Category: Grace

Posted in Family, Grace, gratitude, life, Scripture, sovereignty of God, thankful

Blue Moon

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

Then God looked over all He had made, and He saw that it was very good! And evening passed and morning came, marking the sixth day.” Genesis 1:31

It only happens, “Once in a blue moon.” Ever wonder where that came from? Ever wonder how often that is? Well, it turns out it really doesn’t have anything to do with a blue moon but rather a full moon.  Though the meaning varies slightly it refers to a time when there is an extra moon in a calendar year.  While there are normally 12 full moons a year, occasionally, about every seven years, there are 13.  Hence, it is a rarity that causes people to say, “once in a blue moon” to describe something that rarely happens—like me preaching a short sermon.  Actually, that might be better described as a miracle!

Now there is another meaning that has been thrown around through the years and that is when there are two full moons in the same month—another rarity.  I bet it happens about every seven years but who knows.  Anyway, guess what?  Well, it just happened.  This year August had two full moons—the first was around the first and the second was on the 30th.  And, while the moon was not blue it was incredible.  First, it was a super moon (that occurs when the moon is a bit closer to the earth than normal and thus appears bigger and brighter) and second, it was this incredible peachy-pink color.  It was one of those times when God showed off just a little more than normal.

So, I’m sure I wasn’t the only one who commented on just how beautiful the moon was. But truth be told, the color of the moon had nothing to do with the moon itself but some stuff that was in the atmosphere.  That stuff, whatever it was, gave the moon that beautiful color—it caused something that was beautiful to become even more so. And that reader is our big truth.  You see, if we learn to see things through the lens of our Creator God—well, things get more beautiful—every time.  When we start seeing our circumstances, people, our world, through His eyes—it changes everything.  The ordinary becomes extraordinary and the mundane becomes marvelous.

The first book in His Book, the Bible, tells us that when God was done creating, He looked around.  Listen to what it says, “Then God looked over all He had made, and He saw that it was very good! And evening passed and morning came, marking the sixth day.” When we see things the way He sees things—we will usually come to the same conclusion He did that sixth day.  So, take a moment tonight and enjoy the almost full moon—it will still be magnificent.  And then, look around at your world, through the eyes of your Dearest Daddy and enjoy it.  Oh, and don’t forget—it is all in His hands—He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, forgiveness, Grace, gratitude, life, love, prayer, priorities, Scripture, thankful, travel

Sweeter…Inside & Out

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive Him, because it isn’t looking for Him and doesn’t recognize Him. But you know Him, because He lives with you now and later will be in you.” John 14:17

I like Murray, Kentucky for several reasons. First, some of my tribe live there. My middle daughter and her husband and two of my eight grandchildren call Murray home. Now that alone is reason enough.  Oh, and for the record, Murray is just a cool town with a southern vibe and lots of good places to eat…which leads me to the second reason I really like Murray.  In a word…donuts.

Now, there are probably several places to get donuts in Murray but there is only one place that bears the name Murray Donuts and trust me…they are incredible.  You can tell a good donut place by the length of the line and how soon they sell out.  Well, it seems that this place always has a line (that moves very quickly, thank-you) and they would sell out quickly, but they do a great job of keeping those wonderful doughy designs coming out of the grease.

Well, the other day, my wife Judy and I were down visiting, and we decided to take the grandkids to school with a stop off at Murray’s for a few donuts.  Well, we got into line and before you could say, “cholesterol” we were at the counter.  I had a single sour cream donut, though I wanted more, James had two maple covered donuts and Ellie had a long John with chocolate icing and white cream in the middle. Yummy.  Well, our lady told us they were out of the long John’s with the white creamy stuff, but she would be glad to make us one. Smile.

She walked over to the counter, grabbed a long John, and then walked over to a cool little machine with a long, pointy thing sticking out.  She stuck the long, pointy thing into the long John and mashed this button and before you could say, “Shoot that thing” we had a long John with chocolate icing, filled nicely with white cream in the middle. Now I just thought that was pretty cool. I always wondered how they did that and now I know.

