Category: friends

Posted in Family, forgiveness, friends, Grace, gratitude, life, loving others, Scripture, Southern born, thankful, Trials

Switches and Sand Spurs

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.” Hebrews 12:11

Well, I suppose it worked. Overall, I’m pretty sure I turned out ok. I’ve only had one speeding ticket, had one accident, and have never spent a night in jail.  Of course, that may have to do with the fact that I am a pastor. That doesn’t mean I’m too good to go to jail, it only means that church people don’t take too kindly to their preacher being arrested and going there.

Recently, I told my oldest sister that the older I get, the more I appreciate my Momma and Daddy.  I’m pretty sure that so many of the things I get right are because of my upbringing and of course, they were responsible for that.  Momma and Daddy shared the discipline part of child rearing.  Momma was more the “go get a switch from the bamboo bush” and Daddy was the more “wait a minute while I get my belt off” kinda guy. But you know, never was their discipline out of balance and more than once…I got off scot-free.

One time I chucked a rock at a car and Daddy promised me a lesson I wouldn’t soon forget.  When we got home, I ran inside and hid under the dining room table. For whatever reason, he chose to extend a boatload of grace and I know two things.  First, I was plenty grateful and second, I never chucked another rock at another car.  Lesson learned.

Every once in a while, Daddy would get more creative.  While I can’t remember the why or the frequency, he had one special way of helping me learn.  You see, in Florida we had these prickly things called “sand spurs.”  They could and would grow anywhere but they seemed partial to our front yard.  Well, one of Daddy’s ways of dealing with them is also one of the ways he dealt with me.  When I did something that was punishment worthy, he would take me to the front yard and have me pull the sand spurs up and out of the yard.  Like a goat mowing the yard, I would work my way over the right side, it was always the right side of the yard pulling every sand spur I could find.  I really, really didn’t like it and I am sure whatever crime I committed, I learned quickly to not do it again.

The Bible, God’s book, also teaches us about discipline.  It says, “No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.” We don’t know who wrote the book of Hebrews but whoever it was seemed to know a lot about switches, belts, and sand spurs.  And do you know what else?  They were certainly right.  Discipline is never, ever pleasant.

So, looking back I am glad that my Momma and Daddy cared enough to try and raise me right.  And I am glad that my Dearest Daddy in heaven does too.  He knows when I’m wrong and He knows when and what is needed to put me back on the straight and narrow.  And even better than my parents, He is never excessive and is always graceful. I like that…a lot.  No matter the crime, His actions toward me have one purpose—redemption. I can trust Him no matter what and when I need some correction, like everything else, I know for sure, “He’s got that.”  Bro. Dewayne 

Posted in Family, friends, Grace, life, love, loving others, Scripture, thankful, Trials

A Tale of Two Mowers

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

Our love should not be just words and talk; it must be true love, which shows itself in action.” 1 John 3:18

It was time to buy a mower.  A while back my son-in-law and daughter moved back from Oklahoma to Paducah.  That meant that once again our family circle was close together again.  He had been in the Army and had been assigned twice eleven hours away (Savanah, Georgia and Lawton, Oklahoma) and once for a couple of years in Korea. Trust me…that was a lot more than eleven hours.  But happily, the tribe can finally get together occasionally.  They rented a house in Paducah, Kentucky…a house with a good-sized yard.  However, since they lived “on post” at his last assignment, they didn’t have a lawnmower.  They thought about buying a goat (smile) but Judy and I offered to give them our mower and I would go and get another one.

My mower was my friend.  We had been together for about ten years, and it was still in great shape.  It was a solid brand; commercial grade mower and we made a great team.  Honestly, I really hated to part with it, but it felt good to be a little generous.  So, I began the search for a replacement. I researched and asked around to try and make a good decision.  A friend of mine used to own a small engine shop and dealership, so he was my go-to person.  His advice was to buy a good one with a dependable engine…like a Briggs and Stratton. So, after a long search I settled on a big name, expensive, brand…a Honda…with the hopes it would take me well into the future.

