn to do better. I wonder if it would help us help others. I am sure it would. I sometimes have the tendency to start talking when I should have continued listening. Our interactions with people—husbands, wives, kids, friends, even strangers are more important than we realize. You can bet that God is great at this. Go ahead, have a conversation, ask a question. He will surely want to know what you really need, and then He’ll let you know…He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne

Read more from our blog: Grits with Grace – short stories with big truths

Posted in Family, fear, friends, gratitude, life, loving others, prayer, Scripture, sovereignty of God, travel, Trials

Traffic Conspiracy

Posted on 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.

A couple of years ago, my wife Judy 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.  Break-lights and slowing vehicles were everywhere.  We were in a slowdown—we were in—traffic.  Signage and the talky thing confirmed my worst 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 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 who was 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 surprised 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 this 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 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 got that.  But there is a pesky couple of verses found in James 1:2-3 that says, “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 certainly 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 strengths muscles so trying situations strengthens our faith in God.  Which means all the craziness of life is partly there 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 manager of your life.  Just sit back, enjoy the pause and rest in Him. He’s got this. Honk, Honk.  Bro. Dewayne