fear – Page 41 – Grits with Grace

fear, gratitude, life, prayer, Scripture, thankful, wisdom

The Thief

Posted on August 11, 2020August 10, 2020 by Dewayne Taylor

Teach us to number our days carefully so that we may develop wisdom in our hearts.” Psalm 90:12

The thief has struck again. Without anyone noticing a thief has been stealing from us all. It happens visually everyday and no one does anything to stop it because they can’t. Slowly and almost without notice the thief takes from us and we usually don’t notice until it is too late. Who is this thief? It is time itself…the calendar.

The day of the year with the most daylight hours is usually around June 21st. It is known as the summer equinox. On that day, the tilt of the earth allows the northern hemisphere to be closest to the sun allowing the maximum amount of daylight hours. On June 21st sunrise occurred at 5:32 am in our town. Fourteen hours and forty-six minutes later it sets at 8:19 pm. From that time forward, slowly and surely the amount of daylight hours slowly begins to recede.

You ask, “How much?” Well, today the sun will rise at 6:07 am and will set at 7:50 pm. If you do the math you will discover that will give us 13 hours and 43 minutes of daylight. Amazingly you will find that the thief has taken an hour and 3 minutes from us. And each passing day he will take another few minutes. Finally, someday in the near future you will get up and wonder why it is still dark or why the sun is setting so early. The answer is the daylight thief.

I find all this pretty fascinating. As the days and weeks march by it reminds us that fall is coming. Before long, the leaves will be changing colors and falling to the ground. Perhaps, before long our thoughts, even for a few hours, will be on a happy place like Thanksgiving and not the corona virus. On December 21 the process will all reverse. We will begin to gain back those precious minutes of daylight and it will remind us of the promise that spring is on its way.

The amazing part of all of this is how subtly it happens. It is true of the calendar and the hours of daylight we experience, and it is true of so many small things in our lives. We take in a few too many calories and before long we wonder why our clothes are tighter. Humidity? I mean they do call it the air you can wear. We miss a few days of exercise and wonder why our energy level suddenly drops. We miss a few days talking with our Dearest Father and wonder why He feels like a stranger. We miss our time with the Book and find ourselves bumbling our way through life. Sigh. It is all too familiar and all too predictable.

The secret, I believe, is to be aware. I have one of those “Joe Cool” Apple watches that tells me more than I need or want to know. One of the things it tells me is the time of the sunrise and sunset. A few days ago the sun was setting at 8:06 pm and I knew that meant before long it would be setting before 8:00 pm. Sure enough, it is. Whether it is exercise or calories or prayer or reading the Book, if we will pay attention we will have fewer surprises and consequences. I like what Moses said. He wrote, “Teach us to number our days carefully so that we may develop wisdom in our hearts.” You know, wisdom to watch what we eat and how much we exercise. Wisdom to stop and talk to God and read His Book. Yup…good, good advice.

Paul, one of the writers of the New Testament, put it another way. He said we should make the most of everyday, not living as someone who is foolish but as someone who is wise. He goes on to say we should do this because the days are evil—or full of difficulties and challenges. The fact is we all get 1440 minutes a day—no more, no less. The hours of daylight may change, but the time has been set for eternity. 1440 opportunities to make the most of life, to get it right. And, because we are imperfect humans, we can use some of those minutes to talk to our Dearest Father about our warts and failures. We can snuggle up close as He whispers assurances of love and forgiveness. We can just rest and know…that He’s got this.

Family, fear, gratitude, life, prayer, Scripture, Southern born, thankful, wisdom

He’s Got This

Posted on August 5, 2020August 4, 2020 by Dewayne Taylor

We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28

I like love notes. My wife Judy and I have been married for a long, long time. Sometimes people ask how it is that we have stayed married to each other for forty-four years. It could be that I am an incredible husband but the truth is Judy is an incredible wife. She is pretty patient with me when I mess up and well, that’s quite frequently. She also has a great servant’s heart. She is constantly doing the small things that just say, “I love you.” In that way she is a lot like God.

It always impresses me when God does something really big in my world. It causes me to just stop and be amazed. Our lives are filled with stories that show the handiwork of God. Each one is a love note and each one bears His signature. Whether it is getting though a particularly hard time or fulfilling a dream, He is always there. The trick is learning to see it.

Back in 1981, Judy and I were living in Warrensburg, Missouri. We were attending the First Baptist Church there and having the time of our lives. God had blessed us with a wonderful group of friends and we were serving in several ministries there. Two of those involved music. We were teaching preschool choir (those songs still roll around in my head) and both of us were in the adult choir. Our worship leader, Dan Tracy, was a great guy and great leader. Every choir practice and performance was spiritually magical.

One of the things that Dan did was lead a choir tour every Spring. The church would rent a bus for the weekend and our choir would sing at several churches. In the Spring of 1981, Judy and I were brand new parents. Our first daughter Rebecca had been born that January. She was obviously too young to leave with a sitter so Judy and I agreed she would stay home and I would go with the choir. So on a Thursday afternoon, she took me to church to leave with the choir. We were all excited, but I kinda felt bad leaving Judy behind.

Finally, just about everyone was on the bus and it was time to go. Someone, it may have been Dan, was locking the church door when he happened to hear the phone ringing. For some reason, he stopped and went back inside to answer it. It really didn’t make a lot of since because it was after hours and it was a larger church so people called all the time. Regardless, he answered the call. It was for me.

Now before the story goes any further you need to understand that most of our family had no clue what state we lived in. Most of them probably didn’t know where Missouri was on the map. Certainly, no one knew we were attending First Baptist and certainly no one knew I was there late on a Thursday afternoon leaving on a choir tour. Yet the call was for me. It was Judy’s brother…her father had died suddenly of a heart attack and we needed to go home to Georgia.

Now pause just a moment and be amazed. No one knew what church we were attending, it was after hours, I was moments away from leaving for the tour and someone just happened to hear the phone and answer it. Amazing. It was obviously very hard news but to this day Judy and I both marvel at how our Father orchestrated this. It was as if He said, “Judy, you have a difficult journey ahead of you but I am putting this together so you will know that I love you and I will walk with you.” And yes, it was as if He signed it, “Love, Dearest Daddy.”

It was a difficult journey that left us both shocked and surprised. Judy’s daddy had just been with us for Rebecca’s birth and suddenly, he moved to heaven. But even in those sad, heartbroken moments, we knew He was not leaving us to walk through this hard time alone. We trusted that He would show us the way as we walked this new, unplanned path. And He never left us to walk alone.

How about you? First, I hope you have made the decision to ask God to forgive your sins and be your Father. It is the greatest and best decision ever. Again, it has nothing to do with religion or church. It has everything to do with a relationship with the Creator of everything. Second, if you have done that I hope you will make it a habit to look and see the handiwork of your Father in everyday life. He is constantly at work—in the good times and hard times. He is at work when it is obvious and when it is not.

It is one of those verses that a lot of people throw around but it is just packed with truth. It says, “we know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.” Now, it doesn’t say that everything is good but that God can bring good from all circumstances. God in fact did get us safely through a twenty-three hour drive to South Georgia with a six week old baby girl in the back seat. God did show us His love through an amazing phone call. And the best part—He does it for each of His kids. So, snuggle up and rest in Him. He loves you and He’s got this.

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

Call a Plumber

Posted on July 27, 2020 by Dewayne Taylor

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9

I knew it, I just knew it. A month or so ago, my wife told me that she had dropped her special eye liner down the drain in our bathroom. It was the kind that was encased in a holder like a pencil and one day the eye thingy just slid right out. Now, I’m not sure what an eye liner even does but I know it was important to her. And, since it was important to her, it was important to me.

With my limited, and I do mean limited, knowledge of plumbing and drains, I did know that there is a thing called a trap on a drain. It is designed to catch things and keep them from going wherever the water goes…the place of no return. I also knew checking the trap was not a big deal. You unscrew a couple of things and when you are done you screw it back on. No deal, right? Uh, well, usually.

Well, I took it off and dumped it out. There was some really ugly stuff in there but none of it had to do with eyes. So after cleaning it out I screwed it back on and checked to make sure every thing was nice and dry. It wasn’t. One of the joints was leaking. So I took it apart 3,291 times and 3,291 times it leaked. I finally called it quits and asked my real plumber son-in-law to swing by and check it out. The diagnosis was simple.

The problem was a cheaply made part from China that was apparently barely staying together before the eye-liner thing. The answer was to buy a new part, screw it on and bam—you are back in business. So, I go to store number one and buy the part the guy says I need. I bring it home, take it apart, wrong part. Bummer. So I went to another store and bought another part that the guy said I needed. I brought it home, I took it apart and indeed it was the WRONG part.

If nothing else, I am persistent. I went to a third store where the nice guy behind the counter sold me a whole bag of parts at a very good price. “Yay!” I said. I went home, opened my big bag of parts and discovered indeed that it would fix a problem, for someone, somewhere—but not my problem. They didn’t fit either. I gave up and went on vacation.

Sometimes a trip to Florida with family will give renewed clarity and determination. When I got home, I decided if I just tried harder, if I just adjusted and twisted enough I could make one of all those parts work. Well, I got on the floor, dumped all the parts on the floor and took it all part again and…failed. Miserably. In fact, instead of one leak I now had two. By now I was certain of two things. I was not a plumber and I was very glad God called me to be a preacher.

Well, I decided to give it one more try. This time I took the old broken parts with me to the story. Store one and two were closed but store three was open. I walked in and the nice guy said, “Can I help you?” I told him I honestly wasn’t sure. I gave him the short story of how I now owned a small plumbing supply business and I needed this part—and I showed him the dirty, slimy old part. He reached down and pulled a bag full of parts off the shelf and together we looked. There, inside the bag, was the part I needed. He saw it, I saw it. Things were looking up.

I bought the bag of parts and took them home. I managed to rig the other leak with some electrical tape—hey it worked—and then I put on the new part, the right part. It took exactly one minute to screw on the right part and ta-da—it didn’t leak. Success. Victory. I was one happy shade-tree plumber. Of course I now own two bags full of parts that I don’t need—yet—and probably spent enough to pay a plumber to fix it but it was done and I was the hero! I’m going down today to apply for my plumber’s card.

I bet you are wondering what today’s big truth is all about. We could talk about frustration. We could talk about determination. We could talk about some other word that ends with “ion.” But the big truth is this. I kept trying to put the wrong part in the right place and no matter how hard I tried—it just wasn’t going to fit. It was like trying to put a square peg in a round hole—it wasn’t gonna happen.

Of couse, we do this all the time in life with God. How many times do we have an issue or a problem and we are sure we can cram something into that place that doesn’t fit and be happy? How many new cars, houses, and televisions have been bought trying to scratch an itch that only God can scratch? Sometimes we just know if we “get religion” or start going to church or start this or stop that everything will be ok. Our life, our marriages, our fears will all be better or disappear. Those may be good things but they are not THE thing.

The thing is a personal relationship with Jesus. You may have heard how He came to bring light into a dark world—including your dark world. You may have even heard how He came to set things right between you and God—in fact, make it possible for you to call God Father. It’s all true and it’s all right there in the Book. Paul, one of the guys who wrote a chunk of the Bible, said “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” That just means we are saved by believing and not doing. It’s really quite amazing. So if you have a plumbing problem…save yourself some time and frustration and call your son-in-law the plumber. If he isn’t one, hire one. But if your life is a leaky mess, call on Jesus. No matter the problem, no matter how big the problem—He is the fixer. He can take care of it and you. Why? Because He loves you—a lot. You can rest in Him when life wears you down. You can turn to Him when life gets crazy because…He’s got this.

Family, fear, life, Scripture, thankful, wisdom

Goose-Land, Part 2 “I Quit”

Posted on July 22, 2020 by Dewayne Taylor

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”
Psalm 139:14

“I Quit.” I could almost hear the words coming from his beak. Yesterday was “walk in the park day” and the ducks and geese were doing their thing. If you haven’t made a trip to the park to just watch the geese and ducks you really should. It is so interesting to see how they interact with one another. There are a couple of stories at gritswithgrace.com if you would like to go back and read them.

Yesterday I was in lap two of three and I saw something that really caught my attention and captured my heart. You probably know that geese like to hang together. They will be “gaggling” together and suddenly, it is as if someone, the gaggle leader will give a nod or a honk and everyone will burst into flight. They rise from the ground or the water as one, like a flight of aircraft from a military flight. They quickly take formation and off they go into the wild blue yonder.

As I was walking across the stone bridge at the park the order was given and about seven geese took off. I was pretty close and it was pretty impressive. With a flush of honking and flapping, they rose into the sky as one. Goose One, the flight leader carefully led the group over the bridge and down to the far end of the pond. They took off as one and they flew as one all except…one.

As they flew by at full power I happened to notice one of the group still on the ground. He was a young adult goose but definitely old enough to take to the air. His body was well groomed, every feather in place. From where I stood he looked like he could…he should be airworthy. But as his friends took flight…he took a look around. There they went and there he sat. It was what happened next that was so unusual. He suddenly started to run. Paralleling the edge of the pond he started running as fast as his little legs would carry him. It seemed he was sayings, “Hey guys, wait for me.”

He ran for about fifteen yards and then he stopped and went down the bank into the water, paddling furiously, heading for where he thought his friends and family had gone. The last time I saw him he was still paddling away shouting, “Hey, wait for me.” After getting over the amusement of watching him waddle and paddle, my heart was captured. I found myself asking the obvious question, “Why?”

Why waddle when you can soar? Why paddle when you can fly? Why get left behind when you could be in the middle of the party? I am not an expert in goose anatomy but he had all the equipment to fly and all the equipment seemed to be working. I really don’t know, but it seemed I heard him muttering as he waddled with all his might. Although I’m not fluent in goose, it seemed he was saying, “I can’t, I can’t, I can’t.” And then, right before he went into the water he said, “I quit.” How sad.

He was made to fly. He was made to soar, but he chose, he settled, for waddling and paddling. He chose for second best. You see, you can be the best waddler in the world and that is fine…unless you were made to soar. The view from the ground is never as magnificent as the view from the sky. If his equipment was broken, if it was just a matter of a few more flight lessons well, that would be a different story. But what if it was just a matter of not believing—in himself and the One who made him?

If you look around, and maybe as close as the bathroom mirror, you might see someone who stopping believing. You might see someone who has tried and failed enough that they no longer believe anything is possible. You might see someone who stopped believing that God makes masterpieces and started believing that God made a mess. Well, let me tell you something. God doesn’t make junk and He doesn’t make messes. The Psalmist said it right, “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”

Fearfully and wonderfully made. That is you and that is me. If you find yourself on the shore, waddling when you designed to soar…start believing again. Start believing in you, start believing in Him and start believing that with Him…all things are possible. Don’t let the circumstances around you right now—the division, the virus, the uncertainty keep you on the ground. You were made to fly, to soar! Why not crawl up into the lap of your Dearest Father, rest in Him and just believe? Believe the truth…that He’s got this.

Family, fear, Grace, gratitude, life, loving others, prayer, Scripture, thankful, wisdom

Faith and the Next Step

Posted on July 20, 2020 by Dewayne Taylor

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Hebrews 11:1 (NIV)

There’s hard…and there is really hard. You know, sometimes faith is easy. The way is clear, the path is obvious and you just do it. Sometimes, it just isn’t that way. Sometimes, all the time, faith requires…faith. So back in 2000, my family and I were living in Cobden where I was pastoring at Cobden First Baptist. We had been there over 14 years and it was one of those pastor/church relationships that don’t happen too often. We were in love with each other. It wasn’t a job…it was family. And then the phone rang.

It was a call from Don Billman wanting to know if I would be interested in pastoring in Harrisburg at Dorrisville Baptist. I had received calls like this before and the answer was always, “No thank you. We are really happy here.” This time, though, for some reason I said I would think about it—pray about it. It was almost frightening but I could hear the Whisperer whispering and I was pretty sure He was calling us to step out on faith. I tried to dismiss it, I tried to ignore it, but He kept whispering until I finally knew that it was a choice to obey or disobey.

After several weeks we arranged a date to go and preach a message, meet the folks at Dorrisville and to see if we should join our lives together. I had asked God for a pretty big favor. If this was in fact His will would He give me a 100% vote. Now in case you don’t know that was a pretty big deal, especially since we were talking about a couple of hundred people. Well, we met each other and they voted. It was 100%. I was taken aback as I realized it was time to step out on faith.

Pastors usually leave churches in one of two ways: readily or reluctantly. I was a reluctant prophet. I knew going was the right thing, but it wasn’t the easy thing. It was probably one of the HARDEST things I have ever done. We were excited about Dorrisville, but I knew I was leaving family in the process. Were there doubts? Yes. Were there assurances? Yes. And that is the point of this story.

A week or so after the vote and in the middle of the process of saying goodbye to Cobden, I was sitting outside of Target in Marion. I remember it like it was yesterday. I was having a talk with God that included two questions. “God, is this really you?” “God, what have I done?” There I sat with those two questions rolling around in my head. And then they showed up. It wasn’t two angels named Micheal or Gabriel but it was a couple of messengers from my Dearest Daddy. Their names were Tom and Leanne.

Tom and Leanne were members at Dorrisville—my new family. They walked up to the bench outside of Target and politely introduced themselves. “Hi we are Tom and LeAnne. We are members at Dorrisville and when we saw you sitting here we just HAD to stop and tell you how glad we are that you are coming to Dorrisville. We can’t wait for you to come.” I can’t tell you the emotion of that moment. It was a clear and confident assurance from the Whisperer. From that moment on I knew I was right where God wanted me and that was what mattered.

So we finished saying goodbye to our Cobden family and said hello to our new family at Dorrisville. On July 16, 2000 we had our first service there. I wish I could tell you how marvelously I led and how confidently I took the field but the truth is this rookie fumbled the ball a few times. But gratefully my new family was gracious and patient and suddenly here we are twenty years later. It has been a wonderful journey for me of learning and growing, serving, and sharing. Over the past two decades we have had so many times of celebration together. We have learned grace together. Someday, one day, the Whisperer will whisper again but until that time I am having the time of my life.

So if you find yourself at the edge of a cliff and you are not sure what to do next. If all the light is gone from your world and you are stuck…go ahead and take the next step. As Patrick Overton wrote, “When you have come to the edge of all light that you know and are about to drop off into the darkness of the unknown, faith is knowing one of two things will happen: There will be something solid to stand on or you will be taught to fly.” Whether it is the uncertainly of the corona virus, the unrest of our Country or the upcoming elections this Fall…we can rest in Him…for He surely has this.

fear, Grace, gratitude, life, loving others, prayer, Scripture, thankful

I Heard Him Before I Saw Him

Posted on July 17, 2020July 16, 2020 by Dewayne Taylor

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil. You are with me.” Psalm 23:4

I heard him before I saw him. Last week I was walking in the city park. It wasn’t the casual walk but the exercising kind. I do about 2.5 miles in about 35 minutes. That day the sun was shining, the birds were singing, the trees were doing their “leafing out” thing and it was a good day. Then, like I said, I heard him before I saw him.

I was alone in the park till then. As I crossed the bridge on the north end of the park there was a man in his forties or fifties. He was dressed normally–whatever that means but that was where normalcy ended. At first, I thought he had one of those things in his ear that enabled him to talk on his cell phone. The closer I got the more I could see and hear.

He was angry. He was shouting. He was cursing. Then he began to pick up rocks and throw them violently in one direction and then another. I realized he was fighting a battle with someone I could not see but he could. To him it was real–very real. He felt threatened and hurt by an enemy only he could see.

I prayed. I asked God to deliver him from the invisible demon that was haunting him. I asked God for His peace to come upon this peace-less man. Later I saw him leaving the park, no longer angry, no longer violent, no longer cursing. It seemed from where I was that a moment of calm had come to his storm wrecked mind. I was grateful and told God so.

I thought about that day several times and I realized that in these days there are a lot of folks fighting and fearful of enemies–enemies that don’t have or need a face to wreck their lives. The covid-19 virus, the loss of a job or business, the fear of losing someone they love, the fear that things will never be the same, the fear that this fear will own them–consume them.

My mind goes back to Psalm 23:4. David, chased by a crazed king consumed with jealousy, chased by too many memories of too many failures writes, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil. You are with me.” He was wise enough to know that as he walked through this valley it wasn’t filled with real monsters–only monster “wanna-be’s.”

You see, the valley became a roadway and not a residence. Death, because of his faith in a “bigger-than-anything” God, was reduced to a shadow. Shadows can frighten but can cause no real damage or harm. How did that happen? Somewhere along the way David chose to believe in his “bigger-than-anything” God and he found peace. He said, “I don’t need to fear evil, no matter what it looks like, because You are with me.” You are with me. Today as you journey, remember all around us are people who fight battles with enemies only they can see. Be sure and swift not to judge but to pray. That day in the park I got it right but trust me I don’t always do that. It’s then that I pray a different prayer–one for forgiveness. And if you are fighting those invisible enemies today–just a word or two. God loves you. Rest in Him. He’s got this.

fear, Grace, gratitude, life, loving others, prayer, Scripture, thankful

Ain’t No Sunshine

Posted on July 16, 2020July 15, 2020 by Dewayne Taylor

What do you want Me to do for you?” Jesus asked him. The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.” Mark 10:51

Bartimaeus, or Bart as his friends called him, was blind. Along with the blindness came the usual social stigmas of being an outcast and the usual career choice–begging. He had landed 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 was 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 aide he was wanting something new, something life changing. Faith and the wisdom to ask for the right thing was a game changer 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. Amazing. And do you know what? Mark puts it very plainly 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 world flooded in. Amazing.

Well, Jesus had told him to go and do you know where he went. 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 seem pretty dark right now? You’ve seen the list over and over. Fear. Corona virus. Unemployment. Unknowns. 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.

fear, Grace, gratitude, life, Scripture, thankful, wisdom

Do You Have A Pencil?

Posted on July 15, 2020July 14, 2020 by Dewayne Taylor

God, who began the good work within you, will continue His work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.” Philippians 1:6

“Do you have a pencil?” he asked. Realizing there were plenty of kinds of pencils he added, “You know, the old-fashioned kind?” I’m not sure what he needed it for but I rummaged through my desk drawer and found one. I think he needed one with lead on one end and an eraser on the other. The kind where you use one end to write a story or make a mark and the other you use to remove our “oops.” Today we are more likely to use the delete key on a keyboard. Erasers were my friends. Delete keys are my new friend. It makes my oops disappear. I have a lot of oops.

My delete key changes things. I mentioned recently that I did something that I had done only once before. I opened the church calendar on my computer and started deleting things. Evening service. Delete. Youth Impact. Delete. KLICK and Women’s Bible Study. Delete. Wednesday services. Delete. Choir Practice. Delete. Delete, delete, delete. When I was done the calendar looked, well, mostly empty. Mostly empty.

Then it hit me. Like an artist I was staring at a blank canvas and I realized what had been planned was gone. The space that was cleared left plenty of room–room for God to write a new story. A different story. A better story. Several weeks ago, I began writing. With more white on the page there was more time to write. Without God orchestrating the delete button, the stories would still be in my head and heart but not on the page. The thing I resisted led to the freedom to do it.

I wonder what would happen if we started concentrating on the ways God can use this hot mess we are in to rewrite stories? What if we started to freely, to openly, invite Him to use the delete button and rewrite the stories of our lives? I wonder what opportunities, what adventures would suddenly fill our pages. A walk to the park becomes a safari. Homemade pizza night becomes an edible art gallery. The dining room table is cleared and we drag out the family games that have stayed in the closet too long.

Then there are cards to write, and calls to make, and stories to share. Imagine the kids’ faces as they hear again how you met each other or how you met Jesus. Imagine sharing how things are really, really hard right now but how you are trusting God to help. Imagine faith leaping off the page of the Bible and right onto the pages of your life. Then, imagine them saying, “Mom, Dad this bad time has been the best time because we got to be together.” Just imagine.

Yes, these are really challenging times. Financially. Emotionally. Spiritually. Yes–but what if God is writing a new story that in the end is the stuff of legends? What if in a few years these days are some of the best memories? And it was all possible because we said, “Ok God–go ahead and use the delete key. I’m trusting that Your story is better than my story. I’m trusting You.” You see, God’s best use of the delete key is when He applies His grace to our sins, our mistakes, our misguided decisions, our oops. New pasts and new futures are His specialty and they are often written in crazy days like these. So, go ahead, press that delete key. Rest in Him. He’s got this.

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

Funeral at Nain

Posted on July 13, 2020July 9, 2020 by Dewayne Taylor

I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in Me, even if he dies, will live. Everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?”
John 10:25-26

It was an ordinary day. Jesus was on the move traveling from one small village to another doing what He did–making a difference. As He was approaching Nain, a stop in the road, He ran into a funeral procession. We recognize funeral processions by the flashing lights on the hearse followed by cars with headlights on. He recognized it by the mourning–the funeral wail. The closer He got, the louder it got. It was the sound of broken hearts and lives.

In Luke 7:12, we get the details. It says, “Just as He neared the gate of the town, a dead man was being carried out. He was his mother’s only son, and she was a widow. A large crowd from the city was also with her.” What a tragedy. A mother had lost her only son to death. And, according to scripture, he was young. The cause isn’t listed nor does it matter. Death comes in many forms and is no respecter of persons. But it was her only son and he died too young. It gets worse.

Luke also shares that she is a widow. She is facing this dark time alone. There is no husband to share the grief–it is all hers. And when the grieving is over she faces a very difficult world. No source of income, no safety net, no unemployment, no social security–nothing. It’s a bad deal from top to bottom. And then it happens.

Jesus sees the situation and orders the mourning column of brokenness to stop. Why? He has compassion on her. He knows her story before He is told and He tells her, “Don’t weep.” It could be an unkind statement akin to “hey, get over it” or “it will be better tomorrow.” Instead it was a statement of power–the kind of power to change everything.

He walks over and touches the coffin–a big no, no in that culture but Jesus didn’t let rules stop Him from loving, from acting. He says, “Party’s over death…you’re done.” Ok, He really said, “young man, I tell you get up.” And boom–just like that he did. Now let me tell you when you are at a funeral and the dead person sits up and is alive, the funeral is over and the party begins. Break out the fried chicken because death is done and Jesus is King.

I love this story…I really do. I see it played out day, after day, after day. No…not exactly like this but I, we, see God bringing spiritual dead people to life every day. And when that happens John 10:25-26 becomes a reality. There Jesus says, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in Me, even if he dies, will live. 26. Everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” Wow what power–what assurance. But is all hinges on the last four words, “do you believe this?” “Do we believe this?”

Ok, so these are difficult days. You might feel like the widow of Nain. It may feel like your world is imploding around you with all the safety nets gone. Well, there’s One that will never leave you and His name is Jesus. Oh, and knowing Him is a game changer. The future that matters–the eternal one–is a guaranteed better day. In a word, it is heaven. So, as we journey these uncharted waters together remember we never have to be alone–ever. Jesus wants us to experience His compassion and His salvation. And listen, when Jesus shows up things change. He is bigger than anything so rest in Him. He’s got this.

fear, Grace, gratitude, life, loving others, Scripture, thankful, wisdom

Annie

Posted on July 10, 2020July 9, 2020 by Dewayne Taylor

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So, we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Her life was pretty hard…pretty dark. A perky young redhead with an optimistic attitude in a pessimistic world. Others mocked her and those charged to care for her emotionally abused her. So, what was Annie’s response? Well, it goes something like this.

“The sun will come out tomorrow. Bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow there’ll be sun! Just thinking about tomorrow clears away the cobwebs, and the sorrow till there’s none!

When I’m stuck in a day that’s gray, and lonely, I just stick out my chin and grin, and say, “Oh the sun will come out tomorrow. So ya gotta hang on till tomorrow…come what may. Tomorrow! Tomorrow! I love ya tomorrow! You’re always a day away.”

So guess what? The sun does come out. She is rescued by Daddy Warbucks and her life is changed forever. Are there still problems? Yup. Are there still bad guys lurking to hurt her–steal her away? Yup. Does the story have a great ending? Yup and three big lessons emerge. One, the sun will come out. Two. Don’t mess with Daddy Warbucks. Three, don’t underestimate a nine-year-old redhead.

So, doesn’t it seem we are stuck in a day that’s gray, and lonely? Doesn’t it seem this whole corona virus thing is one perpetual, cloudy day? Doesn’t it seem like this is the new forever normal? Well, it is not. The sun is going to come out.

I try and walk every morning–usually on the treadmill. I climb on and at 4 mph work feverously to go nowhere. Well, yesterday, the temps were warm and the sun was out and walked at the city park–and it was like a cool drink of water in a hot dry desert. I mean I just exploded in gratitude for a God who loved me enough to let the sun come out.

I read on the internet that the phrase, “And it came to pass…” appears 396 times in the Bible. Each time it is saying that the current situation didn’t come to stay…it came to pass. That this isn’t a new normal…it is a temporary circumstance.

In 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 Paul writes, “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So, we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” Right on Paul. Right on.

So remember this. One, the sun will come out–guaranteed. It may be here or it may be there but the future for a child of God is filled with “Son-shine.” Second, remember who our Father is. He isn’t just rich like Daddy Warbucks–He owns it all and is in total control. And no one…and I mean no one…messes with our Father. Last, you may not be a perky young redhead like Annie but don’t underestimate yourself. You dear friend, if you have trusted Christ, are a prince or princess of the King. Your home is heaven and your Father calls you His. Can someone say, “Son-shine?” God bless you today. The forecast says clouds but I’m feeling pretty “Son-ny.” After all, I can rest in Him. He’s got this.