Category: forgiveness

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

Rescue and Redemption

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; He rescues those whose spirits are crushed.” (Psalm 34:18)

Tears streamed down my face as I raced after the car.  So many childhood memories are lost through the fog of time.  Depending on the memory…that can be good or bad.  A tragedy, a broken heart, a traumatic event, are all best left in the fog.  Others, though, need to be remembered.  And then, there are those that are both and this story is one of those.

It all started one day in elementary school.  It had to be the third grade.  The teacher had given us an assignment and to emphasize the importance, she said that if we came to school the next day without it…there would be consequences.  I don’t know what those were, but it probably involved a trip to see the principal or being fed to the sharks.  At any rate, it worked.  I was terrified.

Well, somehow, some way, it happened.  I got on the bus, got to school, and got to class.  Shortly after we said the pledge to the flag, sang our patriotic song for the day and then recited the Lord’s Prayer (yes, we really did that), she called for the assignment. Just about then, the Lord’s Prayer took on a new meaning.  I was genuinely scared…to death.  Well, in a moment of grace, she allowed this repentant sinner to go to the office and call my Momma and Momma came to the rescue. We agreed that I would meet her in the circular drive…where the buses dropped us off each morning. Since it was going to be a few minutes, I went back to class.

A little later, the teacher let me go and meet Momma.  I got to the drive just in time to see the back of our car leaving the driveway.  Either I was later, or she was early—either way I was in deep trouble. So, I did what any insecure, deep weeds third grader did back in the early sixties—I burst into tears and started chasing the car.  As they drove off, I remember running as fast as I could, crying out, “Momma, Momma.” Somehow, some way the brake lights came on and the car pulled over.  It turned out my brother was driving, and Momma was in the front passenger seat.

When I got to the car, Momma opened the door and I fell into her waiting arms.  Now this may seem a little dramatic and traumatic to some of you but then you didn’t have Mrs. Wilson for a third-grade teacher. There was not a sermon about how I shouldn’t have forgotten the paper—though that would have been appropriate. There was not a chastening—though I deserved that too.  There was only compassion for a young boy who thought for sure his world was about to end.  There was only love.

Well, first it turned out, she had already dropped the assignment off at the office.  Second, right or wrong, I just couldn’t go back to class, and I asked if I could just go home—and she agreed.  Apparently at the moment it was the right thing to do. Honestly, I was a mess and embarrassed that I was a mess.  The story ends with another chance.  The office must have sent the assignment to Mrs. Wilson and the next morning when I got to class everything was ok.  She extended some grace and I believe I learned a lesson about rescue and redemption.  It was a lesson that I would see played out over the years for the rest of my life…not by a teacher or my Momma—but by my Dearest Daddy.

You see, God is in the rescue and redemption business. Did you know that?  He is always looking for a lost cause to redeem and rescue and that’s all of us since we all have messed up. And the amazing part, He never grows tired of it.  I think it must be His incredible love for us. When I decided to become a Jesus follower, I didn’t become perfect…no one does. I still managed to “forget my homework”…again and again.  But each time He was there with a bucket full of grace and love. That’s just what He does.  Oh, and I don’t ever have to chase after Him for He is always chasing me.

So, today, if your day or your life is going south like a fast freight train, just remember this.  There is a God, He does love you and He wants to redeem and rescue you.  He’s chasing you to do exactly that.  No matter what it is, just know and believe, “He’s got this.” Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, forgiveness, friends, Grace, life, loving others, pride, priorities, Scripture, sovereignty of God, Trials

Help!

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

For sin will not rule over you, because you are not under the law but under grace.”  Romans 6:14

It’s just about to drive me nuts.  For as long as I can remember, I have had to deal with allergies.  From the days of running the woods in Northeast Florida as a kid to now, stuff in the air drives me bonkers.  I can well remember the days in my early twenties when the only weapon I had to fight the battle with was some nose spray.  And the crazy part of that is if you use it too often and too long, it makes matters worse.