During my chase for a new mower, I discovered that my semi-local big box store (or just about any store for that matter) didn’t carry much stock.  That meant I had to order it and the nice FedEx man would deliver it to my house.  After ordering, I waited several days for it to come and finally the day arrived.  FedEx usually leaves my packages at the front door and because this was going to be a big one, I left a nice big note on the front door that said, “Please leave package at back door.”  He apparently didn’t see the note and deposited the lawn mower on my front porch.

Well, upon examination I discovered that part of the handle had broken through the box and was sticking out.  I knew that couldn’t be good.  I opened the box and discovered that the handle was bent and one of the front wheels was too.  Bummer.  Well, to make a long story short that meant I had to haul the mower to the big box store (and it was not going to fit in my car) and reorder another one.  I told my grass to stop growing because of the delay and it said, “No.” Well, now I was in a pickle. I went to “Plan B.”

“Plan B” went like this. Another big box store had a lesser brand (but with the required good engine) and it was half the price.  Smile.  Then I discovered it was an additional ninety dollars off.  Big smile.  So, the very expensive damaged mower, which by the way was very poorly packaged, went back and the cheaper, lesser brand came to live with me.  Imagine my surprise when I opened the lesser brand and discovered the company (here in the USA, by the way) had built a wooden frame around the mower to protect it.  Not surprisingly…it was in perfect condition.  So, the expensive mower was left to bang around in its cardboard box and the lesser brand (that cost a whole lot less) came in some type of wood reenforced cardboard box.  Some things just don’t make sense.

Well, only time will tell the end of this story.  I used the new lesser brand the other day and it did very well.  Smile.  Regardless of its “lesser” name, I expect for the foreseeable future my grass will be shorter and that is what matters. In this case the quality of the packaging and the price trumped the better branded mower.  One package said, “We care about you and our product, and one said, “Oops and good luck.”

You see, the packaging, in this case was as important as the product.  It is true in lawn mowers, and it is true in life. It matters how people perceive who we are. If we want people to think a certain way about us…we must live that certain way. A guy named John who was a disciple of Jesus wrote and said, “Our love should not be just words and talk; it must be true love, which shows itself in action.” Yup…actions matter more than words…and never is that truer than in our Jesus walk.

It has been said people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.  In a world that is way short on love and kindness, we need to put it right out there so there is no question that we care.  Our packaging really does matter. So, I’ll let you know how the mower thing plays out.  Regardless, I know this.  The lesser brand sent me, the consumer, a message—we care about you, and we care about our product.  God has a message for us too.  It simply says, “I’ve got this.”  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, food, friends, Grace, gratitude, life, loving others, Scripture, Southern born, thankful, Trials, wisdom

Quarters, Bottles and Penny Candy

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead.” Philippians 3:13

Yesterday I was walking in the Sam’s parking lot heading to, you guessed it, Sam’s to get a couple of items.  As I was walking along, I saw something shiny and guess what?  Yup, it was a quarter.  Now, I am a coin picker upper.  Every coin, from a penny to whatever, usually ends up in my pocket.  I must admit sometimes pennies don’t make the cut but an example from my past usually causes me to pause and bend down.  I had a good friend named Andy at Cobden, one of my previous pastorates. He is the one that taught me not to pass up any coin so in honor of him…I usually stop and bend down.

Well, back at Sam’s, on that particular day, my treasure was a quarter.  First, I know, it may have had some germs on it but hey…what money doesn’t?  And second, a quarter doesn’t sound like much, but I remember a time when it was a whole lot.  And, by the way, that is the reason Andy probably never passed up anything. He, too, could remember a time.

You see, when I was a kid, we would walk along the road, not to pick up cans but coke bottles (understand that any bottle that held a soft drink was called a coke bottle). Each bottle was worth a whopping two cents.  We would walk and find and when our hands were full or we were tired, we would head straight to the store.

My favorite was Owen’s Small Engine Repair.  He always kept a great selection of penny candy.  Now this was the good stuff…quite the bargain. So, we could take our bottles and for each bottle walk out with two pieces of the good stuff. When I found that quarter laying in the parking lot, I imagined twelve and a half bottles—a bonanza back in the day. Twenty-five pieces of candy.  Who could pass up a find like that?

Isn’t it funny how our past can impact our actions today?  I know sometimes that can be a difficult thing and then maybe it’s best “left lying on the ground.” But, if your past is like mine, there are plenty of things worth remembering…and honoring. The key is knowing which is which and what is what. Paul must have had that in mind when he wrote that he had chosen to “forget that which is behind,” and trust me some of his past was harder than hard.

Today as you journey, keep your eyes up and look around and marvel at just how good God is.  But, occasionally, don’t be afraid to look down. Who knows, you might just spot something that will cause you to remember bottles by the road and a trip to the candy store.  You just might see something worth remembering.  And, if you do, be sure and thank the One who makes that “worth remembering” thing possible.  Remember to thank the One who is so keen on you He gave His best.  And then, remember, no matter what you are facing…He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, friends, Grace, gratitude, life, love, loving others, prayer, priorities, Scripture, sovereignty of God, thankful

Same Kind of Different as Me

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.” Colossians 3:14

Opposites attract.  I’ve heard that all my life and I think it is true…well, at least sorta.  I mean, take my wife Judy and me.  In a lot of ways, we are similar.  We both like to eat…though I prefer dessert and she prefers food.  We both love traveling and adventures. We both love Jesus.  We both love to serve people.  Oh, and we both love each other.  So, there you go…but wait, in some ways we are different.  We recently went on vacation.  She packed her bag, and I packed mine.  Let me rephrase that.  She put…some would say dumped, clothes in her suitcase, sat on it and closed it.  As for me, well, I neatly organized each item and even sorted them by the function and when they would be used. We are sometimes different.

You can see that difference with our phones too.  If you look at Judy’s phone you will see that the inbox of her email account has 28,246 emails…and I’m not kidding.  On the other hand, my inbox has about 10 emails in it.  In her case, it is a system for keeping and in my case, it is a system for filing.  Hers is “Welcome home and stay as long as you like” and mine is, “In you come and out you go.”  She invited the relatives to move in and I invite them to stay…for just a while.  And then there are the little red dots.

On the iPhone, when there is something that requires action, a little red dot appears on the screen.  The dot stays there until you do something about it.  Well, Miss Judy’s screen on her iPhone looks like it has a case of measles.  There is a red dot here, and here, and here, and here, and oh, here too.  Now on my iPhone, dots are not welcome.  When one appears I almost immediately stop what I am doing to find out what it wants me to do.  You know how when you are growing up and some people get acne, and some don’t?  Well, my phone is the one that doesn’t.

Now, all this is well and good and there really isn’t a right or a wrong…unless of course you can’t see the screen for all the dots.  No, the Bible makes it clear that each one of us is fearfully and wonderfully made.  Each one of us is a jewel…a masterpiece. Some like a full inbox and some like it empty.  Some are organized and some, well, are not quite as much. Smile.  But here is what we need to remember…especially in relationships…especially in marriage.  Someone once said that if both people in a marriage are exactly alike…well, one of them isn’t necessary.  In any relationship…and especially in marriage…diversity is a good thing…a needed thing.

But wait…it’s not just in marriage…it is true with the team at work.  It is true with the people you worship with.  It is even true with the team you play with.  Diversity adds depth.  Diversity adds richness.  When we start feeling comfortable to associate with those who are different from us; when we start embracing others, even though we don’t always agree, a strength develops, and we all become better for it.

Judy and I have been married now for 47 years and people frequently tell us how much they appreciate the example we set in our marriage.  Well, first, let’s be honest.  That is largely because I married up when I married Judy.  But beyond that, well, we have learned and are learning to appreciate our differences.  There was a bestselling book and later a movie about two men from backgrounds that could not have been more different.  And yet, over time, and with no small thanks to Jesus, they became friends.  The impossible became possible.  The book and later the movie were entitled, “The Same Kind of Different as Me.” Read the book, it will inspire you.

I think that means that in spite of the fact that they were incredibly different, there was something that overpowered their differences and that was love.  They both discovered Jesus and that led them to share Christian love for each other. Paul, the guy who wrote a chunk of the New Testament said it like this, “Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.” The common denominator of love strengthened their lives and their friendship.  It worked there and I can tell you it will work in whatever world you live in. We will become stronger and better when we learn to accept ourselves and others for who God made us. Need a little help?  No problem…He’s got that.  Bro. Dewayne 

Posted in Family, friends, Grace, gratitude, life, love, prayer, Scripture, thankful, Trials, wisdom

Listening

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

Serve only the Lord your God and fear Him alone. Obey His commands, listen to His voice, and cling to Him.” Deuteronomy 13:4

It seems that everywhere I go, bells are ringing.  Bells are incredible instruments.  At Christmas, they joyfully announce the arrival of the Christ child.  A week later they peal in the New Year.  Sometimes their message is one of sorrow.  In a couple of months or so we will observe the anniversary of the 9/11/01 attack in New York.  Around the nation, bells will toll mournful as we grieve the loss of so many lives. Many churches ring their bells on Sunday morning, inviting, reminding, and urging people to come to worship.  Yes, bells are still an important part of our culture.

The bells I hear though are totally different.  In fact, I’m not sure bells describe what I hear…but for sure something is ringing…in my ears.  They call it tinnitus—I call it annoying.  I’m not sure when it started by it was ears—uh, make that years, ago.  It is mainly in my left ear, my bad ear, and 24 hours a day, seven days a week, there is this ringing sound.  Sometimes it is louder than others—sometimes softer but it is always there.  Some people even say it sounds like crickets…or even cicadas.  All I know is that I sure wish it would stop.  And that’s not all.

I also have the gift of floaters, also, in my left eye.   Hmmm…left ear, left eye, left-handed.  Is there a connection here?  So, you may ask, “What are floaters?”  In the optical world they are small pieces of something that float around in the fluid that fills your eye.  They are sometimes dots and sometimes strands but all the time they too are annoying.  I notice them most when I look at a bright computer screen…there goes one…there’s another…or at any kind of white or bright background.  And, like the ringing, they are always there.

There are many proposed cures for the ringing…none seem to work…and there is a fix for the floaters, but it involves sticking a needle in your eye.  I remember a childhood rhyme about a needle in my eye and it didn’t sound good then and it doesn’t sound good now.  What am I going to do?  Well, so far, the best trick is to…ignore them both.  I am learning to ignore the ringing and I am learning to ignore the floaters.  Oh sure, it takes practice, but I am learning to deal with it.  They never totally go away but with a bit of practice, I can zone out the ringing and stare past the floaters.

Learning to ignore ringing ears and floater eyes is a good thing but I also am learning that it is not a good thing to ignore everything.  Remember that red engine light…not the orange one…the red one…uh, don’t ignore that.  How about the speed warning you set one day in your gadget rich new car…the one that says, “Slow down?”  Probably shouldn’t ignore that either.  Reminder of your anniversary on your calendar? Nope.  The alarm clock in the morning? Not that either.  You see there are things you can and perhaps should ignore and there are some you just should pay attention too.

When I was growing up, I learned not to ignore my Daddy’s voice.  He would call, “Dewayne, come here.”  My response was a prompted, “Yes, sir.”  He would wait just a few seconds and ask, “Are you coming?”  I would respond again with, “Yes, sir.”  And he always, always responded with, “Make me know it.”  He was making sure I was hearing and responding to his request and not hearing and ignoring it.  It has stuck with me all of my life.  Make.Me.Know.It.

My other Father, my Dearest Father in heaven, wants me to respond to Him too.  He doesn’t shout, in fact, sometimes He whispers, but I have found that if I will intentionally listen, I can hear Him.  Moses, the guy who parted the Red Sea, wrote in Deuteronomy, “Serve only the Lord your God and fear Him alone. Obey His commands, listen to His voice, and cling to Him.” Sounds like a good plan to me.

If I am wise, I will respond with a “Yes, Lord” and never give Him cause to say, “Make me know it.” I say that not because of fear, but because of respect.  You see I obeyed my earthly father, most of the time, because I loved and respected him.  And that is also true for my Dearest Daddy.  He is worthy of our deepest love and respect. Let’s make sure our hearts and ears hear the sweet whispers of heaven. Let’s not miss it when He whispers, “I’ve got this.”  Bro. Dewayne

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

Help, I’ve Fallen

Posted on 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

Posted in Family, fear, friends, Grace, gratitude, Holidays, July 4, life, loving others, Military memories, prayer, priorities, Scripture, sovereignty of God, thankful, travel, Trials

July 4, 1974

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

No one has greater love than this: to lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13

It was fifty-one years ago today.  The summer of 1972 was unlike any other summer I had experienced.  I had joined the Air Force and spent the summer at “camp” with about forty new friends.  We shared one thing in common—we had taken an oath to “protect the constitution of the United States against all enemies…foreign and domestic.”  We had also committed to obeying the orders of those appointed over us and at this point…that was everyone else but us.  We were brand new, raw recruits who knew a lot about being a civilian and virtually nothing about being in the military.  But we didn’t have to worry…our drill sergeant was taking care of that.

I arrived at Lackland Air Force Base in the early morning hours of June 13th…early as in about 2:00 am.  This was intentional because the Air Force actually wanted you to be disorientated the first few days.  I think it was supposed to make us more cooperative.  Anyway, we quickly got into a routine sporting our new haircuts and green fatigue uniforms. They kept us going from before sunrise and put us to bed even before it was dark.  That was ok too because we were wore out.

This was my first time away from home, but the schedule didn’t allow for home sickness. But all that changed one night in July.  There wasn’t a lot of free time…whether it was a Tuesday, a Friday, or a Sunday…though they did allow time for church for anyone who wanted to go.  Most of us wanted to go…not because we loved God but for a couple of hours, we could forget the grind of basic.

Back then the Air Force didn’t observe holidays either.  Of course, the only one that occurred in my time in basic was—Independence Day.  As I remember, we definitely did NOT get the day off, but I do think we got to do some extra marching…I think it was supposed to be patriotic.  Anyway, it was soon time for lights out and then it happened. I was lying in my bunk; the skies had finally darkened, and I heard a familiar sound.  It was the sound of exploding fireworks.

I eased out of bed and knelt down in front of the window. From there, I watched the fireworks display for the base explode and light up the sky. And as I watched, a wave of homesickness washed over me.  I remembered all the times that we would go to downtown Jacksonville to the riverfront and watch the fireworks together as a family.  I remembered the times we would go to a small neighborhood grocery store and sneak into the backroom where they sold illegal fireworks and load up.  I remembered and as I did I knew that this was the first of many times that being a member of the military would mean separation…and sacrifice.

Before long the fireworks were over and I went back to my bunk and after too many minutes of loneliness, drifted off to sleep.  The next morning it was back to business as usual.  The summer of ’72 passed pretty quickly and before I knew it, I was done with basic and moved on to what was next…more training…and more new adventures. And what I discovered that night, kneeling at my window in basic, came true.  There were many more days and holidays when family was far away.  But also knew it was a small sacrifice to make to serve my country.

So today, be sure and remember those who are serving, who are sacrificing, that we can enjoy our freedoms.  Remember freedom is never free and we should be thankful for those willing to make ours possible.  Jesus said, “No one has greater love than this: to lay down his life for his friends.” That is so, so true. Look, we all know America is far from perfect, but She is still the best country on the planet—remember that today too. And if you are one of those separated from family to serve, thank you and know that the One who died for you, loves you and will never leave you.  No matter what you are facing today, He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

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

Waverly

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

When you go through deep waters, I will be with you.” Isaiah 43:2

It was only three hours away, but it was another world.  Just short of two years ago, a horrible and intensely powerful flash flood ravaged a small town in Western Tennessee. A small, benign creek traced its way through the center of town.  It is appropriately named, “Trace Creek.” Normally only a couple of feet deep, it gently winds for several miles surrounded by hills.  On a Saturday, a storm system set up shop right over that region and seventeen inches of rain fell in a short period of time. Disaster was coming.

As the rainwater funneled from the hills to the valley, Trace Creek became the collecting point and soon what was a benign creek became a killing flood.  The water rose not in hours but minutes—not in inches, but feet.  A railroad bed that was holding some of the torrent back gave way and a twenty-foot wall of water came down on the town.  As it did, death and destruction struck on what can be only described as “biblical proportions.” As the kid’s song from Sunday school says, the flood was deep, and the flood was wide.

In that short period of time cars became boats and houses were swept off their foundations.  Fences were laid over and trees and power poles were simply bowled over by the force of the water.  Sadly, over twenty people lost their lives and many, many more, were injured. I’m sure no one went to bed the night before dreaming of a flood, at least not of this proportion. It was a nightmare from nowhere.  In a couple or three hours it was over leaving behind a disaster zone that will take years to recover and rebuild.  Some, like the loss of life, will never be the same.

Our church had a personal touch with this small West Tennessee town as a couple of our families moved there last year.  While they were safe, many of their friends were not.  They quickly became important cogs in the wheels of rescue and recovery and that’s where we had an opportunity to help.  We had recently hosted our “Back to School” community event and because of the COVID hot mess, the crowd had been smaller than in previous years and we had many school supply bags left over and several hundred pair of shoes.  We were disappointed, but suddenly something began to make sense.  It was an opportunity.

At the invitation of one of churches there, we loaded up the supplies and shoes and headed to West Tennessee.  When we arrived, the destruction was beyond description.  Our small Southern Illinois city had suffered an F-4 tornado in 2012 so we knew about disasters but this, this was beyond even what we had experienced.  Soon we were setup and giving away the supplies and shoes.  There were stories, there were tears, and there were thanks.  At the end of a hot day, we were the ones who were blessed.

As was the case for us in 2012, their town actually experienced another kind of flood…a flood of kindness, generosity, and love.  Hundreds, if not thousands, of people poured in to offer any help they could give.  Restaurants and stands were set up offering free food and supplies. Life necessities were given to anyone with a need.  It was amazing especially in a world of “me first”. It was obvious that is not always the case.  Love and generosity ruled the day.

Across the street from where we were working was a house that had been flooded with about four feet of water. As cleanup started, the owners had emptied all of their contents and piled them by the road.  I looked and in one of the discarded chairs was a large, white Bible. It didn’t seem right to see it discarded, so I went and asked the owners if I could get it and take it home.  They were grateful.  You see, it had been wet in the flood and couldn’t stay, but it’s present place, in the trash, was not a statement of their faith.  They just didn’t know what to do.  So, it is with me…a reminder of my day in that small West Tennessee town…a town called Waverly.

The story of the Bible, and that it was not discarded because of a lack of faith, was a blessing to me.  People in that disaster didn’t give up on God or each other for that matter.  They chose to still believe…in God, in their town, and in each other.  Now a couple of years later, Waverly is well on the comeback road, and they are stronger than before. Their situation reminds me of a verse in the Old Testament that says, “When you go through deep waters, I will be with you.”

You see, even in the midst of disaster, even when our circumstances don’t make a lick of sense, and these days that is often every day, well, He is still there.  Even when we go through the darkest valley we don’t have to fear because He is with us.  No matter how high the water or how hard the circumstances, listen, and you will hear the Whisperer whispering, “Rest in Me.  I’ve got this.”   Bro. Dewayne

Posted in fear, friends, Grace, gratitude, life, loving others, missions, prayer, priorities, Scripture, thankful

He Was Right

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves.” Philippians 2:3

How many of you remember the name Copernicus?  No, he’s not a guy we met at the golf course or at a conference we attended. Copernicus made an earth-shattering announcement in 1543 that changed our lives forever.  Do you know what it was?  He announced that our earth was not the center of the universe.

 You see, up until that time people thought the whole universe revolved around the earth–we were the center of it all. That big old fiery ball we call the sun woke up every day to circle the earth and all those stars and planets existed to move around us. The problem–it just wasn’t so.  Copernicus made the announcement and upset the apple cart.  His words were not well received in fact they got him into BIG trouble.  Trouble or not, it didn’t change the truth.

I still remember the time when I traveled to Africa for the first time.  I was surprised that virtually no one spoke English and when I went into a shop to get a cup of coffee and they didn’t know what a dollar was—I was flabbergasted.  Not speak English. Not recognize an America dollar.  It was just about then that I started to realize that the world does not revolve around me or us for that matter.

The latest wakeup call came during the COVID mess.  I watched as slowly but surely a “me mentality” seized our culture, our communities, our churches and yup, me.  What I wanted became more important that what you wanted. In a culture outside of God that kind of is the way it works.  But in God’s economy and culture…uh, it doesn’t.  Jesus made a big deal of it being about others. And somehow, at some way, we dropped the ball.  Fumbled. Threw an interception.

As I stood around observing this phenomenon, and my participation in it, God began speaking to me. At first it was a whisper, but I do believe He is speaking a bit louder these days.  In fact, and if you don’t mind me saying so, I believe shouting would be a better label. The message seems to be, “Hey this isn’t about you, or Joe or Doug or Ryan or Betty, well, you get the picture.  You see our culture tells us (or is it shouting too?) that it is about us—our way, our priorities, our rights—our everything.  You know, “have it your way” –“you deserve a break today” and that mentality has shifted right smack dab into the Christian community.  Somewhere, somehow, we have begun to believe the lie that all that matters is–me.  It may work for the world, but it doesn’t work, or shouldn’t work, for Jesus’ followers, at least not in God’s eyes.  Do you want to know why most churches are struggling to get people to come?  It’s because we have become consumer driven instead of “others” driven.  We are leaning toward being country clubs instead of hospitals. It is because we believe it is about us.

Paul, the guy who wrote more than half of the Bible’s New Testament said, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves.”  Wow.  In other words, the center of the universe is not me, not the earth but the God who created it all.  And what matters to Him needs to matter to us. What is that you say?  Others–not me but them–the ones who have never received and, to a large extent in other places in the world, never even heard of Jesus. We are supposed to be Gospel lighthouses or Gospel GPS’s pointing people to Him. If there has ever been a time when our world needs some Good News it is now.

Sometimes people say they’ve heard from God, and you give them a quizzical look like, “Sure.”  I reckon folks gave Copernicus that same quizzical look, but it didn’t change the facts.  It’s amazing to think that even though it was really about Jesus, He never promoted it that way.  He acted as if it wasn’t.  He washed feet, touched people who were untouchable and oh, He died on a criminal’s cross.  How about that? Maybe it is time we take down the “Me Flag” and just love God and love people.  It is the most Jesus’ thing we can do.  Does that sound a little overwhelming?  I know what you mean, but you know what He says, “I’ve got this.”   Bro. Dewayne

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

Windshields and Words

Posted on 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.”