As I watched her do her magic, it occurred to me how she took something that was awesome and made it even more awesome by putting something very special inside—white, fluffy cream.  Well, believe it or not, I almost instantly thought about God and the Holy Spirit.  See, He takes people that He loves, forgives their sin when they choose to ask Him to and believe in His Son Jesus—and that is great.  But that is not all. When a person becomes a Jesus follower, God gives them something else—His Holy Spirit and He doesn’t live on the outside—He lives on the inside—just like the cream in the long John…well, sorta anyway.

So, the white creamy stuff makes the long John better and the Holy Spirit living within us helps us be more like Jesus—which is always a really good thing.  Of course, God doesn’t just make us better—He makes us new.  So, if you have never put your faith in Jesus…I hope you will today and if you already have, well, don’t forget that God also lives in you in the personhood of His Holy Spirit.  He, the Holy Spirit, does so much for us (including making us sweeter) but He also reminds us that no matter what, our Dearest Daddy is always there for us.  We don’t need to worry because, “He’s got this.” Bro. Dewayne

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

Thanking God for the Fleas

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

Give thanks in everything; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Dear God…thank you for the fleas. Corrie ten Boom was an amazing lady.  She and her sister were taken prisoner in World War II by the Nazis.  What was their crime?  They were hiding Jews to keep them from the camps and ovens that the Nazis had built to “take care of the Jewish problem.”  If there is a list of sad chapters in human history, the holocaust has to be near the top.  The horror and evil of that time and by those people, well, it is beyond description.

Corrie, by nothing short of the intervention of God, survived the camp while her younger sister Betsie did not. One of the stories that Corrie tells is a beautiful story of seeing God’s mercies in the hardest of places.  As I mentioned, Corrie ten Boom and her sister, Betsie, were prisoners in a Nazi concentration camp during World War II. Her family was caught hiding Jews in their home and were thrown into Ravensbruck Camp prison. During her imprisonment, Corrie tells of a time of thanksgiving in her book, The Hiding Place.

Corrie and Betsie were able to smuggle a tattered bible into the flea infested barracks, which Nazi officers would never enter. When the passage “Be thankful in all circumstances” [1 Thessalonians 5:18] was revealed to Betsie, she insisted they be thankful for everything, and began praying aloud. Betsie thanked God for all things, but when she thanked Him for even the fleas, Corrie disagreed. She hated fleas. They were nasty, pesky little bugs that kept biting her legs, and she would not be thankful for them. However, Betsie persisted, and Corrie succumbed to being thankful IN all circumstances.

Later, they heard the Nazi officers refused to enter the barracks because of the fleas. The fleas kept them safe from being molested and abused. Dozens of desperate women were free to hear the comforting, hope-giving Word of God, and God made sure their deepest needs were met. And it was all because of fleas…and may I add, God sent fleas?

When we can learn to look carefully, we can also learn to thank God fully for the smallest of things and craziest of things.  Had it not been for the fleas, Corrie, Betsie and the rest of the women in their barracks would have known an even greater depravity of men.  So, let me ask you a question.  What is there in your life that you need to thank God for?  What inconvenience or disruption is there that God could be using to teach you, to show you, to love you? Let me encourage you to pause and look carefully each day.  And, if you should see a flea for two, be sure and remember how our gracious God can use everything and anything for our good and His glory.  He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne

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

A Little Misunderstanding

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.” Colossians 4:6

It was just a little misunderstanding.  The story is told of a pastor who visited a man in the hospital.  As he stood by the bed, the man began to be in deep distress.  Unable to speak he quickly wrote the pastor a note, handed it to him and then just died.  In all the confusion of the moment, the pastor slid the note into his pocket and forgot about it. Several days later the pastor was conducting the memorial service for the man.  The pastor was describing the man…his life, his good heart, and his service for others.  Then it happened.

The pastor suddenly remembered that he had the note in his suit pocket.  He told the audience, “I have just remembered the day Joe died I was visiting him in the hospital, and he slipped me a note right before he passed away. I failed to read it and have just now remembered it is in my pocket. How special it would be if we could share his final thoughts together now.  So, the pastor reached into his pocket, pulled out the note and read, “You’re standing on my oxygen hose.” Smile.

As a pastor you can bet, I’ve got some crazy stories and a lot of them revolve around little misunderstandings and lack of communication.  Recently I told the story of how I was visiting one of our members in the hospital and she was quite ill.  When I make a visit, I naturally slip into my “let me make you feel better mode.”  For me there are two great fix-all’s—humor and food. But sometimes, many times, a person just needs compassion and kindness.  This was one of those times.