In the earlier days, my main issue was the fall.  In the fall there is this crazy plant called ragweed and when it starts to bloom, I start to suffer.  We are talking about itchy eyes, clogged nasal passages, and a sneeze that sounds like a chihuahua chasing their tail wound way too tight.  Oh, and I don’t sneeze once—try six to eight times.  During the COVID mess it was a real issue because people thought I was coughing instead of sneezing, so they gave me the death stare and then ran.

About a zillion years ago, I discovered something called Flonase that changed my life.  It is a nasal steroid that tricks your nose and eyes into believing that there is nothing in the air.  It was a game changer and I have used it probably for 30 years or more.  Wow, it sure made fall easier.  I might still have some symptoms but at least it was tolerable. Well, about five years ago, something happened.  I started having the same symptoms in the spring too.  They weren’t as bad, and the Flonase kept everything in balance.  All that was true until this year.

As spring began to spring, my allergies started acting up, first in a little way and then in a big way.  Today they are acting in a “you’ve got to be kidding me” way.  So, when I started sounding like an overactive chihuahua I just started using my medicine.  For some reason, this spring, it didn’t work like before.  Now for the last couple of days, I have been sneezing and my eyes have been itching like crazy.  I tried the over-the-counter stuff, and we made a little progress but so far, well, we are still at war.

All of this is so crazy.  Some stuff from some plant is doing something to the lining of my sinuses causing them to go nuts and I end up in misery.  I mean, first, I did nothing to the stinking plants and second, what’s up with my hypersensitive sinuses.  Something that I can’t even see is making me miserable.  I know, I should think positive but when you want to take your eyeballs out so you can scratch them better, it is hard to be positive.  And then I know you aren’t supposed to put your fingers in your eyes, but it feels so good to scratch them.  Oh, my goodness.

You know, I wonder what if sin (you know the things that God says we shouldn’t do) was as irritating as whatever it is that is driving me nuts?  What if it bothered me to the point that I would do anything to stop?  I do believe my life would be better…I know my life would be better.  But the problem with sin is the fact we like it way too much.  For many of us, it’s like the satisfaction I feel when I scratch my eyes or sneeze for the eighth time.  It feels better…it feels good.  But mark this down.  There are consequences.

Sneeze eight times with your eyes closed while driving and you end up running a red light or running into a ditch.  Bummer.  Scratch your eyes too often and you end up with an eye infection or scratching something like whatever it is that makes your eyes work in the first place.  Regardless—you end up in a mess.  The best thing to do is what I finally did.  I went to see my eye doctor friend.  Fortunately, she confirmed it wasn’t some weird African eye disease.  She prescribed some medicine that will stop this infernal itching. It’s gonna take a few days but eventually with her help, I’ll win.  I knew if there was anything that could be done, she would know and she would help and she did. She is my doctor, but she is also my friend.

It is the same way with this sin thing.  We need to call the sin doctor and that would be Jesus.  He knows all about sin—how to beat it—how to subdue it, and how to avoid all those nasty consequences.  He died so that sin wouldn’t win, and He is more than willing to help us, if we ask.  His death on the cross paid the penalty for our sin but He also gives us victory over the sneezing and itchy eyes part of sin—the day-to-day messiness of sin.  He gives us sin relief and I love that.

Paul, one of the main writers of the New Testament part of the Bible, says that sin (along with all its messy consequences) does not have to rule over us—because we are not under the “thou shalt not’s” but under grace—God’s unlimited and unmerited favor.  And because of that, sin doesn’t have free reign, you know, like too many sneezes and itchy eyes.  That sounds like good news to me.

Just know that if you hear something that sounds like an overactive chihuahua or see some guy with red eyes, don’t worry it is probably just me going nuts.  But remember, and this is the take-away, there is Someone who can handle your sin issues and that Someone is Jesus.  He loves you a lot—so much He died for you.  And whatever your issue is, you can take this to the bank, He’s got this, too.  Bro. Dewayne

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

The Stain Remains

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

So if your eye—even your good eye—causes you to lust, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.” Matthew 5:29

Despite my best efforts…it happened.  This isn’t a story about one event…or two…or even three.  It is a story about a reoccurring thing in my life…and probably in yours.  So, imagine with me.  You are having dinner, and it is one of your favorites—spaghetti! You have on a favorite shirt or blouse, and it is one of your favorite colors.  So, something tells you that you should change shirts, but you don’t. Instead, you decide it is too much trouble, so you make a conscious decision to be careful and it works—till it doesn’t.

You are careful not to slurp the noodles, you are careful to lean over your plate but alas you look down and there, on your favorite shirt you see several freckles of reddish orange. The dreaded spaghetti sauce has somehow found its way not to your mouth but to your shirt. Bummer.  You jump from the table and immediately head to the kitchen sink and arm yourself with a damp dishcloth and some Dawn dishwashing soap. After all, everyone knows from the television commercials that Dawn can do anything…even save the life of a small duckling.

You carefully begin to rub the spots and slowly they get lighter and lighter—until they don’t. On no, despite your best efforts, your favorite shirt now has some permanent light reddish-orange freckles.  The sauce is gone but it has left a cotton-picking stain, and no amount of scrubbing or rubbing is going to change the outcome. No amount of regret for not changing the shirt before you started dinner is going to change this.  The stain remains.

And do you know what?  What is true about shirts and spaghetti is true about us and our lives.  You know what I mean—we are faced with a choice, and we choose poorly.  We say we are sorry, both to God and whoever else it impacts, but the stain remains.  We say something to someone, the kind of words that are better left unspoken, and we watch as the hurt spreads across their face. We apologize but they know, and you know that while forgiveness is granted, the stain will remain.

If we are wise, and let’s be honest, sometimes we are not, we would do well to think before we speak.  We would be wise enough to take whatever action necessary to avoid the whole mess—and the stain that will remain.  They say an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure and that is so, so true.  Jesus said, “So if your eye—even your good eye—causes you to lust, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.” Yeah, I know, drastic right?  But remember this is spoken by Someone who understood the seriousness of sin—who would later die on a cross to pay for yours…and mine.

So, the next time you are sitting down for a nice spaghetti dinner, remember this plate of Grits and change your shirt.  Oh, and the next time you are about to make a bad choice remember that the stain, the consequences, will remain.  The good news is if you still splatter the shirt of your life, His grace is gonna be sufficient.  He’s got this. 

Bro. Dewayne

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

Choosing the Light

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.” John 3:19

I’ve waited and waited.  Finally, the sunrise is finally getting to a respectable time. As a “you’ve got to be kidding me” early riser, I am so glad that Mr. Sun has decided to join me…a little. The sunrise is finally down to a respectable 6:30 am which is a whole lot more respectable than 7:20 am or later.  Of course, thanks to Daylight Savings Time we will lose that hour in just about ten days.  I know, I know it stays light later in the evening but try telling that to my early genes.

Anyway, I noticed the other morning that when I looked toward the west it was still stone cold dark. I knew it was getting to be time for Mr. Sun to say good morning, but he sure seemed to be taking his time.  A few minutes later and finally I could see that the darkness had slowly turned to a very dusky gray.  It was going to happen again…God was sending us a new day.  For whatever reason, I went out of my room to our bedroom which had an east-facing window.  Imagine my surprise to discover the eastern sky was much, much lighter than the western sky. 

While all that was expected that day it just seemed the difference was amazing.  Looking one way, to the west, it seemed daylight was many long minutes away.  Turn the other way, to the east, and daylight was happening right then.  The bottom line was it all depended on which way you were going to look.  At least for a few minutes, I got to choose light vs darkness.  Soon it was all over but for that moment—it mattered, and I chose to look east.

I am certain many times we have that same choice to make in our lives.  We get to choose whether to look to the darkness or to the light.  We get to choose to embrace the light or plunge into the darkness.  I know for me that morning, the choice was very easy, but can we be honest?  Too often I choose to muddle in the darkness.  When I do, it mars my day and sometimes my life, with negativity and grumble bumbles.  Usually, on those days, I’m not happy with anything or anyone—including myself.

Jesus said in the New Testament part of the Bible that men naturally love darkness more than light and, as always, He was right.  But what I find out is I choose that darkness not out of love but out of habit.  Some of us are wired a little weird but that is certainly not an excuse.  What if we started a new habit and determined to look through the eyes of Jesus?  After all, he always saw things through the lens of His Father.  What if we simply made our default view toward the sunrise and not the darkness of the west.  I have a feeling it would be a game changer.

So, tomorrow morning if you are an early riser, remember this simple lesson.  Remember that in most every situation there is a choice—toward the light or toward the darkness. It is our call.  It is our choice.  Jesus declared He was the light of the world and, well, it just makes sense we should seek Him…every time. Why? Well, the reason is simple. It helps us remember that “He’s got this.” Bro. Dewayne

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

What’s in a Name?

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

A good name is to be chosen over great wealth; favor is better than silver and gold.” Proverbs 22:1

What’s in a name anyway?  If you are a somewhat regular Grits reader you know that my name is Dewayne.  You might not know that my middle name is Eugene.  Dewayne Eugene.  While I suppose in the world of names it is not totally unusual, but it is in the Taylor tribe.  You see, there are not any other Dewayne’s and apparently only one other Eugene and all indicators are that I was not named after him.  So where in the world did my name come from?

Well, you might already know that my Momma and Daddy had eight children and I am the last one—the youngest.  In some circles inside my family, I am known as Precious because I guess I was.  You know, the whole “baby of the family” thing.  I know where that one came from and whether or not, it was earned depends on who you talk to and what day of the week it is.  But what about this Dewayne thing?  Who in the world was Eugene?  Well, the truth is maybe by kid number eight Momma and Daddy had just run out of ideas for names.  Who knows?

There was a guy in the New Testament part of the Bible that had a good and solid name. His name was Saul. Almost certainly he was named by his parents after the first king of Israel—King Saul and once again, at least in some circles, it was name of honor.  King Saul was tall and strong and very kingly…at least until he wasn’t.  So, the New Testament Saul proudly bore the name of the first king of Israel.

Saul was a zealot for the Jewish faith and when this young Rabbi named Jesus came along and shook things up, Saul became a Jesus hater and that included all His followers.  Well, one day Saul was traveling to go to another town to whip people who followed Jesus into shape, and he bumped into the now resurrected Jesus.  Well, it is an understatement but that encounter radically changed Saul who then became a Jesus lover and follower.  The change was unbelievable and total.

Because of that it probably isn’t surprising that Saul started using another name.  You see, while Saul was his Hebrew name, there was a Roman equivalent that had a whole different meaning.  It was then that Saul, named after the first king, became Paul and guess what Paul means?  This is big—it means little.  You see Saul realized that to follow Jesus he had to get small so Jesus could be made bigger. How about that? He just figured his name should match what he knew he should be!

This is a great lesson for all of us Jesus followers to remember.  You see, far more important is that our name is His name.  We should be all about making Him big and us small.  No matter what titles and letters we have before and after our name, we all need to remember that there is one name that matters—His. And maybe the most important name we can bear is “Jesus follower.” Let’s make it our goal for people to know us as a person who follows the Man who died for us and defeated sin and death.  Changing what we are known as can be a challenge. Change your legal name and you will probably need a lawyer.  But if you want to be known by the name you are known by in another realm, just ask your Heavenly Father.  He’ll be glad to help you with it.  He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, forgiveness, friends, Grace, gratitude, Integrity, life, Military memories, pride, Scripture, Southern born, thankful, Trials

Meddling

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

Yet we hear that some of you are living idle lives, refusing to work and meddling in other people’s business.”        2 Thessalonians 3:11

Her name was…no wait, on the possibility that she is still living, I had better change it.  So, let’s try again. Her name was Mrs. Luzerno, and I can tell you two things about her. She was a good teacher, and she was a bit stern. Back in the days when my wife Judy and I were newlyweds, and trust me that was a while back, we had one car. I was in the Air Force and for one of the few times in our marriage, Judy was working at a local jewelry store.  All that meant, either she had to find a ride to work…or I did.  I was elected.  It turns out, there was a lady, Mrs. Luzerno, who worked as the secretary for one of the commanders of the aircraft maintenance group which was right down the road from my office. Her route to work happened to take her right by the apartment where Judy and I lived. I asked her if I could catch a ride with her and she agreed.  We also agreed to the price of $5.00 a week.

Now before you take that as an absolute confirmation of my tightness with money, this was 1976 or maybe 1977 and not only was $5.00 worth a lot more than it is now, but gas was also still about 32 cents a gallon.  And, if you are feeling sympathetic, my sergeant’s pay didn’t go too far.  In fact, even with a tight budget we had about twenty dollars a week after paying rent, electricity, and a small car payment.  That left just enough to get a haircut and go out once every two weeks on a date night to Shoney’s. Anyway, the deal was set and every morning and every evening, we got to spend some time together.  She was quite a bit older than me and like I said…all business.  That’s probably why I never called her by her first name…it was always Mrs. Luzerno.

As I said earlier, she was a good teacher and one day she taught me a lesson about good manners…and to this day I have never forgotten it.  One day, when she picked me up, she was driving a nice, shiny, new car.  Now this wasn’t new to her…it was brand new.  Cars have always caught my eye and this one did.  It was loaded with 1970’s gadgets and I knew enough to know that it was not cheap.  Unfortunately, I didn’t know enough to not ask how much.  So, and you’ve already guessed this, I asked her, “Mrs. Luzerno, how much did this cost?”  To this day I can still see her face look sterner and her lips grow tight.  I knew I had crossed some sort of invisible line.  I was in trouble.

Here’s what she said, “Young man (I didn’t even rate a Sergeant) that is none of your business.” Done. Settled. After a few minutes of uncomfortable silence, one of us broke the ice.  I don’t think she held it against me but trust me it was a lesson learned.  Don’t pry into other people’s business.  I’m sure my Momma mentioned that in my growing up, but I must have skipped class that day. And to be honest, it is something I must watch to this day.  It has been said that no one really likes a busybody or people who stick their nose where it doesn’t belong.  Take it from someone who learned, and still occasionally needs a refresher course, don’t go where you don’t need to go.

One of those practical verses in the Bible is 2 Thessalonians 3:11. It says, “Yet we hear that some of you are living idle lives, refusing to work and meddling in other people’s business.” Not only is that verse true, I bet it was one of Mrs. Luzerno’s favorite verses. If you suspect you are close to meddling around where you don’t need to meddle, be sure and check in with your Dearest Daddy. He offers anti-meddling lessons all the time.  He just might save you from painful encounters of the Mrs. Luzerno kind.  He’s got this.

Posted in Family, forgiveness, friends, Grace, gratitude, loving others, Military memories, pride, Scripture, Southern born, thankful, Trials

Me and Major Hobbs

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28

I knew the outcome…I thought.  The list of the things I enjoyed while serving in the Air Force is long and varied.  Somehow, which I’m sure God arranged; I was assigned to work in the command section at all my duty assignments.  It all started when a guy named Master Sergeant Johnson picked me up at the small airport in Minot, North Dakota and casually said, “I think I’m going to let you work for me.”  He worked in the command section of the Combat Support Group and so it began.  Each new duty assignment found me working for the commanders and first sergeants of each unit.  It was awesome. So many of those leaders left their fingerprints on my life and helped mold me into the person I am today.

1973 found me assigned to the command section of one of aircraft maintenance squadrons at Moody Air Force Base. My immediate supervisor, the first sergeant and even the commander became friends of sorts—within the parameters of military protocol.  All that leads to the point of this story.  After joining the service, I learned to play racquetball and loved it.  I suppose I was even pretty good at it.  Well, my commander, Major Hobbs, also played.  Normally, our path probably wouldn’t have crossed at the gym, but this young buck airman kept egging this 20 year my senior, slightly overweight, Major… to play him in racquetball.  I assured him that I could take him and then one day, he said, “Ok.”

He told me to get a court time and I did.  Now everything assured me that this was going to be a no match…and it was…but not like I thought.  On the appointed day and at the appointed time we met to do battle.  I was sure I was going to show my commander what a real racquetball player looked like.  I served first and I may have scored a couple of points.  Then, it was his turn, and that is when I began to learn that the race doesn’t always go the swiftest…or the youngest.  Major Hobbs would serve and then move to the center of the court and proceeded to beat me like an unwanted tom cat.  He virtually didn’t move because he didn’t need to.  He totally mastered the ball with his racket and put the ball, almost every time, wherever I wasn’t.

Well, a set-in racquetball is three games…if needed.  We didn’t need them.  He finished me off in two games.  One player left the court drenched in sweat and exhausted and one left the court without a drop.  One player left the court dragging and exhausted while the other left with a strange bounce in their step.  You can probably guess which was which.  The young buck airman was taught a good lesson that day and it is one that I still remember today. It is not always about how light you move on your feet and how fast you can move.  Sometimes it is about strategy…how you play the game.

And so, it is with life. A wise man, woman or child will know that you need to have a plan, a strategy if you will, if you are going to win the game of life.  And the crazy part is the best strategy doesn’t depend on talent, wealth, or opportunity.  It leans, it is driven by, a close relationship with Creator God. Now don’t miss that.  Religion is nice, church is a great idea, but neither are the answer—a personal relationship with God through faith in His Son and the wisdom and guidance of the Holy Spirit is. It is a power team of three and yet One.  Amazing. With Him calling the shots, well, life just goes better…a lot better. Jesus invites us to come and do life with Him…and that is an invitation we need to accept.

That day, we left the court differently but there was one thing we shared…a smile.  The older, wiser Major smiled because he had helped a prideful, young airman learn a lesson in humility.  A lesson, honestly, he needed. And the airman, well, he smiled too because someone wiser than him took the time to teach.  God really does want to help us do life and honestly, we need Him. Don’t be pushed away by all the hype in religion.  Go ahead and schedule some court time with God and you just might discover how much He loves you and wants to help.  You might discover that no matter what…He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne

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

God’s Keen on You

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

Yet You made them only a little lower than God and crowned them with glory and honor.” Psalm 8:5

I was never good at it.  I’m not sure where it all started.  My wife Judy will occasionally ask me, “So where did it come from?”  And, my answer, is always the same, “I just don’t know.”  That thing, that “it”, is the issue of low self-esteem.  Now, in a world where too many people think too much of themselves, you might think that is a virtue…but it’s not.  In a world that could use a healthy dose of humility, you might think that is something to be valued…but it’s not. In fact, someone once said whether you are thinking too much of yourself or too little…you are still thinking of yourself and that is called pride.

But the real problem with a low view of ourselves is that we find it is in direct conflict with God’s view.  Now don’t let this go to your head…but He is keen on you.  He thought so much of you and so desired a relationship with you, that He sent His Son on a mission to die for the sins of the whole world—including you.  Now that is amazing.  So even though I often doubt myself—God never does.  Even though I often think I can’t, He believes I can. And even though I was always the last chosen for the team, He picks me every time…and not last.

A guy named Matt Tullos wrote a story about all the reasons that God could have used not to choose us…and there are a lot.  But it is comforting to know that most everyone He used in the Bible was broken, flawed, or scarred.  I mean, I know we all are, but some of these folks were real, excuse me, losers. Look at this list from Matt’s story.

“There are many reasons why God shouldn’t have called you to be His child.  But don’t worry.  You’re in good company.  Moses stuttered.  David was too small, and his armor didn’t fit.  John Mark was a quitter and was rejected by Paul.  Timothy had ulcers.  Hosea’s wife was a prostitute.  Amos’ only training was in the school of fig-tree pruning.  Jacob was a liar.  David had an affair.

Solomon was too rich. Abraham was too old.  David was too young.  Peter was afraid of death.  Lazarus was dead.  John was self-righteous.  Naomi was a widow.  Paul was a murderer.  So was Moses.  Jonah ran from God.  Miriam was a gossip.  Gideon and Thomas both doubted.  Jeremiah was depressed and suicidal.  Elijah was burned out.  John the Baptist was a loudmouth.  Martha was a worrywart.  Mary was lazy.  Samson had long hair.  Noah got drunk. Did I mention that Moses had a short fuse?  So did Peter, Paul–well, lots of folks did.

But God doesn’t require a job interview.  He doesn’t hire and fire like most bosses because He’s more our Father than our Boss.  He doesn’t look at financial gain or loss.  He’s not prejudiced or partial, not judging, grudging, sassy, or brassy, not deaf to our cry, not blind to our need. As much as we try, God’s gifts are free.  We could do wonderful things for wonderful people and still not be….wonderful.  Satan says, “You’re not worthy.”  Jesus says, “So what?  I am.”  Satan looks back and sees our mistakes.  God looks back and sees the cross.  He doesn’t calculate what you did in ‘78.  It’s not even on the record.”

I like that a lot.  Matt’s got one more thing to say. He says, “Sure.  There are lots of reasons why God shouldn’t call us to be His child…to serve.  But if we are magically in love with Him, if we hunger for Him more than our next breath, He’ll use us, in spite of who we are, where we’ve been, or what we look like.  Whether we are pastors, missionaries, teachers, deacons, ushers, or nursery workers, we should step out of our limitations into the limitless nature of who God is.  Then our passion for God and our passion to communicate Him will make mincemeat of our limitations.”

How incredible is all of that.  Let me shock you with what God’s word says about you. It says of us, “Yet You [God] made them [that would be us] only a little lower than God and crowned them with glory and honor.” Wow! So today, let’s tackle the day like we believe what God believes about us. Let’s charge forward like the starting quarterback that God says we are.  No, we are not perfect, not even close, but we do have a King who is.  And if are Jesus followers, well, our Dearest Daddy longs to whisper in our ears, “I love you, I believe in you and no matter what, I’ve got this.” Bro. Dewayne

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

Self-Made Messes

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

For the mountains may move and the hills disappear, but even then, My faithful love for you will remain. My covenant of blessing will never be broken,” says the Lord, who has mercy on you.” Isaiah 54:10

We were somewhere in Texas.  It was probably in the early sixties, somewhere around 1962 or three.  We were on vacation, which meant we were going to see my brother who lived in Texas. We are driving in our 1957 Plymouth, no air conditioning with Momma and Daddy up front and the “three little ones” spanning and filling the backseat.  It was very early in the morning and best I can remember we had driven all night—probably to save time and probably to save the cost of a hotel.  Well, in the very early morning, right when the darkness is fleeing, Leslie told Alston that we should stop and eat breakfast. So…we did.

It was a “mom and pop” place. Places like McDonald’s and the like didn’t exist and if they did, they were rare.  However, this was a roadside diner and for the Taylor tribe it was a treat.  Momma turned around and stirred us into some sort of consciousness as Daddy pulled into the parking lot.  We were soon settled into a large booth and breakfast was ordered.  I was going to write how I had the traditional breakfast of eggs and bacon, but I think I remember that Momma had given me a choice and I chose pancakes.

Soon our food came and still a bit sleepy, I drowned the pancakes in sweet, sticky syrup. And it was right about then it happened.  In my mostly still asleep state, I tried to cut the pancakes with my fork when quickly and promptly the whole plate fell in my lap.  Pancakes and syrup filled my lap…and I began to cry.  It really wasn’t as much about the loss of the pancakes, as it was about the loss of my dignity. Even at that young age I knew I had made a big mess and it felt like every person in the restaurant was looking at the kid who had messed up.

Of course, that wasn’t true.  The ones in the booth knew and I can’t remember their response.  The other two little ones, my sisters, weren’t known for being generous with kindness so I, and perhaps unfairly, assumed they had something to say about their baby brother.  And Daddy, well, he probably was like a lot of other Daddy’s and wondered what happened, how it happened and most of all, why it happened.  But then there was Momma.  As I remember, there were no words of condemnation for this mess I had made but rather a helping hand to begin cleaning up the mess. It seems I remember kindness when I deserved a “shaking down.” In other words, it seems she showed grace when I deserved none. It seems she showed mercy when I didn’t deserve that either.

Looking back, that seems like one of those times when Momma was a whole lot like God. Her child had made a mess and rather than judge she extended kindness. Now to be fair, Momma’s don’t always get it right…and neither do we. But that time…she did.  And guess what? We have a Dearest Daddy, who gets it right every time.  When we make a mess, He doesn’t chasten or belittle…no, He loves and gently helps us clean up the mess…a mess of our own making.  So today or tomorrow when you find yourself with a lap full of pancakes and sticky syrup, just remember the Father sitting by you is waiting to help.  You can rest assured that, “He’s got this.” Bro. Dewayne

Posted in forgiveness, Grace, gratitude, life, prayer, Scripture, thankful, Trials

Who’s Leading Who?

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

“I know, Lord, that a person’s way of life is not his own; no one who walks determines his own steps.” Jeremiah 10:23

It was a nice prayer.  I don’t know if you pray or not…I mean more than the emergency kind. It seems everyone, sometimes even so-called atheists, become prayer warriors in an emergency. Let a bad medical report, a near fatal accident, the total financial collapse of our world or the loss of a close loved one come and we all tend to cry out to the God we hope or believe is listening.  They say there are no atheists in foxholes, and they are right. So back to the point, I was praying the other day.  It wasn’t an emergency; it was an early morning chat with my Dearest Daddy.

As I was talking with Him, and that is what prayer is, I said something that prompted two things.  First, it caused me to pause and second it caused me to write this Grits.  I said sometime along the line of, “God, please walk with me today.”  Now on the surface, doesn’t that sound nice? Doesn’t that sound appropriate? Doesn’t that sound like something we all should pray?  And, on the surface, the answer would be yes, yes, and yes. But almost instantly that morning, as soon as the words left my lips, something, maybe Someone, said, “Wait, I shouldn’t ask Him to follow me…I should ask Him to help me follow Him.

You see, that’s the big truth.  I realized that morning that God is not a cute little puppy that I put on leash and then lead, pull, and drag through my day. You know the picture.  A person is walking down the sidewalk, and this cute little puppy dog is along for the ride—sometimes willingly and sometimes not.  Regardless, the puppy is going to go where the owner takes him. Well, that is great for puppies, but it is not great, not proper nor a lot of other things when it comes to God.  There is no doubt about it—He should be leading us.  There is no doubt about it—He is owner not us; He is God, and we are not.  He should be doing the leading and we should be doing the following.

Now there is some great news when this happens.  If we allow God to lead and we are willing to follow, we will never be led astray.  Our bad turns and bad pathways are eliminated, and our day, and even our life, is suddenly better, much better.  While we all have difficult circumstances, even if we can’t avoid them, we can better navigate them. And that usually leads to fewer regrets and that is always a good thing.

So, today, when you pray, if you pray, why not go ahead and surrender to your proper place. Go ahead and let God be the leader and you be the follower.  Go ahead and be the puppy willingly following the Master.  It is something that you will not regret.  Deep inside, even in our moments of resistance when we are pulling against the leash, we know that He knows best.  We know that no matter what, “He’s got this.”  Bro. Dewayne