fear – Page 19 – Grits with Grace

fear, forgiveness, friends, Grace, gratitude, life, love, loving others, missions, prayer, priorities, Scripture, sovereignty of God, thankful, Trials

Meet Bart

Posted on April 20, 2023April 19, 2023 by Dewayne Taylor

Rabboni,” the blind man said to Him, “I want to see.” Mark 10:51

The old blues song goes like this, “Ain’t no sunshine when she’s gone, only darkness every day. Ain’t no sunshine when she’s gone…and this house just ain’t no home.” Bart would have understood that well. There wasn’t a bit of sunshine in his world. Not one bit.

Bartimaeus, or Bart as his friends called him, was blind. Along with blindness came the usual social stigmas of being an outcast and the usual career choice–begging. He had landed on a good stretch of the highway to beg. There was a lot of traffic but as always–a lot of darkness. But all that was about to change.

One day he heard a crowd passing by and asked what was happening. The fact that anyone even acknowledged him was a miracle. Someone said, “Jesus is passing by.” Bart had heard of this young Rabbi, and he had also heard stories, rumors really, that he could heal people like him. Three words flashed into his mind–now or never.

He began to shout, to beg, to scream “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me.” Over and over, he shouted. The crowd quickly became annoyed and demanded that he shut it down or they would shut him up. But desperation and hope wouldn’t allow that. “Jesus, Son of David, please, have mercy on me.” Right at the point when his ears told him the noise was fading, he heard it. Jesus was saying something, “Call him.” Amazingly the same crowd that tried to shut him down now helped pick him up.

“What do you want me to do for you?” the unseen Rabbi asked. It might seem like a strange question to ask a blind guy, but Jesus wanted to be sure Bart knew his need. Perhaps a small contribution? Maybe a walking stick or a seeing eye camel? Jesus was asking, “Do you want a better life or a new life?” Bart was ready for something new.

Mark 10:51 gives us his reply. “Rabboni,” the blind man said to him, “I want to see.” His five words are loaded with meaning. First, the word “Rabboni” was master, and it was a term of surrender. He was saying, “I haven’t experienced what I need but I will trust you for it anyway.” That’s faith. Second, “I want to see.” He wasn’t asking for a band-aid…he was wanting something new, something life changing. Faith and the wisdom to ask for the right thing were game changers for Bart.

Wait, Jesus is speaking again and what He says is amazing. “Jesus said to him, “Go, your faith has saved you.” Your.Faith.Has.Saved.You. And do you know what happened next? Mark tells us in the rest of verse 52. “Immediately he could see and began to follow Jesus on the road.” Immediately his world exploded into light and color. Instantly the darkness was forced to flee as the light of the world flooded in. Amazing.

Well, Jesus told him to go. His new world was at his doorstep and guess where he chose to go? Right with Jesus. He followed him. I mean, where else would he go but to follow the One who gave him light, who gave him life. I can imagine the smile on his lips and chatter from his tongue as he shared what Jesus had done. “I once was blind, but now I see” he would say. We added the “amazing grace” part later.

So how about you? Does your life ever seem dark? Ever feel overwhelmed or underwhelmed with life? Jesus knows and He understands. Whatever it is, Jesus is passing by, and He has an invitation just for you. He invites you to come and when you get there don’t ask for a seeing eye camel or walking stick. He’s got something bigger for you. He has peace and He has hope. He has a new life of light and color. You’ ll find a friend who will never leave or abandon you. Go ahead, get up. He’s waiting. You can trust him. Rest in Him. He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

Family, fear, friends, gratitude, life, prayer, priorities, Scripture, sovereignty of God, thankful, Trials

Bedtime for Bonzo

Posted on April 19, 2023April 18, 2023 by Dewayne Taylor

But make sure that you don’t get so absorbed and exhausted in taking care of all your day-by-day obligations that you lose track of the time and doze off, oblivious to God.” Romans13:11

It was bedtime for Bonzo. I told someone the other day that I don’t mind dying…I just don’t want to die stupid. Let me explain. We are all going to leave this earth at one time or another. The checkout rate is 100%. And, truthfully, I’m ok with that and the reason why is my friend Jesus. I bought into what He was selling a long time ago. I read what the Bible said about Him and what He said, it made total sense, and I just believed. Like someone said, “When a guy predicts His own death and resurrection…well, you just go with it.” I went with it. But what about the stupid part?

The stupid part is when we live totally recklessly or totally fail to care for our health and we end up either very sick or very dead. Now I’m not trying to be insensitive but that is simply the truth. My Daddy and Momma both died at 62…way too early even for the 1970’s. They were both heavy smokers and that just took its toll. Daddy died of heart trouble and four years later Momma died of cancer. So, as you can imagine, I’m trying to take better care of my health so if God is ok with it, I can stick around a little longer.

Well, one of the things that they recommend you do is check for colon cancer and the way you do that is to have a medical procedure called a colonoscopy. That requires a morning check-in at the hospital and meeting lots of new friends. When I got there, and I must admit I liked this, I was the star of the show. Nurses came and showered me with attention preparing me for the procedure. Some of the attention involved needles but I was even ok with that. Before they took me back, I met a friend named Tom. Tom is the guy you really want to get to know. His job is to make sure you don’t remember a thing about the test, and he was great.

I told Tom we had a couple of things in common. He has been doing his thing at the hospital for 42 years and I have been doing the preacher thing for 41 years. We also were just about the same age. Oh, and I told him, his job is to put people to sleep and sometimes it seems that was my job too. Smile. Anyway, Tom made sure I didn’t remember a thing about the procedure, and I was very grateful. It went something like this.

They rolled me into the room. Then Tom, my new best friend, put some medicine in my arm via the IV and said, “how do you feel?” I think I remember telling him I felt a little burning sensation. That’s it…game over. The next thing I remember is I am hearing voices and I wanted to tell them not to start yet because I was still awake. Uh, what I didn’t know, of course, was that the test was over, and I was in the recovery room. Amazing. Not only did I not know when I went to sleep, or when the test started and finished, I didn’t even know they had moved me to a different room. How about that? And that, by the way, is exactly what they wanted…and I wanted.

The bottom line is all the unpleasantries of the test took place while I was sleeping and for a medical deal…that is a good deal. But what about life? I mean, I wonder how many times do we snooze and lose? You know, relationships…snooze. Family relationships…snooze. Big Adventures…snooze. Good sermons…snooze (I had to throw that one in). Great opportunities…snooze. Too often while we are snoring, the Devil is working, and we wake up to find ourselves where we had no intention of being. Sleeping plays a big and important role in our lives…but not always. Snooze at the wrong time or in the wrong place and it is, “bedtime for Bonzo.”

The Bible, in the Message paraphrase says, “But make sure that you don’t get so absorbed and exhausted in taking care of all your day-by-day obligations that you lose track of the time and doze off, oblivious to God.” Wow…that is some great advice. And it applies to every area of every life. So, be careful to know when to sleep and when to be wide awake. Be sure to set your alarm, you know, the one that says, “I’ve got this, I’ve got this” because…He does. Bro. Dewayne

Family, fear, friends, Grace, gratitude, life, loving others, prayer, priorities, Scripture, sovereignty of God, Trials

Big Truths from a Hard Story

Posted on April 12, 2023April 11, 2023 by Dewayne Taylor

What is the price of two sparrows—one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.” Matthew 10:29-31

Well, not all stories end well…and this one didn’t. Friday morning Judy left for Oklahoma to visit Sarah, Blake and the boys. Saturday morning, I got up early as usual, had some time with God and then went for my morning exercise. When I came back, by our backdoor, was a little baby squirrel. Now I don’t know a thing about baby squirrels, so I can’t tell you how old he was. I can tell you that something just didn’t seem right. He had all of his fur but you could tell he was not very strong and oddly, his head seemed just too big for his tiny body.

He was in the grass, but not far from the flower bed which is next to our backdoor. He seemed to be eating grass but I suspect he was actually getting the water off the dew-soaked grass. He was moving pretty good but again, strangely, I’m not sure where he came from since there was not a squirrel nest to be seen. I went on into the house and when I came back out, he scurried into the flower bed. I put out some bird food for him to eat. I knew he would like that because all of his big brothers do their best to empty our bird feeders.

Well, he made himself at home. He was definitely eating some of the bird food and I believe he had some water. He soon made himself a place to sleep there in the flower bed. I was hoping, just hoping that my little friend was a big enough fighter to pull this thing off. I would check on him each day and give him food and water. I was doing everything I could for him. But today, when I came home from work, well he had died. I wasn’t surprised because I really think something was wrong—something more than food or water could fix—something more than ending up at the wrong place at the wrong time. So, I wasn’t surprised, but I was genuinely sad. I wanted him to live, and I wanted to be his hero—his savior. Neither happened.

Now I’m not sharing this so we can all have a Debbie downer day…not at all. I’m learning that so many things have a story and can teach us big truths. I think this is one of those times. The first thing that came to mind was that sometimes we can do everything right—everything—and still not get the result that we want. We can be the best husband, the best wife, the best parent, the best employee or the best owner and sometimes the story just doesn’t end well. It doesn’t mean we failed. It doesn’t mean we were somehow to blame. Sometimes, it is just part of this thing called life. And while the story doesn’t always end well—we never have to face that difficult ending alone. Our Dearest Daddy is always there. The Whisperer is always close by and whispers the assurance of His love and His compassion. No matter what—Jesus will still be there.

The other big truth from this is that God really does care about the smallest things. If I told you that God knew today that this little creation died, would you believe me? If I told you that even the smallest detail of your life never passes Him unnoticed, would you believe it? If I told you He never grows weary of our worries and fears and unsettled hearts, would you have the courage to believe? Well, you can, because Jesus said that not even a sparrow can fall to the earth unnoticed by the Father. He even went on to say that if that is true, how much more do you think He cares about you? How. Much. More?

I know and you know that these are just puzzling times. Everything seems so uncertain. It seems as if we spend our days walking on quicksand—our feet unsteadily walking on shifting ground. But don’t be shaken. The God of the universe who cares when a little squirrel dies cares infinitely more about you. Jesus knows and feels your hurts and pains…and He cares.

So, all you tendered hearted readers, please forgive me for sharing a hard story. I hope, though, that the big truths made it worth the read. Why not take a moment and sit with the One who loves you so? Why not get close enough to hear His whispers of love and assurance? I hope you will because when our hearts are heavy and a little frightened—we need to know that He’s got this. And He does. Bro. Dewayne

Easter, Family, fear, forgiveness, friends, Grace, gratitude, life, love, loving others, priorities, Scripture, sovereignty of God, thankful, Trials

Hard Day, Good Friday

Posted on April 7, 2023April 6, 2023 by Dewayne Taylor

Jesus knew that His mission was now finished, and to fulfill Scripture He said, “I am thirsty.” A jar of sour wine was sitting there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put it on a hyssop branch, and held it up to His lips. When Jesus had tasted it, He said, “It is finished!” Then He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.” John 19:28-30

Good Friday. What an unusual name for such a hard, hard day. Imagine with me as slowly the light increased over Jerusalem. It was another early morning in spring and men were going to die. The Romans regularly crucified criminals–it was business as usual for them. But this day, well this day, would be different. Three men would die on crosses–two criminals and one perfect human being. His name was Jesus.

As the light increased so did the sounds. If you had been there, you would have heard the sounds of a crowd–a mob really. Some were crying, some shouting, some angry, some broken. You would have heard the sounds of struggle–anguish as a man carried a cross too big for even the healthiest of men. At the top of a stark hill the sounds intensified.

You could hear without trying the sound of metal on metal as hammer meets nail. Cries of humanity suffering as three crosses are lifted skyward. The message was clear. You don’t mess with Rome. Scattered around are the sounds of women crying and men in anguish. Stares of disbelief filled the eyes of many. Listen now–there are words.

The Man in the middle–the perfect One–is speaking and what He says is almost beyond belief. “Father, forgive them. They don’t know what they are doing.” Forgive them?—Forgive the very ones who passed the judgement–who drove the nails–who lifted the cross? Wait, for there is more. One of the criminals is mocking Him but the other is begging Him. “Remember me,” he says. And Jesus responds “Today, you will be with Me in paradise.”

There are more words. Lean in–strain to hear. The Man in the middle–the perfect One–is asking His friend John to take care of His mother. And then there is the cry of brokenness as He cries, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” He knows why. The Man in the middle–the perfect One–has become sin and His Father can’t look on sin. There’s a price being paid, and it involves wrath and death. And He is willingly paying it.

As His end draws near a silence begins to fall over the hill. The women are cried out, the soldiers are bored, and the crowd confused. And then they all hear it. “Tetelestai.” It’s a common word really. It means finished. An artist would say it when the last stroke is applied to a masterpiece. A carpenter would say it when the last peg is driven in a newly built table. A farmer would say it when the last sheave of wheat is harvested. But when the Man in the middle–the perfect One–says those words, everything changes.

“It is finished.” The mission is accomplished. The price for sin has been paid and atoned for. The wrath of God for sin is satisfied. What justice demanded He has paid. And what He promised the criminal becomes a reality for any person. My sins, your sins, our sins, can be forgiven and you can be with Him in heaven.

So, then He dies. Actually, He wills himself to die for no one could take the life of the Man in the middle–the perfect One. He could give it, but they could not take it. Rocks crack, thunder rolls and then in the distance a tearing, ripping sound is heard as the massive curtain separating man from Holy God is torn from top to bottom and God–God hangs out the welcome sign for the first time ever. And it’s all because of the Man in the middle–the perfect One.

In any other story that would be the end, but you see it’s only Friday. The final act is coming on Sunday. Friday ended with His followers discouraged, defeated, and afraid. Maybe like some of us. But if you lean in again…if you listen closely…you can hear the Father saying, “Rest in Me. Wait till Sunday. I’ve got this.” And…He does. Bro. Dewayne

Family, fear, food, friends, Grace, gratitude, life, loving others, Military memories, prayer, Scripture, travel, Trials, USA

Losing Lift

Posted on April 6, 2023April 5, 2023 by Dewayne Taylor

Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 7:24-25

It was something I thought I would never see. From 1977 to 1980 my wife Judy and I were stationed with the Air Force in Germany. I have said it so many times, but it was a great time. We were young, still newly married and had the opportunity to see and experience so much of Europe. It was good duty too. I was assigned to a small base and provided administrative support for one of the flying squadrons. We flew the OV-10—a twin engine forward air control aircraft. There weren’t many enlisted guys in the squadron and the pilots treated us like family.

Obviously, safety, and in particular flight safety, was always a big deal. I remember right before I left to come back to the States, we were on a long streak of accident-free flying. The commander was also due to rotate back to the States in just a couple of weeks. He said, “The best gift you guys can give me is to remain accident free.” A couple of days later, however, one of our planes crashed.

What I thought I would never see, and certainly didn’t want to see, was another crash. One day, I was standing in my office talking to one of the pilots about who knows what. I was looking out the window as we chatted and saw an aircraft, not one of ours but a F-4 fighter jet, literally falling out of the sky. I blurted out to the pilot I was talking to, “That plane is going to crash.” I remember his response to this day, “That’s not something to joke about.” I wasn’t joking. Less than half a mile from where we were this massive fighter aircraft did literally fall from the sky. The pilot ejected but sadly did not survive. It was devastating. I can still see the explosion in my mind.

As it turns out the plane wasn’t trying to land and where he crashed had nothing to do with our base. He was flying over the area, lost airworthiness, and went into what is called a flat spin. When this happens, planes can lose their lift and they crash. You see, to stay in the air, planes must have the lift provided by forward movement and air moving in and around their wings. When that doesn’t happen, planes fall from the sky.

It not only happens to planes…it happens to people…like me…like you. A couple of years ago, I did the healthy thing. I began eating right, checking my sugar levels, and exercising five or six times a week. The results came quickly and were amazing. After three months I had my blood checked and the results were what my physician called, “beautiful.” Literally every critical number was in the normal range. It was amazing…it was awesome. And then, I lost my lift.

The best I can tell my success began my downfall. After winning so big, I wasn’t sure what was next. It was like the day after Christmas. The win was in the bag, and I lost my drive to keep on winning. Over time I returned to my poor eating habits and slowly, or perhaps not so slowly, things began to change…for the worse. Like I said, “When you lose your lift…you crash.”

I was thinking about this before I began writing and decided I really should share my story. Maybe I can help keep someone from crashing. And, it really doesn’t have to be about health…it can be anything. The bottom line is when we lose our momentum, our drive, our lift in any area of our lives—spiritually, emotionally, or physically—we are in danger of crashing. Marriages can go south; God can become a distant relative and we can become emotionally disconnected. We need to be careful.

Paul, the guy who wrote a chunk of what we call the New Testament, knew about losing lift and I think he knew about crashing too. He asked the question, “Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death?” Can you identify with that question? Honestly, I can. But it is the answer that gives me hope. It is the answer that can give you hope. He writes, “Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.” Bam! There you go. The answer is our faith and trust in Jesus.

I’m glad he didn’t just say to try harder or maybe pull yourself up by your bootstraps. I’m glad he confirmed what I know and what you might know. The answer is Jesus. He doesn’t just limit His help to obvious God stuff—He is there always and in every way. He loves me when I get it right and when I don’t. And no matter what, spiritually, emotionally, or physically He goes with He—never condemning and always encouraging. I like that. It’s good to know that “He’s got this.” Bro. Dewayne

Family, fear, forgiveness, friends, Grace, gratitude, Integrity, life, loving others, Scripture, Southern born, thankful, Trials

Oops.

Posted on April 4, 2023April 3, 2023 by Dewayne Taylor

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Family, fear, food, forgiveness, friends, Grace, gratitude, heaven, life, loving others, prayer, priorities, Scripture, thankful, Trials, wisdom

Like a Thief in the Night

Posted on April 3, 2023April 2, 2023 by Dewayne Taylor

But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready.” Matthew 24:43-44a

It was a theft of Biblical proportions. My wife Judy and I were visiting with a couple of friends, Jim and Kathy, who attend our church. Jim told us a story that just begged to be written about. Every year they travel down to Florida and do the snowbird thing for just a week or so. I remember last year was one of those years that nothing seemed to go right. As I remember they said it was cold, rainy, and well, pretty yucky. This year promised to be a bit better. The weather cooperated but then there was this problem with the neighbors.

Toward the end of the week, Jim made a trip to the local Publix and picked out two big, thick juicy steaks and they weren’t the cheap stuff either. Well, anyway, it was getting supper time and Kathy stayed in the condo while he headed out to the grill to cook the steaks. Now, I’ve tasted Jim’s steaks and he is one of those guys who “has the touch.” I can only imagine the anticipation as the steaks sizzled their way to perfection. Gently poking and prodding them (some would say coddling) he watched over them like a mother bird watches her nest. Soon they were done to perfection.

Jim then gently took the steaks off the grill and then just as gently laid them on the waiting platter. He turned around, just for a moment, just for a few precious moments, to cover the grill. When he turned back around, he saw it—or rather them. In those few, short moments, two raccoons who were apparently waiting in the bushes rushed over, grabbed the steaks, both of them, and took off. All Jim saw were two raccoons, two wagging tails and his two steaks, his two precious steaks, hanging from their mouths. He was in shock. He was outraged. Worse than that…he was left with an empty plater.

Well, there wasn’t much he could do besides go back inside to face Kathy. So, Jim carried the empty platter back to the condo and tried to explain what had happened. She couldn’t believe it, but being the kind person that she is, she was understanding. Her now growling tummy, who had been anticipating one of Jim’s juicy steaks, was not so understanding. It seemed to say, “What else you got, bud?”

Well, the answer was another trip to Publix and chicken for supper. I’m sure Jim likes chicken, Kathy probably likes chicken, I would imagine even the thieving raccoons like chicken but let’s be honest—chicken isn’t steak and certainly chicken is not a nice, thick, perfectly cooked steak. This whole story is enough to make a grown man cry and I think it did—while laughing so hard when Jim told me this tale of woe.

So, who would have thought it? Who would have thought that two raccoons could steal two steaks…right in the middle of a condo complex? Who would have thought they could have pulled the heist off in just a few short seconds? It just proves that anything can happen…any time and when you least expect it. You always must be ready.

Speaking of ready, are you? The Bible talks about a time when Jesus, the same One who was born that first Christmas morning, the same One who performed all kinds of miracles, the same One who allowed Himself to be nailed to a Roman cross and die there and yes, the same One who came back to life three days later (that’s Easter, remember?), that same Jesus is going to come back to earth and take His followers back to heaven with Him.

Does that sound a little too strange to believe? Well, if I’ve learned anything it is when a man can predict His own death and resurrection and then pull it off—well, you just must go with it. The Bible says that when Jesus comes back, and He will, He will come like a thief in the night—faster than two raccoons stealing two steaks right off the platter. I’m sure if Jim had any idea, he would have been a little more cautious—a little more ready. Maybe the story today has sparked your interest in this man called Jesus. Go ahead and Google Him and His story…after all, His story is history. Got questions? Find a Jesus follower, and ask or better yet, ask Jesus’ Father. How? That’s called prayer. You will find that He has all the answers—after all, He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

Family, fear, friends, Grace, gratitude, life, Military memories, prayer, priorities, Scripture, Southern born, sovereignty of God, thankful, travel, Trials, wisdom

The Phone Call

Posted on March 30, 2023March 29, 2023 by Dewayne Taylor

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and don’t lean into your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6

It was a phone call that was to change my life. It was from my brother-in-law’s brother. We were fringe friends, and he had an idea. We were both seniors in high school and both really didn’t have plans for after graduation. So, he says, “Hey Dewayne. Why don’t we join the Air Force together? They have the buddy plan. We can attend basic training together and go to our first duty station together. We can be buds.” Well, I didn’t have any better ideas and I liked the idea of serving my country and I was always kinda adventurous so, “Why not?” I went down and signed up singing, “Off we go into the wild blue yonder.” We were set. Or not.

After I went down to sign up, I called my brother-in-law’s brother and said, “Have you signed up yet?” Silence. He then told me that he had changed his mind. We were no longer buds. Well, regardless, I was going into the Air Force. That much was decided. What wasn’t decided was what to do in the Air Force. They have this test they give you to decide what best suits your talents and abilities. I took the test. When the recruiter gave me the results he was smiling.

“Well, Dewayne, looks like you are strong in the administrative field.” “What?” I said. “Administration.” he said.

He tried to make it sound really important, but he was really saying I was going to be a secretary. Now this was not cool. My dad was a jet engine mechanic. One brother had served in the Army and I’m not sure what he did but it wasn’t typing. Another brother who joined the Air Force saved the world—or at least that’s what he told me. My other brother joined the Coast Guard—saving lives and stuff. Me? Well, I get to be a secretary.

So anyway, I kept my word and joined the Air Force. I even realized that being a 702X0, (that is the official designation for an administrative specialist), was not too bad. When guys were standing in the rain guarding planes I was in a nice, warm office. There were always a few unkind jokes about 702X0 guys but when those guys wanted their leave papers processed, the joke was on them. Yup, it was totally unexpected but it turned out the Air Force was right. I was in my groove.

Now for the best part of the story. Later I met my wife Judy and we decided to make the Air Force a career. Secretary or not, she thought I was rather dashing even if I did type instead of fly a plane. The days and years went by and then I heard a whisper—the God kind. It said something about pastoring and preaching. I told the Whisperer that I was gonna stay in the Air Force and we could talk later. Another year passed and the Whisperer kept whispering and finally I said, “Yes.” So, after twelve years I left the Air Force and walked from one office…and right into another. Then it hit me like a ton of bricks.

I had been in school for twelve years. I suddenly realized that God had been grooming me for the pastorate all along. Can you imagine if I had done my thing and become a mechanic and then walked into the pastorate where working on jet engines didn’t help you write sermons? Because of God’s sovereignty and wisdom, I left one office where I typed, wrote, researched, supervised, filed and zillion other things and walked right into another where almost all those skills were needed. Can someone say, “Amazing?”

So here I am 40 years into my calling as a pastor sitting at a computer and writing. It all happened because the Whisperer whispered and for once I had the common sense to figure out He was a lot smarter than I was. Proverbs 3:5-6 has been a powerful force in my life, all my life. It says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and don’t lean into your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.” I know from personal experience that is true.

I haven’t always gotten it right. I haven’t always listened to the Whisperer, trusted Him totally or not leaned into my own understanding. But when I did, I have always had better outcomes and fewer regrets. And do you know what? Even in this crazy new world, even in today’s circumstances, He’s still got a plan. This isn’t a world gone mad or to use my favorite word, “crazy.” This is a world under the watchful eye and caring heart of our God. And He is crazy about us. So, go ahead and surrender to Him—rest in Him. He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

Family, fear, life, Scripture, Southern born, sovereignty of God, Trials

Shiny, Like New…but Dangerous

Posted on March 27, 2023March 26, 2023 by Dewayne Taylor

Don’t answer the foolish arguments of fools, or you will become as foolish as they are.” Proverbs 26:4

It was deadly but I didn’t know it. There was always something to find at 6008 Carlton Road. Like so many older, country home places things had a way of accumulating. Back in those days there were several unsanctioned dumps around the countryside, and no one thought a thing about using them—it was just part of living out in the county. The problem, at least for the Taylors, was we didn’t own a truck and, except for my brother who lived sometimes in Texas and sometimes across town, we didn’t know anyone who did. So, we had stuff laying around.

One of the things we had laying around was an old washing machine. It had long since quit working so it sat in the lawn behind the junk room for a long time. It was there that I found something quite amazing. In the lid, I think, was some short of “switchy” thing. It had wires connected to it and in the middle was a glass thing and in that glass thing was some silver liquid. Well, you can bet that that caught my eye. So, I decided that I needed to get it out of there. So, I cut it free from the old washing machine, put it in some sort of small container and found something—who knows what—and broke the glass.

The silvery stuff stuck together in a small puddle and if I took my finger and pushed it around it would always come back together. I also found out that some of it would stay on my finger. Now I have no idea how this part happened, but I am certain it did. Somewhere, somehow, I found a dime. Now trust me that was no small deal because that in those days that would buy a Coke and a Snickers, so it was big money. So, I found this dime and for some reason, I put it next in the silvery stuff and guess what happened?

Well, what happened is, for whatever reason, the silvery stuff stuck to that dime like white on rice. There were two things I didn’t know then that I know now. First, back in those days the silver coins like dimes and quarters were really made of silver. Second, that silvery stuff was something called mercury and apparently mercury likes silver and what happened next was almost magical. No matter how bad that dime looked, when the mercury got all over it, it looked better than brand new. It went from dull and old to looking shiny and new. Like I said, it was pretty amazing. Well, I never found out exactly how long the dime looked that way because it pretty quickly made its way to the Minute Market down the road for that Coke and Snickers.

Well, I didn’t know that I was playing with something that was pretty dangerous—mercury. We know now that mercury is nothing to mess with. We know that it can cause some serious health concerns. In fact, the people who build stuff aren’t allowed to use it anymore. Between mercury and the lead paint our house was painted with, it’s probably a miracle we all turned out ok. Of course, you can probably tell from these stories that I always was just a little different—adventurous but just a little hyper. I’m sure I had some sort of syndrome and didn’t know it.

This caused me to wonder how many things do we have laying around in our lives that just like mercury…and the lead paint for that matter…are dangerous and poisonous? I wonder how many toxic habits or relationships we hang on to and handle either because we don’t know or are just too stubborn to let go? It reminds me of the monkey trap where someone would build a cage and put a banana in it. A monkey would come along and reach into the cage for the banana only to discover that he could get his hand out with the banana. Too often, rather than let it go, they would hang on too long and end up either in a zoo or some native’s stew pot. Hmmm.

King Solomon, the guy who wrote the book of Proverbs in the Old Testament, was one of the wisest men ever to live. He said, “Don’t answer the foolish arguments of fools, or you will become as foolish as they are.” In other words—steer clear of fools and folly or you are bound to end up in deep weeds. The crazy part about King Solomon is that in the end he ended up not taking his own good advice. Let me encourage you, and me for that matter, to be careful about the things we allow to stick around in our lives. Like the dime, it may look shiny and new, but it just might be dangerous…very dangerous. Need some insight, a little wisdom? No, problem just ask, and God will be glad to help. He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

Family, fear, friends, Grace, gratitude, life, love, loving others, Scripture, Southern born, thankful, Trials

My Simple Life

Posted on March 10, 2023March 9, 2023 by Dewayne Taylor

So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’” Matthew 6:31

It was just simpler back then. I got up this morning with a little (or maybe a lot) of coffee, a spot of the Weather Channel, and some Jesus. Then, I just sat and thought for a while. On the television was a channel from YouTube that shows live camera feeds from all over the Northeast, and I was just amazed how much it looked like Europe…another time and another place. Then, I thought about my day. I’m figuring out that each day is His day as He is the maker, the crafter of each one. I’m also learning that since He owns everything that makes me a steward of the next 24 hours and the events and circumstances He has planned.

Mainly, there is a sermon to polish for Sunday and a funeral to craft for Saturday. But mainly I’m just waiting to see what is on His mind and honestly, sometimes that is simple and sometimes it is complex. Regardless, I know it is His plan and it is one that He has determined that will bring good into my life and hopefully some glory to Him. With all that said, I have to admit there are times that I long for times when things were simpler as in less complex. While that has happened and surely will happen again, when I was about eight, it was the norm.

When I was eight, I was concerned about very little. Momma and Daddy were still healthy and every morning there was something for breakfast, something for lunch and something for supper. There were delicacies like fried potato sandwiches and peanut butter and mayonnaise sandwiches and if we were short on peanut butter we would just go with the mayonnaise. After breakfast though I would head out to the yard and just do…something. There were occasional chores like picking up the yard pulling weeds but generally the day was mine. I hadn’t figured the God part out yet.

Because toys, at least the kind you buy at a store, were in short supply, I would go into the junk room—a small room with its own outside entrance and filled with stuff—and see what caught my eye. There was always something that with a little imagination could become a source of entertainment. First, and one of my favorites, was a piece of chain, usually about six feet long. You see, our driveway wasn’t paved, that was something rich people had, so it was like a giant sand box. I found out you could take that piece of chain and drag it behind you, and it became a train. I would watch as the sand flowed in and around the links of the chain leaving a perfect track in the rear. A chain became a train—imagine that.

In certain times of the year, North Florida—well really the whole state, I guess—was inundated with “love bugs.” They were everywhere and would splat on windshields and clog radiators as cars zoomed down the highway. They also seemed to love a parked car. When I would go outside looking for that day’s adventure, they would be all over Daddy’s 1961, light blue, Plymouth station-wagon and whether they knew it or not—they were a target. I would search the yard and drawers in the kitchen for rubber bands discarded from newspapers, string them together and go hunting. Stretching them back, I would take aim and one by one pick them off of Daddy’s car. This could go on for a long while. I thought I was doing Daddy a favor but turns out the bug’s innards could eat a car’s paint right off. Oops.

While each day was different, each day was simple. Each day was consistent…little to worry about and an opportunity for fun. And while that kind of simplicity has long since passed there is another for today. Today too can be a day with little to worry about and dare I say it, an opportunity for fun. You see, if you are a Jesus follower, He really wants to take care of the worry part. In fact, He just flat-out tells us not to worry because if God can take care of the birds…He can take care of us too. How about that? And the fun part? Well, that is up to us. We simply need to learn, to remember what that means and how to do it. My wife Judy tells me frequently that we need to learn how to celebrate, and she is right, but we also need to relearn how to just have fun. It probably involves letting go and letting Him so our hands and hearts will be free to be free.

So, what are you worrying about today? What has you bound up like a too tight pair of shoes? What are you going to do today that is fun? Now don’t tell me you don’t have time (that is simply a matter of choice) or the money—chain and rubber bands are cheap—smile. Today, be brave enough to do something different—to make a change. Let it go and let Him. He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne