fear – Page 34 – Grits with Grace

Family, fear, gratitude, life, thankful, travel

Confused?

Posted on June 1, 2021May 31, 2021 by Dewayne Taylor

For whatever was written in the past was written for our instruction, so that we may have hope through endurance and through the encouragement from the Scriptures.” Romans 15:4

It’s just a little confusing. After attending yesterday’s Memorial Day service and doing a little yard work, my wife and I decided to go to Paducah, Kentucky to look around for a couple of chairs or perhaps a small sofa to complete a project we have been working on at home. So, we loaded up and headed south across the river to the land of grits. And the point of this story all began with traveling. You see, we did a lot of traveling this past week or so. We had flown to Denver and then driven a thousand miles or so in Colorado, Wyoming, and South Dakota. We saw a lot of things and some of them were simply beautiful. The mountains and canyons are spectacular. We also saw some things that were hard. We saw some extreme poverty as some folks tried to eke out a living in the barren desert hills and valleys of Wyoming. We saw the results of a wildfire that ravaged a large portion of the Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. Those were hard. But some things there and closer to home were just confusing.

The confusing part was what to do with that 4×6 piece of cloth or paper we now know as a face mask. We used to only see them on the evening news and donned by folks in other countries such as China. And then, suddenly, ready or not, they became a part of our lives. And now…it is mask or no mask? Flying, there was no doubt about the mask. When you stepped in the airport it was required…and then you didn’t take it off till you, like Elvis, left the building. They were very adamant about it—threatening arrest, jail time, and the loss of your first born if you didn’t comply. I guess all that was fine, but it seems to me, they didn’t have to act so mad about it.

Once we left the airport, it was a whole different world. Regardless of where we went or to what state we traveled, the mask requirement weren’t a deal. I mean, that is really good news. We have all heard from all kinds of sources that the COVID thing, while not gone, is in full blown retreat. I just wish someone would have told the airport folks too. As we traveled, whether it was to a gas station down the street ,or to a National Park…no mask. One restaurant proudly posted that, “following the CDC and Colorado Guidelines you are welcome NOT to wear a mask.” That was followed by something like, “unless you want to.” That made me smile. Want to? Really?

Well, anyway, that was the way it was throughout the states we visited out west. Now back to Paduach. We stopped at a local business there. Walking to the door we realized that we had forgotten we were back in the Midwest, and I didn’t have a mask. I told Judy we will just have to see. When we got to the door, sure enough, it was plastered with signs about wearing a mask. We went on in and asked the nice lady at the door if masks were required. She told me that they were asking people to wear one and I told her I had forgotten mine…did she have one? She said they did, and I slipped one on. I asked her when their governor was going to “open the state” and she said, “Oh, that doesn’t matter, our company is the one making the rules.” What? See what I mean about confusing? And, to make matters worse, virtually every person in the store was mask-less. I wore mine for a while and then reverse peer pressure took over and I took it off.

By now you have got to be wondering what this story is about! Me, too. No, not really. All of this was just a gentle reminder for me to be grateful for the Bible…the Word of God. Though written over 1,500 years by a bunch of different writers, it has stood the test of time. It is as solid today as it was a couple of thousand years ago. It is refreshing to know that God won’t change His mind and issue a revision tomorrow, next month, or next year. It is refreshing to know that He got His Word right the first time. In a world where no one seems to know what is right or wrong…the Bible hasn’t changed and personally, I like that surety.

Paul, one of those writers I told you about, was writing a letter to some Jesus followers in Rome. It was during the time when being a follower of Jesus could cost you your life. Speaking about the scriptures, he said, “For whatever was written in the past was written for our instruction, so that we may have hope through endurance and through the encouragement from the Scriptures.” In other words, God gave us His Word to help us along this journey called life and to encourage us too. That is good news. If you haven’t read it in a while, you might want to check it out for yourself. You might be pleasantly surprised. It has sure been a help to me…especially during these confusing COVID days. It was there that I learned the great truth I close with each time we meet. Here it is…are you ready? “He’s got this.” Bro. Dewayne

Family, fear, Grace, gratitude, life, love, loving others, Military memories, Scripture, thankful, wisdom

It’s A Dippity-Do Dah Day

Posted on May 28, 2021May 25, 2021 by Dewayne Taylor

If we say, “We have fellowship with Him,” and yet we walk in darkness, we are lying and are not practicing the truth.” 1 John 1:6

Hi Grits family. Hey, Judy and I are out of pocket today, so we are giving you the opportunity to revisit some of our favorites. So, God bless, enjoy and we will see you soon.

Dippity-do dah, dippy day, my oh my, what a wonderful day. I joined the Air Force back in 1972 and in so many ways it was a different world. At that time longer hair was still very much in vogue. It seemed the only guys with shorter haircuts were either born in the 1920’s or in the military. I was the latter.

It was also a different day in the way people viewed the military. The country was coming out of the Vietnam era and sadly many saw veterans and the active military in a dark light. I can well remember walking around town and getting the “one of those” looks. While I was never ashamed of being in the military, in fact, I was proud to serve, I did want to be cool—part of the in-crowd and short hair just wasn’t in. But you know the old saying, “Where there is a will, there is a way.” Hello Dippity-do.

It’s funny, I don’t remember anyone else doing it nor do I remember how I started. I found this hair stuff called, “Dippity-do.” It was a gel-like product and depending on how much you applied, it would make your hair stay where you put it. So I bought a jar and slowly I let the hair on the top of my head and sides grow out. I would wakeup in the morning and put this stuff, in fact a lot of this stuff, on my hair. I would comb it kinda on top of my head and toward the back. The effect was—well, effective. The funny part is when this stuff dried out it made my hair as solid as a rock. Of course, my mom always said I had a hard head.

I found that I could have the required white-wall around my ears and have all this hair glued down to the top of my head. When I got off work, I would go take a shower, wash this stuff out and believe it or not have enough hair to totally cover my ears. I looked like any other guy in the early 1970’s. Even as I write this I’m saying, “What?” But believe me it worked. I looked like a military guy during the day and a regular off-the-street guy at night. Looking back, it was weird.

Even stranger I worked in the command section of my squadron and to show how effective my ruse was, no one said anything. It looked, and I guess was, regulation. I remember one day walking in the local mall and coming straight toward me was my squadron commander, Major Hobbs. We passed within five feet of each other and he didn’t even recognize me. Yup—G.I. Joe by day and a 70’s hipster at night. Looking back there probably was a word for it. It was probably pretty hypocritical.

The word hypocrite means to “play the part” or to “wear the mask.” It was used to describe actors in ancient Greece who were one thing on stage and another off the stage. The one thing I remember is that I always felt a certain amount of fear while doing this. There was always the “what if I get called in and don’t have time to plaster my hair down” thing. What if my commander and my first sergeant saw me and did recognize me? I knew they respected me and what would happen to that respect? It’s the feeling you get when you are one thing one time and another thing later.

Well, finally I figured it wasn’t worth it and I’ll tell you that story another time, but the bottom line is I went and got a regular haircut. Two things happened almost immediately. First, I felt free. The fear of the wrong person seeing me at the wrong time was suddenly gone. It was like a weight was taken off my shoulders. The second thing that happened was I discovered that in spite of what the culture said, I was proud to be in the Air Force and that haircut identified me as part of a special family and team. It wasn’t something to be ashamed of…it was something to be proud of. And the best part, the girl I was dating, who I later married, thought I was even cuter. Now for the funny part. I have been out of the military now for 36 years and I never, not even once, grew my hair out. I decided I like shorter hair. More than that…I decided I like being real.

So, what about you? What is it in your life where you “wear the mask?” What is it in your life where you have decided to pretend—to be something you aren’t? While we find that in every aspect of life, sadly it’s also common in the Jesus follower world. People say one thing and do another—people who act one way on Sunday and another the rest of week. If I learned anything from my Dippity-do world is that authenticity beats a plastic mask every time.

John, one of the guys who followed Jesus in the Bible, said it pretty well. He said, “If we say, “We have fellowship with him,” and yet we walk in darkness, we are lying and are not practicing the truth.” In other words, if we say we are one thing and really are another—we are just living a lie. It is better to be real than fake. It is better to be authentic than counterfeit. I may have fooled my commander that day but I never fool God when I choose to be one thing in public and another in private. But the one thing I love about God is that He never rejects me. He is never ashamed to call me His child. I can always rest in Him and more than that, He can handle who I am—Dippity-do and all. He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

Family, fear, Grace, gratitude, life, prayer, Scripture, Trials

Murphy’s Law

Posted on May 27, 2021May 25, 2021 by Dewayne Taylor

Catch the foxes for us, the little foxes that spoil the vineyards, for our vineyards are in blossom.” Song of Solomon 2:15

Hi Grits family. Hey, Judy and I are out of pocket for the next two days, so we are giving you the opportunity to revisit some of our favorites. So, God bless, enjoy and we will see you soon.

Good ole Murphy. You have probably heard about a thing called Murphy’s Law. The bottom line is that if something can go wrong…it probably will. I have been a strong believer in Murphy’s Law for a long time. In fact, I bet if I checked ancestry.com this Murphy fella is somehow related to me. Now I know if you are one of those optimistic folks you are not a believer. You probably don’t believe in Big Foot either. Well, hey, I’m a believer. Let me give you a couple of examples.

I have a 100 foot water hose that we use to water plants, wash the car, all kind of things. When I am done with the hose and it is time to roll it back up, there is a 90% probably that the hose will catch on something—a flower pot, a rock, a crack in the sideway, or even an ant. When it catches, it kinks and I will have to walk out and unkink it. And…there is 67.5 % chance that it will kink again. There you go…Murphy’s Law.

Are you up for one more? So, let’s say I am installing a light fixture in the bedroom and I have to screw three screws in to hold it. There is a 94.75 percent chance that I will drop at least one of the screws from atop the six foot ladder, that it will roll 7.5 feet over toward the wall and that it will drop into the heating or air conditioning vent. AND there is a 100% chance that I will not have a replacement screw AND a 84% chance that no one in town will either. See, it is Murphy’s Law—undeniable, irrefutable, you gotta believe it, proof.

Now the good thing about Murphy’s Law is that most of the things it involves won’t kill you or even cause serious injury …but it will definitely drive you crazy. I’ve lived long enough to come to the conclusion that it isn’t the major disasters in life that steal our joy, rob us of peace, or make us want to move to Montana. No, it is the little things. One of my favorite verses is tucked away in one of those Bible books we never read—the Song of Solomon. Trust me—don’t read it to your kids before bedtime—or maybe anytime.

Well, right in the middle of the book is this jewel, “Catch the foxes for us, the little foxes that spoil the vineyards, for our vineyards are in blossom.” The author, who is a guy named Solomon, is saying he is not worried about a herd of elephants stomping and ruining his grapevines. Nope. He realized the danger is from those pesky little foxes that come along and eat the harvest one grape at a time. One.grape.at.a.time.

In these crazy days that have become some kind of new normal there are some elephants out there. The reality is that the corona virus can be very dangerous. There is a pretty small chance that I will get it. There is an even smaller chance that it will kill me. But there is just about a 100% chance that it and all its circumstances have and will mess with me. And that’s the problem—worrying about things that mess with me, things I can’t change, and the Rolaids stock goes right through the roof. Those stinking, pesky little foxes. We should be wary of the elephants, but let’s not give too much time and energy to the little foxes.

The foxes can and will mess with us. If we allow them they can cause us to be frustrated and even angry. They can mess with our peace, our joy, our relationships and even our sleep. But the truth is our God is greater than any elephant or any fox. All we have to do us trust Him—to lean into Him. The writer of Proverbs says it this way, “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.” There you go…trust and acknowledge and He will straighten this mess out.

So, the next time the hose kinks or the screw disappears just remember Murphy is at work. The choice of what we do when he visits is ours. I think we should just probably introduce him to our Friend Jesus. We should let him know there isn’t room for he and Jesus in our circle of friends. Someone has to go and Murphy—it is you. So long Murphy. I’m gonna go rest in Jesus. He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

Family, fear, life, priorities, Scripture, sovereignty of God, thankful, Trials

-346 Degrees Below Zero

Posted on May 24, 2021May 20, 2021 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).

Hi Grits family. Hey, Judy and I are out of pocket for the next five days, so we are giving you the opportunity to revisit some of our favorites. So, God bless, enjoy and we will see you soon.

I got to go to the skin doctor last week. That’s right…I got to go. My skin doctor is located in Paduach so that meant I could jail break. 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.

So any way, 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.

So 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.” So 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, rather it is twisted by the coronavirus or an illness or a tough circumstance, 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

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

It Was Hard

Posted on May 21, 2021May 20, 2021 by Dewayne Taylor

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us.” Romans 8:18

And then I remembered…it was hard. I was looking for a picture to use in one of my Grit’s stories and that caused me to go back…to reminisce…to remember. It was 2007 and I was part of a vision trip to Niger, West Africa to check out the possibilities of our church ministering in that West Africa country. It involved an incredibly long flight which included a 12-hour layover in Casablanca, Morocco. This was new territory for all four team members and trust me it was an adventure. Perhaps my favorite, and most eye-opening part, was when I asked a coffee shop owner if he took dollars. His only response was a shrug of the shoulders that seemed to say, “What is a dollar?” Apparently, I had found a place that didn’t think America was the center of the universe.

Later that day, we continued our journey to Niger and arrived near midnight and I was sure we had somehow been diverted and landed on the moon. The landscape, the sounds, the sights, the smells and the culture were so different…and that was just the beginning. Though I had spent three years in Europe and made a journey to the Eastern European country of Bulgaria, nothing prepared me for this. Even though we were in the capital city of Niamey there was still extreme property and many dirt roads. Amazing. But that was nothing compared to “the bush.”

We were more than just on the edge of the vast, almost endless Sahara desert where the scrub bushes and sand seemed to go on forever. With the exception of our own faces, everyone there bore the signs of desert life. Faces were weathered and worn by the desert winds and feet were toughened by the grinding of the sand. And yet, the people were amazingly content. Things such as family and friendship seemed to matter more than anything western culture provided. It was eye opening.

We were in the bush for several days and every day was an adventure and every day we learned more and more about this harsh, yet beautiful place at the edge of the Sahara with all its challenges and opportunities. We slept out in the desert air, we took bucket baths because there was no running water, we lived by flashlights because there was no electricity, and we ate new and strange foods…very strange. I learned that millet was not on my favorite food list and I also learned that this southern boy could, with difficulty, go without bread.

Well, we more than survived and would return a half dozen times or so to this different part of the world before the political climate closed that door and we had to move on to another part of West Africa. That was another adventure and another story. But as I looked at those pictures and went back…reminisced…remembered, I realized, at least for me, that was a difficult trip. For one who was used to so many creature comforts, it was hard. I also looked at some pictures from another trip to the bush a couple of years later and looked into the eyes of weary westerners—tired from a long day’s ministry, loving and helping people and remembered…it was hard.

But here’s the deal. It was worth it…in fact, it was more than worth it. Those trips, those days, were some of the most memorable days we have spent on the African continent. During those days I made friendships with people and learned from them. They left their fingerprints on my life and heart and I am different today. I hope that I too left good fingerprints on their lives—good impressions of Someone much greater than me. We told Bible stories during those days and for many that was something new—something they had never heard, Someone, they had never known. I still remember how some were bewildered and some intrigued. Yes, it was worth all the hard and only eternity will tell the final impact.

Worth.The.Hard. That is not only true for trips to West Africa or other difficult places, it is true of life. You see, everyone’s journey is different, and everyone’s journey will include easy and it will include hard—and both are beneficial. The easy refreshes us like a desert oasis and the hard teaches us like a strenuous workout at the gym. If and when, we learn we need both, life takes on a different and better meaning. We stop holding on only to the easy and learn to embrace the hard and we are better.

Paul, a guy in the Bible who knew a lot about easy and hard said, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us.” Paul learned to appreciate both sides of the coin—the refreshment of easier days and the challenge of difficult ones. How about you? Can you imagine a better outcome when the harshness of life brings profit instead of loss? I know it is a challenge and a lesson that I am still learning. But there is one lesson that is at the top of my to-do list—to remember and believe, “He’s got this.” Bro. Dewayne

Family, fear, forgiveness, Grace, gratitude, life, Scripture, thankful, Trials, wisdom

Grace and the Big Bang

Posted on May 13, 2021May 12, 2021 by Dewayne Taylor

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus.” Romans 8:1

I had no idea. I never saw it coming. When I woke on that Wednesday morning, I had no idea that something as dramatic as an automobile accident was going to occur. In fact, up to the point of impact everything was routine and then just like that, it changed. Now keep in my mind, in the world of accidents, mine was, well, minor. No one was hurt and that was the most important thing. But regardless, it was a big deal. It was the kind of deal that leaves a person scarred and wiser.

That accident at that corner happened 16 years ago and yet to this day, I never approach it without thinking about that day. I always, and I mean always, look both ways several times…just to be sure. Yes, the big trees and bushy bushes that obscured my vision that day are long gone but the memories are not. They are my constant companion next to me in the driver’s seat and they whisper…be careful. That is not a bad thing, as long as they are whispering and not shouting.

Perhaps there is an “accident” in your past that has left you a little scarred and a little wiser. The important thing is to make sure it stays in the past, forgiven, and is only invited in your present to whisper a wise word or two. The lessons of the past can help us not make the same mistake in our todays, but, don’t let them own you.

Two more lessons came from that Wednesday “Closer Encounter of the Ouch Kind.” I learned that little things can take down big things. The other driver was driving a much smaller car, a Honda Accord.” I, on the other hand, was driving a Pontiac Grand Prix. Logic would say that I would win the day but amazingly my car was totaled, and she was able to drive her car away from the scene. How is that possible? She was the one who delivered the punch and fate determined where. She hit me right at the door post of the driver’s side door. It was a critical area that bent the firewall and a bunch of other things that weren’t supposed to be bent. Bottom line? It was a knock-out punch.

An important lesson was reenforced in my life that day. Smaller things can cause massive damage to bigger things. It is true with cars, but it is also true of things like reputations, character, and life. It is important that we guard our heart and minds and keep the things that matter well-guarded and safe. Remember the words written by the wisest man ever to live, King Solomon. He said we need to catch the little foxes that ruin the vines. You see, ruined vines, don’t produce grapes and a ruined character takes a long time to recover.

Oh, and there was one more very important lesson from that day. The accident was my fault but there were some extenuating circumstances. The big trees and bushy bushes really shouldn’t have been there and later they were removed. But in my hand remained the ticket that said, “This was your fault.” The police office apologized for having to write the ticket but it all still said, “It was your fault.” But then an amazing thing happened. Someone heard about the accident and the ticket and extended…grace. Though I was technically in the wrong, they also knew the circumstances and the ticket was dismissed and the fine removed. Grace.

Paul talked a lot about grace in the New Testament part of the Bible but perhaps he said it best in a letter he wrote to the Christians in Rome. He said, “There is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus.” In other words, because of Jesus, the guilt and penalty for their sins, for our sins, can be removed. And ,it doesn’t happen because we earn it, it happens because He loves us. You see, if we will believe in who Jesus was and trust what He did…the charges and penalty can be removed. We can be declared, “Not guilty.” How about that?

You may or may not have an “oops” on your driving record, but we all have plenty of oops as we travel the highways of life. It is good to know that there is Someone who has the power and the authority to extend grace—unmerited favor. His name is Jesus, and He is waiting to help us. No matter how obvious, no matter how big, you need to know, “He’s got this.” Bro. Dewayne

Family, fear, gratitude, life, Scripture, thankful, Trials

A Wrecked Wednesday

Posted on May 12, 2021May 11, 2021 by Dewayne Taylor

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” 1 John 1:8

It happened on a Wednesday afternoon back in 2005. I had left work and ran home to do something. I am a creature of habit which means I do the same thing over and over again. That includes the way I come and go to work. For years I followed the same path and then one day I just changed and now for the last six years or so I have followed that path. It’s just me and the way I am wired.

On that particular day I was doing my habit thing. I pulled out of the alley that borders my house and onto the street. Within a block there is a stop sign and like I did every time, I stopped. This intersection was more than a little tricky because of several trees and bushes that were planted right along the road. We are talking big trees and bushy bushes…all planted …very, close to the road. So, after I stopped and looked both ways, I edged out, stopped again, and did my best to peer through the bushy bushes and around the very, big trees. I didn’t see anything (besides bushes and trees), so I pulled out. Well, my best was not good enough.

As I pulled out, I pulled right into the path of a Honda Accord. There was no time for an oops, no time to stop and restart, no time to do anything but brace for impact. The Honda hit me on the driver’s side, right at the door post of my much larger Pontiac Grand Prix. I had never had an accident before, and I still remember how impactful (no pun intended) it was. Fortunately, the other driver was not hurt and besides a couple of sore spots neither was I. The only thing hurt was my pride. I had caused an accident. I was a bad driver—or, at least, that’s how I felt.

Truthfully, that wasn’t true. I wasn’t a bad driver, but the accident was still my fault. Well, before long the police were there, and they did their police thing. They asked questions and I explained how I had tried to look but just couldn’t see the car coming. He said he certainly understood and in fact, a police officer had been involved in an accident at the same spot for the same reason. All of that didn’t change the bottom line…it was my fault. All the reasons and excuses weren’t going to change that. It.Was.My.Fault.

I wanted to blame the owner of the trees and bushes. In fact, I did blame the owner of the trees and bushes. I even went to their house and explained about the trees and the bushes. I wanted somehow to shift the blame from me to someone, to anyone. I learned that from my grandfather, a zillion times removed. His name was Adam. When he sinned he blamed Eve and God. He may have sinned but “Hey,” he said, “it wasn’t my fault.” He found out what I found out…the bottom line is the bottom line. It.Was.My.Fault. We need to own our sin. John, the one in the Bible, said that if we don’t own our sin or if we say we have no sin, we are only deceiving ourselves.

Well, there were consequences. For my efforts I was given a ticket which tainted my almost perfect driving record. I say almost because way back in 1984, I was in a hurry going to a revival and was pulled over for speeding. I explained to the officer I was a pastor and going to church (that was when I found out that was NOT the right thing to say.) Anyway, the insurance company didn’t like my now further tainted record.

The one consolation was shortly after that day…the trees and bushes totally disappeared…the city took care of that. Oh, and to this day, I avoid that intersection. I still tense up when I cross there. Now there is more to this story and I’ll write about that tomorrow. But until then just know this. God is good, God is faithful, and God can be trusted, and even when it is all our fault, well, we can know, “He’s got this.” Bro. Dewayne

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

Remember

Posted on May 10, 2021May 9, 2021 by Dewayne Taylor

I will remember the Lord’s works; yes, I will remember Your ancient wonders. I will reflect on all You have done and meditate on Your actions.” Psalm 77:11

I remember when. It is a line that is heard a lot in conversation. A favorite time. A favorite trip. A favorite memory. It seems the older we get, the more we use those three words. I remember when gas was 18 cents a gallon. I remember when a Coke was 5 cents. I remember when a Whopper was 49 cents. I remember my first new car was $2,795. I remember my friend bragging that he could boil water in a paper cup and I was introduced to the microwave.

Now would be a good time to tell you that I am not 102 years old. In fact, I am, well never mind. Let’s just say not that old. The ability to remember is one of the gifts that God gave to us as humans. I can remember when I met my wife Judy–boy, was she cute. I can remember when our first daughter was born–boy, she was cute too–took after her mom. First granddaughter–yup, cute too. I remember when.

We all have those great memories. Unfortunately, we also all have those “not so great” memories. Times when we made unwise decisions that resulted in Goliath size consequences in our lives. They usually involved a split moment in time when “the want” outweighed “the wisdom” and we acted. The results were scars, broken hearts, financial disasters, and regret.

So, what do you do with this memory thing? We all can remember back before the COVID thing was a thing…when things were…normal. Want to go out and eat? Sure. Want to go shopping. Sure. Want to go on vacation? Sure. Want to go to church? Sure. Then came that long stretch when things were anything but normal. Gratefully, now, we are beginning to taste, at least, a variation of normal. But the question remains, “What do we do with yesterday? What do we do with the regrets? What do we do with yesterdays that leave us longing or weeping? What do we do with fear of the unknowns?”

Saul (aka Paul) had to deal with that. He had a long history of regrets. As a young man climbing up the corporate ladder, he made his living imprisoning people for believing in Jesus. People who followed Jesus would quake when he walked into town. It usually meant someone was going to jail. Or worse. He once stood by as a mob stoned a young man named Stephen. He nodded his approval with each sickening thud as stone met flesh.

So, what happened? He met Jesus and he was instantly and forever changed. He went from Jesus hater to Jesus follower. The only problem was people have long memories and he was a people. Every look in the polished metal mirror reminded him. Every trip to a new town carried the dread that someone would say, “Hey, isn’t that the guy?” Ever had that happen? Ever dread that happening? Well, Paul did too, and he gave us some mountain moving advice in Philippians 3:13a-14.

He wrote “This one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus.” There you go. He says “I am not going to let my past control my present or my future”. Paul accepted one amazing deal. Grace. God had forgiven him of all his messes in the past and he finally made the decision to live in grace rather than regret.

So, as we continue our journey through these days of a new different, we can long for the old days, or we can live in gratitude and grace. As memories of mistakes the size of Everest sneak their way into our present, we can sink or we can swim in His grace. As we look in the mirror, we can see what might have been or believe what God says is. The author of Psalm 77 said, “I will remember the Lord’s works; yes, I will remember Your ancient wonders. I will reflect on all you have done and meditate on your actions.”

You need to know and believe that He’s pretty keen on you. He’s not ashamed or afraid to call you His. There is never a hint of regret for His decision to let you in the family. Hey, believe that. Rest in that. He’s got you. He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

Family, fear, gratitude, life, loving others, missions, prayer, priorities, Scripture, sovereignty of God, thankful, travel, Trials, wisdom

Rocking on Lake Victoria

Posted on May 6, 2021May 5, 2021 by Dewayne Taylor

Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; He will neither fail you nor abandon you.” Deuteronomy 31:8

It was like something out of National Geographic. I was on a vision trip to Uganda several years ago and it was one adventure after another. I was working with a missionary who had a ministry to the people living on the islands of Lake Victoria. This massive lake is the second largest in the world and is more like an inland sea than a lake. There are places that you can lose sight of the shoreline and you feel very much like you are out on the ocean.

Our vessel was anything but an ocean liner. It was a handcrafted open vessel that was about twenty-five feet long and powered by a fire breathing dragon of a motor with a whopping ten horsepower. We would tear across the lake at a heart stopping ten miles an hour. Ok, there really wasn’t a fire breathing dragon effect, nor were we tearing across the lake, but it was a great adventure! Usually.

One day, after a long day of preaching and teaching, it was time to head back to our home island. We were a little late leaving and night was coming soon, so it was imperative that we begin heading back. Our boat was parked in a small, secluded harbor and from there we all loaded up. There were only about six of us in the boat and the small engine started and off we went. As soon as we left the harbor we were greeted by some rough water. The waves were large enough to be “white caps” and I gave the missionary a glance but he assured me that these were not big waves. Well, beauty is in the eye of the beholder and so is wave size. These were boat swallowing monsters. And then, after a few minutes, it happened.

As the pilot guided the boat and tried to determine just how to navigate the large waves…the motor quit. I mean, it just stopped. Suddenly, at least in my eyes, things got a bit more interesting. We could no longer navigate the waves, rather, we were at their mercy and no matter how hard the pilot pulled, the engine wouldn’t start. About then I began a worship service of sorts, part music, part prayer and part personal eulogy. You know, “Friends we are gathered here to honor the life of…” Meanwhile the pilot is still pulling on the motor and I kept praying.

Finally, one of the guys in the boat named Joseph went to work on the motor. Joseph is a young man that can do just about anything—from preaching to apparently fixing motors. The shorter version of a long story is that He proceeded to take the carburetor apart and “blow it out.” Now keep in mind we are still rocking like crazy…and I still am praying and preparing to die. But I had planned my funeral just a little too soon. Before long, Jospeh had the carburetor reassembled and back on the motor. Three or four quick pulls later and we were back “on the road.” The waves were still big (at least to me) but we were underway and eventually we arrived back at the other island. Safe—if not too sound.

It really was one of those times that I wished I had paid more attention at swimming lessons because I wasn’t totally sure of the outcome. But thankfully I did remember one thing. I remembered that whether I am rocking in a boat on the world’s second largest lake in East Africa or driving down the Interstate at 70 miles-per-hour surrounded by people looking at their cellphones or doing life in a tumultuous point in history, my Father, my Dearest Daddy, is in control. Fate and circumstances are not calling the shots—He is. And if that isn’t enough, we have the promise that the Lord will personally go ahead of us. He will be with us; He will neither fail us, nor will He abandon us.

Now to be clear that doesn’t mean that everything is going to turn out exactly as I would like. It doesn’t mean that I get to write the script and He has to follow it. Quite the contrary, He is writing the script and He invites me to trust Him and to believe that ultimately the end of the story is for my good and His glory. I’m learning that the story never ends here—it ends there. For the person who decides to trust Him there is always a surprise ending and that is—the end is not the end. We may change locations, but the story continues. How about that?

So, I survived that day on the lake and now have returned many times…each time taking others with me including the one that I love most on this earth—my wife, Judy. I do so knowing, that while there are risks, ultimately the pilot of the boat doesn’t sit at the back but up in heaven and He’s got his eye on us and everything we do. It’s true in East Africa and its true where you and I live. We can say with certainty that if we belong to Him, we don’t have to worry because, “He’s got this.” Bro. Dewayne

Family, fear, Grace, gratitude, life, love, Military memories, priorities, Scripture, Southern born, sovereignty of God, thankful, travel, USA, wisdom

Home is Better

Posted on May 5, 2021May 4, 2021 by Dewayne Taylor

He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” Revelation 21:4-5

Who would have known? In 1977, my wife and I packed up our stuff and moved to Germany. It wasn’t a sudden urge we had—it was courtesy of the Air Force. When we had been married about seven months, we received an assignment to move to Europe. We were excited about moving there, but also realized Germany was 4,657 miles from everything that was familiar to us. We were off on a great adventure, without cell phones or internet!

We loved it. Our part of Germany was filled with history and beautiful landscapes. Rich forests and small hills and mountains framed every view. And honestly, it was a little like home. While it was true that the local folks spoke a different language, there was enough English sprinkled around that we were able to get by. We even learned a little (and I do mean a little) German to help. We drove our cars on the right side of the road, just like home (unlike the Brits), we could drink the water just like home, we had stores kinda like home, and we even had a church…just like home. But it wasn’t…home.

Throughout the three years we were there, we would celebrate when it came time for friends to “ship” back to the United States. Our church even had a special song titled, “Goodbye, World, Goodbye” that we sang every time someone left to go back to the states. They were bitter-sweet moments. We would miss them, but we knew where they were going. They were going home.

There was one thing that we would do, every once in a while, to remind us of home. It might seem strange, but it wasn’t to us. Germany was a place of great food but once again…it wasn’t home. I found out that not many Germans eat grits. Imagine that. But they did share one thing that was purely American—McDonald’s. Located downtown in a large city, not too far from where we lived, was a McDonald’s very much like ours back home. And when we could afford it, which wasn’t often, we would go and have a taste of home. Each bite of the burgers and fries said, “Remember home.” Each bite said, “This place is good but remember, it’s not home.”

Well, one day it was our turn to go…home. It was our turn to hear, “Goodbye, World, Goodbye” and know it was for us. It was our turn to leave there and go home and as soon as we were home, we knew instantly that while “there” was very good—it wasn’t home. Home was better. Home was home.

Jesus followers need to remember that very important truth—Home is better—Home is home. This world is good. We enjoy life with friends and family, and there is a McDonald’s on every corner. But what used to remind us of home now reminds us that we are not there…yet. Even with all its warts and imperfections, God has done a great job providing us a temporary location to live out our days, but remember, Home is going to be—better. The Bible tells me that Heaven is a place where there is no more pain, suffering, sickness or sorrow. No hospitals, no nursing homes, and no funeral homes. Simply put—the former things are gone, and everything will be new. Home will be better.

I know I speak for Judy too when I say that our time in Germany was three of our favorite years together. I also know I speak for her when I say home was, and home is, better. Life here is good but one day, it will be my turn, your turn, to find out that Home is better. When it came time to leave Germany and go home, the Air Force paid for our ticket and I am glad to let you know that our ticket to Home is paid for too—by God’s Son, Jesus Christ. All we have to do is accept it and when we do—life here gets better and Home is thrown in. When we accept it, we find out that God loves to give us a “McDonald’s” or two, here and there, just to remind us of Home…to remind us that till we get there, He is with us and that at every turn, “He’s got this.” Bro. Dewayne