I walked into the room, and she was lying in the bed softly moaning.  I moved over by the bed and whispered her name.  She opened her eyes, slightly smiled, and said, “Pastor, thank you for coming by.” We shared for just a few minutes, and it was obvious she was very sick.  And then she said, “I just want to go home.”  I softy said, “I know.” And she said it again and then another time. Each time I responded with some simple words of understanding.  After the third time I upped my game.  I said, “I know you want to go home and when God is ready, He will take you.”

Well, imagine my surprise, and embarrassment, when she said, “NOT that home, pastor, my home.”  Oh…oops. I was ready to ship her off to heaven and she was just wanting to go back to her house.  Like I said, sometimes there is just a lack of understanding and communication. When that happens, we need to admit that we missed it and if necessary, ask for a little grace or perhaps give a little grace.  I quickly apologized for the misunderstanding, she did get better and indeed went to her home. We even had the chance to laugh about it later.

In the world we find ourselves these days there are multiple opportunities for misunderstandings.  When we find ourselves in too close of quarters for too long, when we have differing opinions about everything, misunderstandings are bound to happen.  In the regular world the normal response would be to get mad and often get even.  In the regular world the normal response would be more anger and more division.  But for Jesus followers that is just not an option.

The Bible tells us over and again that if we follow Jesus we are to act like Jesus.  We often get that when it comes to moral responses—and rightfully so.  But we too often miss the biggest application—how we respond when we bump into other people…or they bump into us.  Paul, one of the major writers in the Bible says, “Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.”  I like that.  Gracious and attractive.  Mama used to say this, “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything.  I wonder if Mama knew Paul.

Well, the bottom line is there will always be plenty of opportunities to bump into people.  There will always be plenty of opportunities to respond in a “not so Jesus’ way.”  But what if we hit the pause button right before we speak and ask ourselves, “Is this gracious or attractive?  Is this nice?” I wonder how things would change.  In these dark days the world needs “Jesus lights.” It needs us to shine for Him even when we get a little tired and a little weary.  We need to recognize that is just a setup for regretful words.  Let’s choose option “B.”  Let’s just rest in Him and choose to think before we speak.  After all, He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne

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

Tarnished

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

What sin do you need to confess and turn away from—in action or reaction, thought or word, attitude or habit—because it is tarnishing the reflection of the Holy Spirit’s purity in you? “

“Jesus in Me Devotional” by Anne Graham Lotz

My wife, Judy, was recently reading a devotion from Anne Graham Lotz, the daughter of Evangelist Billy Graham.  She writes, “The silver-plated tea set was passed down from my mother-in-law to us after she went to heaven. It sits in our home on the fireplace or in the China cabinet and is a reminder of times when she was with us here on earth.

“When it is polished, it shows its beauty in the intricate workmanship, patterns, and design. But as it is exposed to the air and pollutants in it, it begins to change. Time and lack of diligence on my part in noticing the change or taking time to polish it contribute to the gradual tarnishing.

“Until I do a double take and really see the tarnished tea set, nothing changes in its appearance. But when I do a double take one morning I am astonished at the beautiful piece, now discolored with its beauty hidden under tarnish. I am moved to action with the silver polish and the tarnished piece comes to life again under the polish and the gentle rubbing.

“How often in our lives do we begin to tarnish and never notice until something grabs our attention, and we refocus. As I read this devotion, it reminded me that I am a vessel created by God to show forth Himself to others. But perhaps being distracted and surrounded by pollutants in my life (things, circumstances, people, and even me) I wonder have I allowed them to tarnish me?

“I want to be a vessel that shines forth as a thing of beauty by showing clearly that Christ through His Holy Spirit lives in me. So today, I’m asking my Heavenly Father to show me the things I need to address in my actions, attitudes, thoughts, and heart…things that need some confession and repentance. And because He only wants what is best for me, I know He will lead me and guide me in the way I should go.

“I’m so thankful He does not throw me in the trash or sell me at the next garage sale because I’m a bit tarnished…He’s all about polishing the silver and redeeming me.

“Maybe it’s time to go polish the silver.”

What a great illustration of God’s desire to make us the best that we can be…for Him.  And just when it seems that we are beyond redemption, He reminds us no to worry because, “He’s got this.”  Judy…with a little Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, food, Grace, gratitude, life, prayer, priorities, Scripture, thankful, Trials

Too Late

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

Jesus spoke to them again: “I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows Me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life.” John 8:12

What do you mean food doesn’t fix everything?  Well, I don’t know if it is because I am from the South or because I am a Baptist, but I just know food makes everything better.  There is nothing like a healthy (uh, perhaps unhealthy) dose of fried chicken, mashed potatoes, well-seasoned (hog jowl or some other appropriate grease source) green beans and a large portion of bread) to make everything better. And, of course, don’t forget dessert.

One evening, I came home from “one of those” meetings.  I walked in the door and my wife Judy, who can read me like a book, instantly said, “do you need to self-medicate?”  I love her…she knows.  Off to the Dairy Bar we went and in just a few minutes I was feeling better thanks to a salted caramel concrete.  Yup, the saying used to be “take two aspirins and call me in the morning.”  Now it is, “eat two chocolate cookies with a glass of cold milk and call me in the morning.”  Oh, the joy.

So, we had this rose bush in our incredibly beautiful yard—which by the way is also due to Judy and her green thumb.  This rose bush was on an arbor by our back door which used to be a great spot.  It bloomed and as you walked through the arbor you were immersed in their sweet, lush smell.  It was good.  But over time the bush became not as healthy and didn’t bloom nearly as much.

Judy and I were sitting in the yard one morning and she made the comment that the rose bush had a single bloom.  So, I casually mentioned that maybe she should feed it.  Remember, that fixes everything.  A good shot of rose bush food and bam here come the blooms.  But she told me I was wrong.  The problem wasn’t that the rose bush was starving for food—it was starving for light.  Here’s what had happened.

Just to the east of the rose bush where the morning sun comes in, two trees have grown—a dogwood and a redbud.  Both are great trees, and they seem to be really happy.  But in the process of growing, they have shut off a lot of the morning sunshine from the rose bush and that is why it was suffering.  Judy said that the rose bush could survive that way but without enough sunlight it won’t and can’t bloom.  What we ended up with is a rose bush that is just getting by and that will never really be what it was intended to be—a source of beauty with the sweet aroma of a new day.

So, somewhere in the future there was a good chance that the rose bush would probably have to be moved to a place where it can thrive and that means more sun.  It will mean a dramatic change and it might even be difficult but unless we do something the rose will never be and do what it was meant to be and do.

I wonder if that is the problem with me—with you?  I wonder if we are growing in a place where the soil might be right but there just isn’t enough light?  I wonder if we need more Son-shine? You see, we might believe that if our lives just had more stuff, more toys, more of this or more of that, we would be happy.  But the truth of the matter—we just need more of Jesus.

Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows Me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life.” Wow.  First, He affirms He is the light we are looking for.  It might seem easier, even logical, to just put a light bulb out by the rose bush, but that light would be insufficient and could never replace the light of the sun.  And trust me, the light we need in our lives can never come from religion, denomination or some other “self-medication.”  We need the true light that can only come from Him.

But He says something else.  He declares that if we walk with Him two things will happen.  We won’t have to just survive in the darkness or starve for light and in fact we will have the light that brings life.  Bam…just what we need…just what the doctor ordered.  And if that isn’t enough, since we walk with Him there will never be the need for a transplant because we walk with the Light—we move with the Light.  Because of that, no circumstances will ever be able to hurt us.

Well, this story has a sad ending.  We never got around to moving that rose bush and this past spring, it died.  We didn’t mean for it to happen…we just got busy while it got sicker. The transplant would have been hard…we would have had to dig him up and prune him back, but it would have been for his good—even his survival.  After the initial pain he would have bloomed again and that would have made it worthwhile.

So, what do you need to do in your life to once again walk with the Son?  What things need to be pruned back or what needs to be given up so you will be free to walk with Him again?  Yup, it might be painful but just imagine your life as you are blooming once again.  Imagine the fragrant smell of life with Him.  Make that decision today.  Go ahead and rest in Him.  He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, fear, Grace, gratitude, life, love, prayer, Scripture, sovereignty of God, thankful, Trials

Chicken Little

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

I know that You can do anything, and no one can stop You.” Job 42:2

Poor Chicken Little.  He had it all wrong.  The story is told of a little chicken (aptly named Chicken Little) who was walking one day, and a bird dropped an acorn which hit him on the head.  Chicken Little assumed that the sky was falling and the world as he knew it was coming to an end.  He rushed to tell the king and along the way told others of the bad news. They in turn joined him in the quest to tell the king. The only problem was… the sky wasn’t falling.

When I was a kid, like so many of us, I wrestled with fear.  There was the standard fear of the dark.  When the lights went out, my heart rate went up.  My vivid imagination allowed for plenty of strange things to be seen in the darkness and sometimes even in the light.  I remember as a six or seven-year-old sitting in the bathtub and seeing “eyes” peering at me from inside the overflow drain.  “Maybe it is a snake” I thought.  “Perhaps it is a giant rat inside the drain.”  Regardless, I feared taking a bath until one day I got brave.  I took a flashlight into the bathroom and shined the light in the drain.  It turned out to be the tops of two brass screws inside the drain.

When I was a little older the fear thing still lingered.  With too many people and not enough house, I found myself sleeping in the dining room.  Mom and dad moved the table somewhere and put a twin bed there instead.  We lived in Florida and trust me it was HOT, and it was HUMID and air conditioning was something that we DIDN’T have.  Each night I would crawl into bed, a fan in the window at least stirring the warm evening air. And each night the monsters would come out.  Of course, they weren’t real.  Of course, they didn’t exist. Right…but try telling that to a young boy with a vivid imagination.

I had to do something, and I did.  I would reach down and pull the sheet and bedspread over my head and lie still.  I don’t know if the idea was the sheet and bedspread would somehow protect me or if they would simply hide me.  But there I would hide, sweating, and praying, that whatever hid in the darkness wouldn’t eat me.  I guess it worked because I’m still here today but boy was it HOT!

I guess I finally overcame most of my fears. To some degree fear is still a stalker in my life.  Instead of rats in a drain or monsters in the dark or bad guys in the house, it has become the uncertainty of tomorrow.  And I know I am not alone.  Every time we turn on the news, we are told that the sky is indeed falling and that the end of the world as we know it is coming.

I am a guy who gets to serve God and people as a pastor and there is one thing I know.  God is in charge, and He is bigger than any of it and all of it.  You may have heard of a guy named Job—and no he was not related to Steve Jobs, (smile).  His sky in fact did fall and he ended up losing everything.  Well, actually his “why don’t you give up and die” wife stuck around, but so did his faith in God.  In fact, in the midst of his hot mess, Job said this, “I know that You can do anything, and no one can stop You.” Score one for Job.  He believed that God was in charge, that God had a plan, and that nothing was going to happen on His watch unless He said so.

Now that is some real good, real comforting, real “you take that fear” news.  But you also need to know that sometimes that can be hard.  God’s plans don’t always mean I get what I want…in fact, often it means the opposite.  But hey, I was the guy who manufactured monsters in his head.  But it still means that God is good, that God is faithful, and that God can be trusted.  It does mean that He is watching out for my good and He is working to bring His glorious plan to pass.

I still think that for the most part it is time that we turn off the bad news.  The broadcasters know that bad news “sells” and they are dishing it out by the buckets full.  Corrie ten Boom, a concentration camp survivor from World War II said, “If you look at the world, you will be distressed.  If you look within, you will be depressed.  But if you look at Christ you will be at rest.” What powerful and true words.  If you are not a God follower perhaps this sounds a little far-fetched.  Trust me…He is worth checking out. He is the real deal…not church…not religion…and certainly not the fear mongers. You can rest in Him…because He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, Grace, gratitude, heaven, life, prayer, priorities, Scripture, thankful

The Best Deal Ever

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

He is so rich in kindness and grace that He purchased our freedom with the blood of His Son and forgave our sins.” Ephesians 1:7

Who needs three weed-eaters? So, for a while I have been wanting a good battery powered weed-eater.  Now, first, I need to tell you that thing that cuts your weeds is not a weed-eater…it is a string trimmer. Weed-eater is a name brand…not the name of a tool.  So, with that settled, I really was intrigued with the idea of a string trimmer that didn’t need to be cranked.  Imagine just mashing a button…and away you go. Wack, wack, wack.

Being rather frugal, I just wasn’t really to lay down the big bucks, so my wish remained just that…a wish.  And then it happened.  I got an email that said Home Depot had a collection of tools battery tools and several of them were on super-duper sale—75% off. Well, I headed over to their site and got a chainsaw and a blower.  Awesome.  When I finally got to the weed wackers…they were sold out. Bummer.

Well, for the next several days, I would check to see if they had any more in stock.  On Saturday morning, I got up and, on a whim, checked and they had fifteen in stock.  Now these babies had a straight shaft, all kinds of cool features and were powered by a 62-volt, four amp hour battery.  We are talking about major power.  And this is the best part…there were two models—one with an aluminum shaft and one with a carbon fiber shaft and they were selling for $39.00 for the aluminum one and $47.00 for the carbon fiber shaft.  This was amazing.

I thought about it for just about one second and bought…three…two carbon fiber and one aluminum. Yup…that’s right.  I figured I might as well be weed wacker fixed for the rest of my life.  When they were delivered…they were amazing.  In fact, I still can’t believe what a deal it was. I mean, the chainsaw was great, the blower was great, but the string trimmers were amazing.  As advertised, squeeze the trigger and wack, wack, wack.

Now I don’t think I was being greedy, and I don’t think I was being selfish…at least not much. I’ve learned that when an opportunity arises…especially one that costs under fifty bucks and is 75% off…you need to jump and jump fast. But wait…all of that pales when you think about the best deal ever—the one that gives you eternal life.  God offers all of us “whosoever wills” His forgiveness and love and all we have to do is a “life 360” and believe in His Son.  Now that is not only a deal…it is the best deal ever.  Need more info? Just read His Book, the Bible, and then take some time to talk with Him—that’s called prayer. What you will discover is just like everything else…He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne

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

Rooms

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask Him!” Matthew 6:8

I read it…and I just didn’t like it.  We live in a house with what seems like a lot of rooms.  I heard Pastor Andy Stanley say that we know we are blessed because we even have rooms for our cars.  They are called garages.  I suppose my favorite room is the kitchen because that is where my wife Judy cooks our delicious meals.  She is a very good cook, and I am a very good eater!  My second favorite room is my home office or, you could say my, “Man Cave.”

While it is true that it is where I do a lot of my studying and writing, its walls are full of memories.  The walls are filled with different things and all of them spark different emotions and memories.  Over here is a map with red pins that shows all the places where Judy and I have travelled. Over there is a shotgun that belonged to my Daddy. On another wall is a picture of me and group of friends praying for a man in Africa.  And finally, on two other walls are two large pictures—one is a print of a family in their southern yard just living—playing and working. The other is a beautiful mountain scene that we purchased during our time in Germany so many years ago.

Rooms can be very special for various reasons.  I was reading this week and by way of illustration a writer told a story of a young boy who had a dream that he was in heaven.  Someone showed him a room filled with cars, boats and other toys but piled on the other side of the room were arms and legs and other body parts.  I know…it sounds gruesome. When the boy asked his guide what it meant he was told that they were answers to prayers that people never prayed.  I guess it makes for a good story but honestly—I didn’t like it.

“Why” you ask?  Well, the idea that the God that loves me and cares for me would let me walk around blind or crippled only because I didn’t ask just doesn’t work for me.  I mean He loved me enough to send His Son to die for me…for the whole world…and then would allow His kids to remain broken and lame only because they didn’t ask just doesn’t work.  Oh, and then, Jesus said that He knows what we need even before we ask.  No, I think God is an opened handed, loving Father who cares for us.

Of course, I also believe that prayer is far more than a wish list.  I believe the scriptures teach about prayer being more about fellowship and an intimate relationship between God and His children.  Prayer isn’t about changing God’s mind or persuading Him to do this or that.  No, prayer is about changing us…to believe…to trust…to love the One who made us.  I know there are a lot of scriptures in the Bible about prayer, but we only get a clear picture when we put them together. Like a giant jigsaw puzzle comes to life when all the pieces are in place…so it is with prayer.

Well, I don’t think there will be those kind of rooms in heaven but if there were…I know one I do think would be there.  And that room would be a gallery of pictures of all the things our Dearest Daddy did for us that we never even knew about.  It would be a room filled with unnoticed miracles, love notes, and blessings and it would have to be a big room because He is a busy God…loving, blessing, and caring…for each of us.

I’m grateful for the open-handed love of our great God.  If we take the time to pause and look, we will see more and more of what He does for us every day.  Judy and I are learning that so often joy is in the journey, and do you know what?  I am learning that the power of prayer is in the intimacy, the relationship that can only come from time spend together with the One who made me…made us.  Oh, and when we are talking, and I’m sharing my concerns, I just know He is there listening and sometimes whispering…telling me not to worry because, “He’s got this.”  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, fear, Grace, gratitude, life, prayer, priorities, Scripture, sovereignty of God, thankful, travel, Trials, wisdom

Locks

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” Proverbs 4:23

Well, that didn’t do a lot of good.  A while back my wife Judy and I attended a pastor’s conference at the Billy Graham Training Center in North Carolina.  It was so refreshing to get away and as always, we were treated like royalty.  The teaching, the facilities, and the food were all top notch.  It was like an oasis where we could pause and refill—to drink deeply from His well of living water.

So, too soon, it was time to head back home and because the conference was over in the middle of the day, it just made sense to stop about halfway and spend the night. Cookeville, Tennessee is just about the midway point, so we booked an Airbnb. It was a nice place and we unloaded and then went to get a bite to eat. In the meantime, it decided to rain.  Now let me explain this was one of those rains that could drown a fish.  It rained, rained hard and it rained a long time. I was about to check the price on gopher wood.  Anyway, when we got back to our home for the evening, I jumped out of the car and unlocked the door and Judy followed.

Well, it continued to rain and several times I went outside to see what was happening.  You could hear the rain from inside the apartment and you could just tell it was coming down in buckets.  Of course, there was the occasional lightning followed by a good, ole thunderclap.  Each time I went out I was careful to lock the door back.  You know, the neighborhood looked safe, but you can never tell.  Finally, it was time to head to bed and I checked the door, and it was locked.  We were safe and sound.

Well, sometime in the night, I woke up to rollover and I thought I heard something.  Now don’t panic…it was nothing, but I thought it might be something.  And then, something occurred to me, a question really.  I asked myself, “Did you leave the key in the lock on the door?”  Well, that made me wonder…and for good reason.  So, in the middle of the night I got up and turned on the lights.  I looked on the counter and guess what?  The key was nowhere to be seen.  I had a sneaking suspicion I knew just where to find it.

I walked over to the door, unlocked the deadbolt, and opened the door and there for everyone and anyone to see and find…was the key.  Well, I obviously took it out of the lock and gratefully locked the door back, put the key on the counter and went back to bed.  After a short prayer thanking God for keeping us safe, I drifted back off to sleep…no harm and no foul.  But it did make me think.

You see the door had two locks…one on the doorknob and one a deadbolt.  Those together would certainly keep out any bad guys.  But with the key right there…well, those locks weren’t going to keep anyone out.  With the key in the lock, it was like hanging out a “Y’all come on in!” sign. As I mentioned, no one tried to come in, but I had rendered the locks useless by leaving the key there.

It made me wonder how often do we leave the keys in the locks that guard our heart, our mind, our character, our marriage, our anything?  You see, God watched out for Judy and me that night and gratefully, He also watches out for us in life.  But as sure as an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, it is better to remove the key and lock the lock.  Wouldn’t it have been crazy, though, for me to leave the key in the lock because, after all, no one tried to come in…yet?  And just because nothing has gone amiss in our lives yet doesn’t mean that it can’t, and it won’t.

The Bible tells us in the Book of Smart Living, aka Proverbs, to guard our hearts because out of it comes the wellspring of our lives. In other words, we need to lock the door of our hearts and put the key safely away. If you are wondering the best way to guard your heart, to lock the door to your heart, I believe the Bible is the answer.  It is just jam-packed with help from the One who made us.  And remember, the Bible isn’t just a book of rules…it is a book for living well. Like guardrails on a curvy road, it keeps us from big regrets and consequences.  Written on the pages and in between the lines is His calm assurance that we don’t have to worry because He is with us and yes, He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne