forgiveness – Page 15 – Grits with Grace

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

Help, I’ve Fallen

Posted on July 5, 2023June 29, 2023 by Dewayne Taylor

Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; for the Lord upholds him with His hand.” Psalm 37:23

It is a call I get all too often. I have the privilege of serving as a pastor. That privilege includes being there when people are walking through a crisis. One thing about the pastorate is when I wake up each morning, whether I go to the office or not, I never know what the day will hold. It is not at all uncommon for someone to call me. Sometimes it is good news…the baby came…I got the job…we bought a house. Sometimes, and frankly too often, it is difficult news. It could be a child going down a difficult path, a job lost, a marriage violated or difficult news of an accident or health crisis.

Some of the most common health crises is when a senior adult takes a fall. Life is ordinary and then suddenly, a loss of balance or a toe caught on a rug, results in a hard fall and we all know older bones can be very unforgiving. I can’t tell you how many calls I have received about broken bones and broken bodies. One of the most difficult situations is when the person fell and can’t get to a phone to call for help. We have had several situations when someone would fall and have to lay in the floor for hours….long hours.

In one instance, a friend fell in her driveway, and no one found her till the next morning. She was an amazingly resilient lady and after surgery recovered well, but that is not always the case. One of the newer devices I really appreciate is a “call button” that a person wears and if they have an emergency, they can press a button and help is soon on the way. I see the commercials on tv, and they show a woman in the kitchen in pain. She presses the button and says, “Help! I’ve fallen and I can’t get up.” Another scene shows a man down in the park and he presses the button and says, “Help! I’ve fallen in the park, and I can’t get up.” The last one is someone down in the shower and they too can’t get up and are calling for help.

It is times like these that those simple rescue devices are so valuable. There is no telling how many lives have been saved. Of course, for them to work you must have one and you must wear one. And if you do…help is on the way. It can’t reverse the circumstances, but it can change the outcome. “Help! I’ve fallen and I can’t get up.” It is true when we fall physically but the truth is we can fall in other ways…emotionally and spiritually just to name a couple…and we find we can’t get up. And I want you to know that there is something better than a button to press…there is a God to call on.

I’ve long said that God often gets a bad rap. Too often preachers and teachers present Him as a lightening tossing, fire breathing God who can’t wait to send down a little fire and brimstone on creation. Well, God is holy, and God is just, but first and foremost He is a God of rescue and redemption. He is a God of love. The New Testament writer even tells us that He wants no one to perish but everyone to be rescued. Now, that’s love. Maybe you think you are beyond rescue…you’ve fallen too far. No so. His grace is deep, and it is wide.

One of my favorite Bible verses is Psalm 37:24. It says that even if I fall, I will not be utterly cast down. In other words…no matter how hard or how far I fall, I don’t have to stay down. The reason? It simply says that God will pick me up with His strong hand. Either He will pick me up or grab me on the way down but either way it is not a knockout punch…His grace is sufficient. If you are feeling down for the count, maybe it’s time to cry out, “Help! I’ve fallen and I can’t get up.” You will find His strong hand right there to help you up. He is just waiting for you to ask. I like that. Can He pull it off? Without a doubt…He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

Family, forgiveness, friends, Grace, Integrity, life, loving others, Scripture, Trials

Windshields and Words

Posted on June 29, 2023June 28, 2023 by Dewayne Taylor

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.” Ephesians 4:29

Go figure. It was about five years ago when it happened. I was driving back from Evansville, Indiana and there was a school bus coming toward me. Of course, I didn’t think a thing about it…school busses come and go all the time. Well, this one had a surprise waiting for me. Just about the time we met, in opposite lanes, of course, something came flying out of the bus. To this day I don’t know what it was but whatever it was…it was big and heavy. It hit my windshield near the bottom and shattered it there. In fact, it was so heavy, that it almost broken all the way through…there was even glass on my dash.

Well, needless to say, I was shocked. I really wasn’t sure what had happened but it scared the pants off of me. But then, I smiled. You see when I bought the car it was, of course, used and the windshield had a couple of obvious defects. First, it looked like it had been sandblasted and was covered with a zillion small pits. Second, the top of the windshield was a medium to dark blue. The deal had placed on those stickers on the outside and it stayed on long enough to leave a permanent oval-shaped shadow. Being a perfectionist, both of these drove me nuts.

I wanted to replace the windshield but just couldn’t bring myself to do it and then when “it” happened, it was replaced courtesy of the insurance company…and that was why I smiled. Oh, I guess I wish it hadn’t happened but since it did, I was grateful for the new windshield.

The company did a great job installing the new glass and asked me to leave a review for their small town company…so I did. Well, this week I received an email from my friends at Google congratulating me on the fact that over five hundred people had read my review and found it helpful. Now who would have thought at a small town business that so many people would have read and reacted to my review. It made me realize just how powerful and far reaching our words can be.

The Jesus part of the Bible, the New Testament, talks a lot about our words…mostly encouraging us to be careful what we say. Long before Google, Jesus and the rest of the guys who wrote the New Testament realized the importance and power of words. The bottom line was and is…be careful with what you say…it carries more impact than you realize. Someone said, “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.” It is a nice saying but simply not true. Words can hurt a lot…trust me I know.

Paul said when he was writing to the church in Ephesus, “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.” What great advice. That review, depending on what I said, had the power to help or hurt and so do our words. Let’s choose our words carefully. If you find yourself at a loss of words—well, just asked the greatest Word Crafter ever…God…as always, “He’s got this.”

Family, forgiveness, friends, Grace, gratitude, life, priorities, Scripture, thankful, Trials

He’s Writing a New Story

Posted on June 23, 2023June 22, 2023 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 why he needed it, but I rummaged through my desk drawer and found one. I think he needed one with the 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 your “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. As I look back over the last year, I am still amazed at the way things were shut down. I was even more amazed as I was forced to go to my calendar and delete things. On my personal calendar and on the church calendar, one by one, meetings and events were deleted. It was difficult for me…it was difficult for us and in the midst of it all, I almost lost sight of the big picture…a picture so big only God could be holding the brush.

One day I found myself staring at the calendar like a blank canvas and I realized what had been planned didn’t matter anymore. But here is the really good part. The space that was cleared left plenty of room–room for God to write a new story. A different story. A better story. Things like a new Wednesday program for our church was born. In the white space created by that largely empty calendar, Grits was born. The bottom line is without God orchestrating the delete button, things that needed to change would have stayed the same. New men’s, ladies, and children’s programs would not have been born. And a year’s worth of Grit’s 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’ve heard stories of different ways God used that hot mess to rewrite lives. We saw what could happen if we started to freely, to openly, invite Him to use the delete button and rewrite the stories of our lives. We discovered opportunities, adventures that suddenly filled the pages of our lives. A walk to the park became a safari. Homemade pizza night became an edible art gallery. The dining room table was cleared, and we pulled out the family games that had stayed in the closet too long.

Cards were written, calls made, and stories shared. Think about it. Remember how the kids’ faces lit up as they heard again how you met each other or how you met Jesus? Think of the new stories yet to be told as we look back when things were so hard, and we all learned how to trust God for help. We saw faith leaping off the page of the Bible and right onto the pages of our lives. If we asked, we might hear our kids tell us “Mom, Dad that bad time was the best time because we got to be together.” How about that?

Yes, those really were challenging times. Financially. Emotionally. Spiritually. And honesty…they still are. 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 specialties, and they are often written in crazy days like these. So, go ahead, press that delete key. Rest in Him. He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

fear, forgiveness, friends, Grace, life, loving others, missions, prayer, thankful, travel, Trials

Can You Say That Again?

Posted on June 22, 2023June 21, 2023 by Dewayne Taylor

All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

Strange things happen in Africa. For the past 12 or 13 years, our church has made regular trips to Africa. We began in Niger and later moved down to Mali. The last six years or so we have been working in Uganda. Regardless of what country, you can always count on Africa to give you plenty of unusual and strange sights. So, in some ways I wasn’t surprised.

We were on an island in Lake Victoria, Uganda. On any given trip we visit at least three or four different islands offering free medical care, children’s ministries, ladies ministries and visiting the people in their huts to tell them the stories of Jesus. The point of it all is to let them hear the Good News that there is a God who loves them—a lot. It was later in the afternoon, and we were winding down for the day. The medical clinic was finishing and four or five of us men were sitting in the shade under the “front porch” of one of the buildings.

So, we were talking and like I said you see some different things in Africa, so I wasn’t surprised when my friend said, “Look, there goes a woman with a peg leg.” Well, I turned around to look and didn’t see what he was talking about. I did see a lady some distance away but couldn’t see her peg leg. I mean, the only peg legs I knew about were in Peter Pan, so it piqued my curiosity.

I turned back around but didn’t say anything. But it stuck in my mind. After ten minutes or so, I just had to ask my friend about this strange sight. I said, “Tim, did you say something about a lady with a peg leg?” His expression told me I must have missed something. He gave me a perplexing look. All he could manage was a “uh?” I said, “You know, a few minutes ago you said you saw a lady with a peg leg.” He responded with, “No. I said I saw a man carrying a stringer of fish.” Silence. Snickers. Laughter.

Yup. Somewhere in the process of the conversation what was said and what I heard were two totally, and I mean totally, different things. There was no lady with a peg leg, only a guy with a stringer of fish. You are probably wondering how I got “peg leg” out of “stringer of fish.” All I can say is strange things happen in Africa. I’m glad there wasn’t a crippled lady but the idea of a peg leg like Captain Cook’s sure did intrigue me.

And do you know what? Sometimes I think this happens with God and me. I think He is saying something, and I totally miss it. Does that happen to you? I think it’s more common than we think. We think we hear Him say, “You have the right to be mad” and in fact He’s saying, “Forgive.” We think we hear Him say, “Take” and He was actually saying, “Give.” Oh, and then we thought He said, “Quit” and He was saying, “Serve.” And it just goes on and on. We hear “Leave” and He is saying, “Stay.” We hear “Go ahead” and He is saying “Stop, wait, don’t.” Seems strange things don’t happen only in Africa. Smile.

So, I’m not sure what caused the totally humorous miscommunication in Uganda. It may have been my hearing, could have been the village noise…who knows. There may not have been a fix for that, however, when it comes to hearing God clearly there is something that will really help. It is His Word. In so many situations (though I’m not sure peg legs are one of them) the Bible gives us clear guidance.

Here is one thing you can count on. The voice of God (what we think we hear God saying) will not, ever, never, contradict the Word of God. If you think you hear Him saying, “Revenge” when someone has hurt you, you probably have “Peg Leg Syndrome.” If you think you hear Him saying, “Be afraid” when circumstances are frightful, you probably have “Peg Leg Syndrome.” You get the idea.

Talking about the Word of God, Paul said that it is good for learning, good for insight about what is wrong in our lives, good for correcting us when we are wrong and good for teaching us about how to live right. The Bible is an amazing Book. It has stood the test of time and, while there are different translations, there is not a version 4.3 because God got it right the first time.

So, if you are talking with your friends and someone mentions a lady with a peg leg, you might want to ask for some clarification. And if you think you heard God say something that sounds a little not like Him, check the Book, and go to the source. Peg leg stories can be funny, but withholding forgiveness when it is ours to give, hating instead of loving, leaving too soon instead of staying…well, that can cause a lot of pain. And if you find yourself singing and living that 1974 hit “Wasted Days and Wasted Nights” it might just be a bad case of Peg Leg Syndrome. Just pull out the Book, read a little and rest in Him. He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

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

My Friend, Frances

Posted on June 21, 2023June 21, 2023 by Dewayne Taylor

A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.” Proverbs 17:17

Johnny Cash sang it. “My name is Sue…now you’re going to die.” Well, his name wasn’t Sue, but it was Frances. Like Sue…it was a somewhat unusual name for a man and Frances was an unusual guy. I met Frances when I went to pastor at the LaMonte Baptist Church. The church had three deacons and they were named Leo, Francis, and Floyd. All three of them were special guys and I grew to love each one of them for who they were. I was a very young, inexperienced pastor and new at the pastoring thing. So new, in fact, that when I mowed my grass at the parsonage, across the street from the church, I would wear dress pants. I wasn’t sure if pastors were allowed to wear jeans so close to the church. They can.

So, even back in 1984, Judy loved flowers and the parsonage was woefully short in that department. In fact, I’m not sure there were any flowers in the entire yard. Well, one day Judy declared that she wanted a flower bed. She began to actually plan the where’s and how’s of the flower bed. If it had been me, I would have grabbed some flowers, dug a hole, stuffed them in, and applied dirt. Good luck. Not Judy. She decided that the flower bed should go along the front of the house and that it needed to be raised. That means we needed to find some timbers to build up the height of the bed. Again, after a little thought, she decided that railroad ties would do the job.

Somehow, I casually mentioned to Frances that Judy wanted a flower bed. Now Frances was the go-to guy when it came to things like the parsonage. He had already led the charge in installing a brick flue so we could have a wood burner, so he was the natural choice for the flower bed. I said, “Frances, Judy would like to have some railroad ties for her new flower bed. Frances didn’t miss a beat. He said, “I’ll pick you up tomorrow at five.”

Well, sure as shooting, the next day at five, Frances pulled up in his big ole dually, white Dodge pickup truck. You know there are pickup trucks too pretty to get dirty and then there are real pickup trucks. Frances had a real pickup truck. I climbed inside and we headed toward Sedalia, the largest town nearby. I figured we were heading to the hardware store there to purchase some ties. I was wrong. You see, there was a railroad that ran parallel to the main highway. We went down the road a bit and then…Frances turned.

Yup, he turned on a small road and then immediately took a right. We had arrived at the railroad tie store, only it wasn’t a store…it was the factory. I found myself in railroad tie heaven. You see, the railroad company had recently replaced their ties and the old ones were strewn all down the rails. As far as you could see there were railroad ties. I was just amazed. I should have been afraid.

Frances said, “Preacher, how many ties do you think you will need?” Well, I told him I thought ten or twelve would be enough.” So, we started going along the tracks and selecting the best ones for the flower bed. Just like a carpenter would choose the best 2×4’s at the lumber yard, we picked the best ties. This was just awesome. And then it happened. I heard the sound of a distant train whistle.

Now I didn’t think a thing about it. I was always a bit gullible and way too trusting so I had just assumed that Frances had called the local railroad office, told them the church needed a few of their old ties and got permission to get some. I was wrong. I heard the train whistle the second time and it was decidedly closer. I noticed that Frances had picked up the pace…he was moving a little faster. I still didn’t think a thing about it. I just assumed he didn’t want to be that close to the tracks when the train went by. Well, that was kind of true.

The whistle blew again and this time it must have been about a mile down the tracks and Frances said it, “Preacher, we got to go.” I did sense a bit of urgency in his voice but I kind of thought it was a safety thing. It turned out it was a bit more than that. As we got back in his truck I said, “Frances, what’s the hurry?” I was thinking we could just move the truck further away from the tracks and we could even wave at the crew as they went by. “Preacher, you don’t think they are giving us these ties, do you?” Wait. What?

Yup…I just discovered that we were stealing ties from the railroad. It wasn’t a matter of safety it was a matter of not going to jail. So, Frances cranked the engine and mashed the gas and off we went just before the train came by. In the back of the truck were a bunch of railroad ties and in the front were two guys. One was a preacher, one was a deacon, and both were guilty as sin. One knew all about it and the other was just learning but both were tie stealing criminals. Frances was smiling and I was wondering if I was going to jail. But somehow it all seemed like a great adventure.

Well, we got back to the parsonage, and we built the flower bed. Frances helped with that too. Years later when I would return to the church to preach, or perform a funeral, or maybe just drive through town, I would look and see the ties. I didn’t remember the sin (After all, I’m sure I confessed it. God had forgotten it and I figure I should too.) No, I remembered a crusty old deacon, but more than that, a friend who wanted to help. His way wasn’t ethical but all these years later, his willingness, his own brand of love is still lodged in my heart. The Book says, “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.”

You know there are fancy friends, and rich friends and maybe even friends in positions of power. And then there are the Frances kind of friends and that isn’t bad. Of course, if you’re gonna steal railroad ties, you need the Jesus kind of friend. His specialty is forgiving when you mess up and He’s the best friend of all. He’s the kind of friend that wouldn’t have frowned or pretend He didn’t know you when He saw you in Walmart. No, He’s the “stay by your side” friend. Through thick or thin, jail or not, He would say, “Don’t worry…just rest in Me. I’ve got this.” Now that’s my kind of friend. Bro. Dewayne

Family, forgiveness, Grace, gratitude, life, love, prayer, priorities, Scripture, sovereignty of God, thankful, Trials

Call the Plumber

Posted on June 15, 2023June 8, 2023 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 while back, 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 everything was nice and dry. It wasn’t. One of the joints was leaking. 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 store. 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 course, 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 New Testament, 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. Bro. Dewayne

Family, forgiveness, Grace, gratitude, Integrity, life, prayer, priorities, Scripture, Trials

Losing Your Grip

Posted on June 13, 2023June 8, 2023 by Dewayne Taylor

How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye.” Matthew 7:4-5

It was definitely an “I need coffee” wakeup. You know sometimes you bound out of bed like an overactive gazelle and sometimes you just sorta fall out of bed. Well, today was somewhere in between. I am an early riser but today was earlier than normal…4:00 am. It wasn’t an overactive brain but an overactive bladder. “Wakeup sleepy head. Time to rise and shine.” Yeah. Right. Sure.

I went into my man-cave to tell the Keurig coffee machine I needed help…fast. As I was getting things ready, I looked at the floor and there was a small round thing. I recognized it as one of the mementos I had on a wall displaying memories from my stint in the Air Force. It was then I looked up. There was a gaping hole in the display. A large picture frame that had been the center piece for the display was missing.

So, I stumbled around, keep in mind this is still before coffee, and started finding things. First, there was the picture frame…not on the wall where it belonged but on the floor. Also lying on the floor and on my desk where several things that I had placed on top of the frame. It was like an avalanche of memories had fallen off the wall. What in the world?

Well, here’s the deal. I am (or used to be) a fan of Command Strips. It’s a product that allows you to hang things. You simply put a sticky thing on something and then put another sticky thing on the wall, press them together and ta-da you are done. Well, apparently make that almost done. Or, maybe done for a while. Or, maybe done till it decides it is done. Regardless…the picture isn’t on the wall. Of course, there is that thing about cleaning the wall with alcohol before you stick it there. Did I do that? Hmmm. Probably not…the wall didn’t look dirty to me.

Anyway, there are a couple of things that made me think about this whole falling off the wall thing. First, I walked into the man-cave and noticed a little round medallion on the floor but didn’t see the gaping hole on the wall. Isn’t it amazing how we sometimes notice the small things and miss the giant ones? That’s what Jesus was talking about when He said we walk around with a 2×4 in our eye while telling someone they need to take care of a speck of dust in their eye. How weird is that? Or maybe not.

And then there is this whole falling off the wall thing. You see that picture had been hanging on the wall for well over a year. The two sticky things were stuck together like white on rice. Then slowly over time they started to lose their grip. Little by little the one stuck to the wall became loose and then one day…it just fell. And when it did…it took several things with it. I don’t think it woke up and said, “Well, today is the day I’m going to fall off the wall.” Nope…little by little gravity pulled and tugged until it won.

I’ve had some pretty good failures in my life. And do you know what? Very few of them were planned. Most of them were just products of neglect. Stopped getting on the scale. Stopped exercising for a few days…weeks. Stopped having my time with God in the morning. Stopped telling my wife she hung the moon. And then one day…you just fall off the wall. You stop loving, stop believing, stop doing the next right thing. You suddenly find yourself in a hot mess. And rarely does it affect just you.

So, what do you do? Well, I find that the Bible is a really good resource for avoiding the landslides of life. Jesus said in Matthew 26:41 “Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” He says we should watch out. Look for signs that you are losing your grip. Beware of pattern changes, attitude changes. Second, pray. Yup, prayer is a big one…but maybe not like you think. Worry less about being on your knees and using big words and just tell God what is on your mind. Then, get ready, trust Him with the answer…the solution. Last…be ready to acknowledge your own weakness. It’s ok to acknowledge when our “want to” doesn’t measure up to our “gonna do” or our done. That’s why we need God. Big time.

I’m gonna put the picture back on the wall. This time it won’t be with a sticky thing. I’m gonna use a nice big screw. That way, it can’t lose its grip…the screw will do the work. And I think I’m gonna try that with me and God. I’m gonna stop trying to hold on to Him and let Him hold on to me. I bet that is a better idea. I bet I can rest in Him then. After all, He’s got me…and He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

Family, fear, forgiveness, friends, Grace, gratitude, life, Military memories, prayer, Scripture, thankful, Trials

“Foot in Mouth” Disease -Sir

Posted on June 12, 2023June 8, 2023 by Dewayne Taylor

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” Ephesians 4:29

I just shouldn’t have said it. We all have said things that we wish we hadn’t. I learned a lesson about that the hard way. I had two bumps in Air Force basic training. One involved singing…you can check that one out on my blog www.gritswithgrace.com (https://gritswithgrace.com/2020/06/01/i-said-sing/). The other one also involved my mouth…I wonder if there is trend there?

In basic training guys were assigned to a flight (group) and each flight had a dorm chief. He was someone, a peer of sorts, the flight chief selected from within or outside the flight. Ours was selected from outside. He had a weight issue so was put in a special group that helped men get down to a weight level that was acceptable. That of course meant they had to stay longer in basic. Well, our guy, whose name was Guy, was one of those guys. Because of his longer tenure in basic he was appointed our dorm chief.

Now it could have been a little jealousy on my side, or it could have been that I was a little judgmental or maybe I had a momentary case of the stupid’s but I said something to one of the guys about this guy. The words are lost to time, but it was probably something like, “Who does this guy think he is? He’s not a leader…he is a loser.” Well, anyway, something like that. I said it and forgot it assuming it just died away. It did not.

So, apparently either that guy told another guy who told another guy who told the guy named Guy. The guy named Guy told the guy named Sergeant Catchings who was the same guy that caught me singing. Well, things were about to go south. There was a lesson that needed to be taught and I was the object of that lesson.

Sergeant Catchings gathered the flight outside his office and, leaving the door open sat down at his desk. We all were like, “What’s this about?” I quickly found out it was about me. Soon a booming, “you’re in deep weeds son” voice said, “Airman Taylor, get in here.” I got up and went in the office and he instructed me to close the door. I stood smartly at attention in front of the desk. Sergeant Catchings harshly invited me to take a seat. There was no chair.

He had me place my hands flat on his desk and then squat by bending my knees till my arms were parallel with the top of his desk. Three things immediately came to my mind. One, what in the world have I done? Two, this is very uncomfortable. Three, I’m going to die. Well in about one minute I found out that Dorm Chief Guy had told him I was mouthing off. I had broken a cardinal rule…don’t mouth off about those in leadership above you.

Sergeant Catchings jumped to his feet and began to lecture me about respect for leadership and how I should never, ever disrespect those put in authority over me. Now don’t forget. One, I still “sitting” in the invisible chair with my hands on his desk. Two, the entire flight is outside the door. And by now he is screaming at the top of his voice. For added effect, he would occasionally walk over to the door and kick it or slap it making it sound like I was dying. I was.

Finally, after about ten or so minutes he opens the door and says two words, “Get out.” Imagine 27 guys looking in the office and seeing me squatting with my hands on the desk. I can’t move. I am locked in place. My muscles leg and arm muscles were frozen. He said it again, LOUDER, “I said get out.” So, I fell over and managed to crawl, yes, I said crawl, out of his office. I was in agony and the rest of the guys were in shock and we all learned a lesson about gossip and respect for authority.

The lesson that day was very valuable. I wish I could tell you that I learned it so well I never had the “stupid’s” again but that wouldn’t be true. But I can tell you this. There is a reason the Bible talks so much about the tongue and the mouth. It isn’t a matter of finding a verse…it is a matter of choosing a verse. We can start with a little nugget found in Proverbs 21:23, “Watch your tongue and keep your mouth shut,

and you will stay out of trouble.” I wish I had remembered that one before I uttered the words that prompted my visit to Sergeant Catchings office.

But the one that probably says it best is this, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” Imagine how less complicated our lives, our families, our marriages would be if we mastered that one. Imagine how our work lives and even our worship lives would change. A pastor once said that if we knew we would have to personally apologize to every person we slandered or gossiped about, we probably would hit “pause” a lot more often.

Oh well, I’m sure glad we have a graceful God. I have learned over the years to deeply value his patience with me and His mercy for me. There have been too many times I’ve had to go to my Dearest Daddy and have a chat about “foot in mouth” disease. I’m glad He graciously invited me to come sit close beside Him. He has always heard my confession and honored my repentance. I find rest right there…next to Him…because He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

Family, forgiveness, Grace, gratitude, heaven, life, love, Scripture, sovereignty of God, thankful, Trials

Downhill/Uphill

Posted on June 9, 2023June 7, 2023 by Dewayne Taylor

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9

In one way it was so easy…the other…so hard. Recently, I started riding my bike again. I’ve been walking for quite a while…actually since I was about two. Just kidding…not that kind of walking…the exercise kind. Ever since I fell way out of love with any sort of running, walking has been my go-to exercise. I’m pretty good at it too. I can still “pick ‘em up and put ‘em down.” I usually walk a mile in about fourteen and a half minutes…which isn’t half bad.

They say it is good to change up your exercise routine, so I pulled out my trusty, older Diamondback bike, aired up the tires and started riding again. My bike may be a couple of decades old, but she is still a good riding machine. I knew, in spite of my regular walking, that biking was going to be a little challenging. The reason? Different muscles. The muscles you use to walk and the ones you use to pedal are totally different. So, I could definitely feel the pain…especially going uphill.

While Harrisburg doesn’t have any real hills, we definitely have some uphill grades and my legs let me know right away when I was there. I usually do an out and back which means going out I can coast down the hill but coming back seven miles later it is ouch city. By the time I reach the top of “the hill” my heart rate has jumped, and my legs are feeling the burn. Isn’t that funny…same road but different direction with dramatically different results. Remember, it is always easier to go downhill than up. Always.

The other day I was thinking about that principle when it occurred to me how true it is when it comes to sin and repentance. The road to sin (you know the stuff that God says not to do) is always downhill. It is way too easy to coast right into a mess and the longer you ride…the bigger the mess. So, let’s say you decide enough is enough and you decide to turn around. Yup, the uphill ride to repentance is never as easy as the ride out was. Gratefully, God is always there to help you home, but it still takes His power and our will power to stay on course.

Someone said that no matter how far we walk away from God, the road home is just one step…the first one. That is so true, but we still must feed the determination to stay the course because that downhill slope is oh so enticing. But He is there if we are willing to ask. Me and a bunch of other imperfect people are oh so grateful for 1 John 1:9 which says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” That is such good news. It’s great to know that His grace will be waiting on us to carry us home. Always, and I do mean always, He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

Family, food, forgiveness, friends, gratitude, life, prayer, Southern born, thankful, Trials

Scars and Souvenirs

Posted on June 8, 2023June 7, 2023 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., I have engraved you on the palms of My hands…” Romans 8:28 (CSB)

I was probably nine years old when it happened. If you look at my hands you will see several scars. Over here is one from an “exacto” knife when I was putting together a car model. Over there is one from a car accident. I was riding with my brother-in-law and the car in front of him decided to stop and he decided not to.

There is one on my right thumb—it’s the one that has been there for the last 60 years. We were visiting with my Uncle Hardy down near Chiefland, Florida. He was my Momma’s brother and the city manager of that small central Florida town. They had an annual Watermelon Festival that included all the melon you could eat and an opportunity to ride on the back of the city’s garbage truck in the parade. That was a big deal. I didn’t get out much.

There are two things that Uncle Hardy had that impacted my life. One was a hairline that didn’t include much hair. Thanks Uncle Hardy. The other was a fish camp on the Suwannee River. It was an old Florida cabin with a tin roof, the kind legends are born from, at least for a nine-year-old. We would take boat rides, swim in the river, and eat watermelon. And that’s where “a scar was born.”

We were eating watermelon and I picked up a large butcher knife to slice off the watermelon from the rind. I didn’t have a lot of experience with butcher knives, but I was feeling a little like “Indiana Jones”, so I picked it up. Like I said, I didn’t have a lot of experience, so I began slicing the watermelon pulling the knife toward me and my little nine-year-old hand. My dad saw it and said, “Dewayne. Be careful with the knife. Don’t pull it toward you—push it away”.

Well, when you are nine and know it all, and you’re feeling like Indiana Jones you don’t listen to your Daddy or common sense. So, I kept right on slicing and then it happened. I got a little too close to my hand and neatly sliced a half-moon cut in my thumb. Well, so much for Indiana Jones. There was the usual holler, a bit of tears, daddy’s “I told you so,” a big bandage, a little embarrassment, and the makings of a scar.

It healed fine, leaving a scar and a gentle reminder. When you are using a knife don’t pull it toward you…push it away. Daddy was right. There is only one scar on my hand from using a knife incorrectly. That is because every time I am tempted to do it wrong, the scar on my right thumb says don’t. And now the scar has become a sort of souvenir. When I see it, I don’t remember the pain, the tears or the embarrassment, I remember the lesson.

How about you? Have any scars…visible or invisible? When you see them or think about them, does your mind instantly go back to pain? Do you find yourself constantly living “it” all over again—the hurtful word, the unkind act, the feeling of being rejected or forgotten? What if we “scar bearers” could remember the lesson instead of the pain? What if we could remember the promise instead of the pain? Promise? Yes, the one found in Romans 8:28 “We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to His purposes.” This is a “go to” promise for me because I have a lot of oops, bumps, bruises, and scars. I’m learning, though, to look at all of that not for the pain they caused, but the good God brought from them.

I’m determined to learn to glean as much as I can from each day. It’s something I picked up during 2020. It’s ironic how 20-20 means clarity and yet we had so little of it. But we have a God who can see all things with perfect insight. So instead of singing the blues, I’m gonna work at turning my scars into souvenirs. And I’m gonna lay my head down tonight and rest in Him. But there’s more. I know now my daddy was a lot wiser than I was. He had experience with knives and watermelon. And my heavenly Father…well, He knows everything, and do you know what? He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne