Category: heaven

Posted in Scripture, life, travel, thankful, gratitude, heaven

Stars and Satellites

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “I will praise you because I have been remarkably and wondrously made.” Psalm 139:14a

It was silently majestic. We were staying at an Airbnb that overlooked the Columbia River Gorge. This gorge is nationally known for its natural beauty. The Oregon side is steep and mountainous and the home of dozens of waterfalls. The Washington side is more of a steep slope that culminates at the top of a ridge hundreds of feet above the Columbia River. A home on top of that ridge was our home for a couple of nights. Our host had done a wonderful job of decorating the patio area with beautiful flowers in full bloom and comfortable furniture that included a full-length couch that begged to be stretched out on and a plush chair just made for slouching in. It was a little piece of heaven on earth.

Both nights we made it a point to spend the end of our day watching as the daylight slowly vanished and night came on. As darkness arrived—so did the stars with all their majesty. It wasn’t hard to feel and almost hear the heavens singing and shouting the glory of God. There was very little light pollution, so the stars seemed almost as bright as those we experienced in the West Africa wilderness. We were simply amazed. On the first night, I saw a falling star streak across the sky. Amazing.

As the last light of day gave way to the first darkness of night, we began to see something else. Mingled among the stars were satellites, dozens of them, streaking across the sky. While not nearly as amazing as the stars, they still managed to amaze us. Those small dots of reflected light were all shot into space on top of a rocket and traveling in space at 17,500 miles per hour. And that, Grits friends, is the point of the story. First, creation itself declares in unabashed boldness that there is a God and He is amazing in every aspect of His existence. Then comes part two.

I watched in silent amazement as those tiny dots zoomed across the sky. It was then I was reminded that they were created by men. That reminded me that we are not products of evolution but are marvelous creations of God. You see, monkeys and apes don’t make satellites or planes or cars or anything else like that. They may be smart, but they never have been, are not now, and never will be smart enough to do anything like that. Nope…it takes a fearfully and wonderfully made creation like us to do something like that–and even then it is way past amazing.

So as a gentle reminder, all creation reminds us of the great God who loves us, and all this amazing mechanical and technological stuff we’ve put together reminds us that we didn’t come from globs of jelly on a beach or a monkey swinging on a tree. We are indeed fearfully and wonderfully made. Don’t believe it? Just read His Book, and you will clearly see that from day one and before—He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Scripture, life, travel, heaven

Planes, Trains, A Ship and Automobiles

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through Me.” John 14:6

“How did you get there?” So in 1987 there was a movie entitled, “Planes, Trains and Automobiles” and from what I know, which is very little, it is a comedy about a couple guys on a happenstance road trip to somewhere. And, I suppose, it involved them traveling on planes, trains and automobiles. One thing my wife Judy and I have learned is if you are going somewhere you need a way to get there. In the case of our last journey, we started out by driving to Carbondale to catch a train. We rode the train to the Chicago train station and then caught another train to the Chicago airport. From there we caught an airplane heading to Seattle, Washington.

After arriving in Seattle, we boarded a cruise ship to Alaska. Wait…don’t leave…we are going somewhere…no pun intended. After seven days we returned to Seattle and rented a car and drove all around Washington State, Oregon and Northern California. Nine days later we headed back to Seattle, caught another airplane back to Chicago where we caught another train back to Carbondale where our son-in-law picked us up and dropped us off at home. Whew. What a journey…planes, trains, a ship and automobiles.

Now let’s get where we were going. You see, there are lots of ways (as in modes of transportation) and ways (as in flight paths, train paths and roadways) to get to all those places. The options are many and varied. And in life I suppose that is true too. Each day is filled with decisions that will take us down the various paths of life. But remember this…choose carefully because some our better than others. In fact, some can lead to disasters and some can cause us to get lost. Choose carefully.

But here’s the real point.  When it comes to heaven–there is only one way and one path. It has been said that all roads lead to Rome but trust me–all roads do not lead to heaven. It has also been said that it doesn’t matter what you believe as long as you believe in something. Wrong again. It is not enough to just believe–you have to believe in the right thing–or in this case the right Person. You see, the Bible makes it crystal clear that the way to Heaven is through believing in Jesus Christ. More specifically it is believing in who He is–the Son of God and what He did–dying for our sins and resurrecting (or coming back to life) after three days. If we are willing to put our faith in Him then God is willing to forgive our sins and allow us to spend eternity in heaven with Him.

Yup–there are lots of ways to lots of places but when it comes to heaven–only One will work. If you want to know more, why not get a Bible and read what God says about you and Jesus and how you can go to heaven when it comes time to leave here. I know one of the things that Judy and I enjoy about our trips is the variety of travel. I also know that the most important thing in making plans for Heaven is getting it right–doing what God says and going the way He says. Just ask Him and He will tell you all about it in His Word. He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in communication, heaven, life, Scripture, thankful

Full Moon Full of Praise

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display His craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make Him known. They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard. Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world.” Psalm 19:1-4

This won’t take long. Tonight was concert night in the heavens. You see, tonight was another of God’s glorious creations–a full moon full of color. I knew it was coming. They ran a short story on the morning news just letting people know that the full moon was coming that night–at 8:24 pm to be exact. I put it on our calendar so we would be sure to remember to go outside and see it. We went and we were not disappointed.

We checked at 8:24 pm and while I’m sure the moon had risen, from where we were we couldn’t see it yet. Then, at about 8:50 pm, I went outside and there just above the horizon was a beautifully round and beautifully orange full moon. My God, my Dearest Daddy, had done it again. It really was simply beautiful. Whenever I write about full moons and God, I am reminded of Psalm 19:1-4. There we read, “The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display His craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make Him known. They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard. Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world.

I am sure that if we could hear with heavenly ears the heaven’s would be bursting out in song. It might be “Holy, Holy, Holy” or perhaps the “Hallelujah Chorus.” Regardless it could still only pass a marginal attempt to fully and adequately praise our magnificent God. So, while this is a small serving of Grits, I hope you will realize the big truth about our big God is big…really big. I thank Him that no matter when or where, the heavens and all creation will always be singing of His greatness and how no matter what, “He’s got this.”  Bro. Dewayne 

Posted in Grace, gratitude, heaven, Scripture, thankful

Cuddling Up with God

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the expanse proclaims the work of His hands.” Psalm 19:1

We were snuggled under a blanket. So this week we are in Vienna (not Italy but Illinois for our bigger world readers) taking care of the grand dogs while the the family is down in Florida on vacation. Zoe and Riley are pretty special pups and we love watching them. Becca and Jon live just outside a quiet Southern Illinois town in an equally quiet neighborhood. Since we live in the center of our small town…we love the quietness.

Last night I was snuggled down on the couch under a blanket. The air conditioning and the ceiling fan were both cool enough to make it feel nice and cozy. In fact, we love to sleep cool. We have four, that is right four, fans in our bedroom and each night we turn the air conditioning down. In the winter, it is not uncommon for us to open a window or two to let the cool and sometimes cold air in. Why do we do it? Because we love to cuddle down under a quilt or blanket to sleep!

So it was kinda natural that I had rounded up a blanket to cuddle with on the couch. So there I was cuddling when suddenly I heard, and the the the pups heard, a knock at the back door. They kicked into guard dog mode and I looked over at the door only to see my wife Judy outside. I went to the door and opened it and asked the obvious question, “What are you doing outside?” Well, it turned out that she had gone outside to see what God was doing that night and the door had locked behind her.

She said, “Dewayne, you need to come out and see the stars.” Well, I really wanted to go back to my cuddling on the couch but I decided I needed to see what she was seeing. I stepped out and there, in the darker darkness of the country side, was a sky full of beautiful and bright stars. I was overwhelmed. It instantly reminded me of the starry skies I would see in Africa. Well, anyway, we sat down and were amazed. The skies were just ablaze with God’s creation and they were all shouting His glory. As we watched, we saw several satellites making their silent but fast journey across the night sky. I was blessed to see a shooting star shoot across the sky. It all was just amazing and I told Judy I was so glad she shared it with me. If I had stayed inside I would have missed all. And then it occurred to me.

Just like I was cuddled under a blanket on the couch, there I sat cuddling under a blanket of stars filled with amazement at the wonderful, great God we served. I quoted Psalm 19:1 that says, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the expanse proclaims the work of His hands.” And I knew for certain it was so. It was like listening to the finest choir singing the finest hymns of praise–all directed toward Him.

Well, after a while, we went inside–hoping for a repeat performance on another night soon. Cuddling up with God under His blanket of stars was so overwhelming and yet peaceful. Just like cuddling under a warm blanket on a cool night, so cuddling with the creator of the universe is beyond worlds. I felt safe and satisfied knowing that no matter what, I can rest with Him because, “He’s got this.”  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Grace, gratitude, heaven, life, Scripture, thankful, travel

Timeless

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” 2 Peter 3:8

The captain of the Majestic Princess carefully guided the massive ship into a slip at the port that served Dublin, Ireland. On that day we had signed up to take a bus tour that would take us through Dublin and the surrounding countryside. My wife Judy and I both agreed that Ireland was everything we were expecting and then some more. The green beauty and the history of the place reminded us of the majestic majesty of our great God.

We went to one of the oldest shops in Ireland where they weaved wool into beautiful garments. They used the same machines that had been used for decades and centuries. It was amazing to watch as the individual strands of wool were woven into beautiful garments with beautiful colors. As I watched and as I touched and felt the finished products I was reminded how God can weave the fabrics of our lives and make a beautiful mosaic of textures and colors. Individually the threads were not that impressive but when woven together they became a work of art.

A little further down the road we stopped at a cemetery that held the ruins of an ancient monastery. The buildings there date back to AD 600. It was amazing to think that these stones and these ruins stood just six centuries after the life and death of Jesus. Here in America if something is a hundred years old, we call it old. In the land where we were walking they would say it was just getting started.

In the cemetery the people had built a small chapel also built in AD 600. Amazingly the building still stood. Yes, Amazing. Near the entrance of the cemetery was a stone leaning against the stone wall. It was large and it was old. It was part of the ancient monastery and it was called the sanctuary stone. They said that if you touched the stone it would make you happy. Well, since I didn’t take the opportunity to go and kiss the Blarney Stone, I decided to take this opportunity to kiss the sanctuary stone. I figured if touching it would make me happy, kissing it should make me plum giddy. Well, as it turns out, kiss or not, I was happy but I did get a special memory of a special day.

One of my big take-aways from my day in the Irish countryside was a deep appreciation for time and Jesus who left heaven which exists outside of time and chose to become one of us. One of the beauties of God’s view of time is that He is not bound by it and when we go to live with Him…we won’t be either. One day, as His children, we will go home to a place where time is no more and we will have what touching or kissing a stone can’t give…true and eternal happiness. I am grateful for my Dearest Daddy who loves me enough to invite me to live with Him forever. I am so grateful to the One who, no matter what, can assuredly say, “I’ve got this.” Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, Grace, heaven, New Year, Scripture

New Life…New Land

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17

Her name was Annie Moore. Our next stop aboard the Majestic Princess fulfilled a “bucket list” dream for my wife Judy and I. We have long wanted to visit Ireland and that day…we did. The port and town of Cobh, Ireland (also know as Queenstown) was really quite simple but also quite amazing. It seemed to be everything we expected Ireland to be. What we didn’t expect was to be introduced to the story of a young lady and her two younger brothers. Their names were Annie, Anthony and Philip. And they were the very first immigrants to pass through Ellis Island.

As New York City welcomed the year 1892 with the ringing of church bells and the honking of horns, a 17-year-old Irish girl named Annie Moore found herself anchored off the southern tip of Manhattan. Alongside her two younger brothers, she had embarked on a journey from Queenstown, on December 20, 1891, aboard the steamship Nevada, seeking a new life in a new land. After a 12-day voyage, including Christmas, the girl from County Cork, Ireland, was finally just hours away from reuniting with her parents and two older siblings, after a four year separation.

The Nevada arrived too late on New Year’s Eve to be processed. However, at 10:30 a.m. on New Year’s Day, a flag on Ellis Island was lowered three times, signaling the transportation of the first boatload of immigrants. A symphony of foghorns, clanging bells, steam whistles, and cheers accompanied a barge adorned with red, white, and blue bunting as it ferried the Nevada’s steerage passengers to the dock at Ellis Island, standing tall in the shadow of the Statue of Liberty.

Among the passengers was the brown-haired Irish teenager, who eagerly bounded down the gangplank with her brothers. She entered the enormous double doors of the building and skipped two steps at a time up the main staircase. Turning to her left, she was guided into one of the 10 aisles and led to a tall lectern-like registry desk. “What is your name, my dear?” inquired the agent. “Annie Moore, sir,” she replied. With a pen poised over a fresh sheet of paper, the clerk meticulously inked Moore’s name and those of her brothers, Anthony and Philip, on the first page of the first registry book. Annie was then escorted into the next room and was soon embraced by her waiting parents. Over the course of the next 62 years, more than 12 million immigrants would follow in Annie Moore’s footsteps, passing through Ellis Island.

Her story is amazing–a new life in a new land–a reunion with her parents and older brothers after a four year separation. She was home but to a home she had never been to before. And in a very real way, Annie’s story is the story of every person who puts their faith and trust in Jesus Christ. By faith we trust Jesus and begin a new life in a new land. Paul, the guy who wrote a chunk of the New Testament, says in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” Then Jesus promises in John 14:2 “In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.”

Just like Annie, we too can leave the past behind and step into a new life in a new place. How about you? Are you willing to believe and trust? That’s all you have to do…believe in Him and trust Him and leave the rest is in His hands.  Like always, He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, gratitude, heaven, life, Scripture, thankful, travel

Look Up–Look Around

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “Everything on earth will worship You; they will sing Your praises, shouting Your name in glorious songs. Selah” Psalm 66:4

As we transversed the Atlantic Ocean on our great 50th wedding anniversary adventure I was once again reminded just how big and awesome our God is. The Bible tells us in Psalm 19:1-2 “The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display His craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make Him known.” I love those verses. Last night my wife Judy and I were sitting out with our neighbors (remember when you used to do that?) and we began to look up and were all amazed as the stars slowly began to show themselves. It was amazing. While I was looking one way, Judy was looking another and she was treated to see a beautiful falling star. Wow.

I spoke out loud to no one in particular that God has placed and named each star. One of the kids spoke up and said, “How can He do that?” Well, the answer is simply that He is God and He can do anything. Now, back to the cruise. We quickly discovered that in the middle of the ocean that stars can and do showoff…each one declaring God’s greatness. But after sailing for several days and not seeing land I realized something else. You don’t have to look up to see the glory of God–really all you have to do is look around. You see the Bible also says in Psalm 66:4, “Everything on earth will worship You; they will sing Your praises, shouting Your name in glorious songs.” 

Imagine with me looking in every direction and seeing the vast ocean. On some days it was relatively calm…on others, quite the opposite. But whether it was calm or rolling, it was big, really big, and it all said that if God created this big ocean, He must be really, really, really big and He is. The last word in Psalm 66:4 is the word, “Selah.” It is a Hebrew word that implies the idea that right there you need to pause. Someone once said it is saying, “There what do you think of that?”

Our first port of call was a group of islands in the middle of nowhere that belonged to God but were claimed by Portugal. At first I thought we were only stopping there to get some gas–nothing more–nothing less. I soon found out that I was wrong. You see, the Azores are called the  “Hawaii of Europe” and the reason was soon evident. While the islands were diverse as a Baptist church, the one we stopped at was simply beautiful. It was massively green and tropical plants were everywhere. We were treated to seeing quaint small towns, a beautiful botanical garden and perhaps best of all, a place where boiling water spewed out of the earth sending steam rushing into the air.

So the Azores was so much more than a gas stop, it was a wonderful testimony of the greatness of God. It was a place where God had once again showed off His power and creativity. It was a spotlight of His love and grace for us. So, tonight be sure and look up and see what God has done up there but today, well today, be sure and look around and see just how great our God is. If you do, you will soon realize that no matter what you are going to bump into, you have the assurance that, “He’s got this.”  Bro. Dewayne   

Posted in food, Grace, gratitude, heaven, marriage, Scripture

The Majestic Ship of Zion

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “Delight yourself also in the LORD, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4

It was a warm and sunny morning in South Florida. My wife Judy and I were in town to add another link, and a major link at that, to our chain of events celebrating 50 years of marriage. From Fort Lauderdale we were boarding a luxury cruise ship called the Majestic Princess and I must say she lived up to her name. We would be sailing across the Atlantic Ocean with stops in the Azores, Lisbon, Portugal and then to a stop that would allow us to see Normandy, site of the D-Day invasion that reclaimed most of Europe from the tyranny of Nazi Germany, and Paris. From there we were to cross the English Channel and dock for a day at South Hampton before taking a grand tour of the British Isles including England, Ireland and Scotland. It was a grand journey and it required a grand ship to carry us.

In case you have never cruised I want to share with you the big deal–or at least one of the big deals. From the moment we boarded that Friday morning, all our worries and cares were left behind. It seemed that the 1300 members of the crew were there to take care of the passengers–all of them–regardless of social status, race or creed. The ship, of course, had a captain and it was his job to carefully guide our vessel to its final destination. He ultimately was responsible for us.

You see, for the next 25 days we were totally and completely in his care. Our every need–and I do mean every need–was in his hand. We didn’t have to worry about anything. Someone made our bed and cleaned our room everyday–and then checked on it a couple of more times. Someone, or more than a few someones, cooked our food. Someone was there to plan and provide for our entertainment. So with our needs and desires taken care of and our safety safely in his hands, all we needed to do was enjoy the journey.

And that is exactly what we did…enjoyed the journey. Judy loved the fact that someone else did the cooking and cleaned “the house.” I enjoyed the fact that there were very little responsibilities…no grass to mow, no car to wash…not anything. It was pretty amazing. Wow…how would it be if life was that way…everyday? But wait, in a way, in a big way, it already is. You see, for those of us who have become Jesus followers we have the same assurances that we enjoyed on the Majestic Princess–and so, so much more.

I know He doesn’t cook supper but He sure provides for us. He plans beautiful sunrises and sunsets for us to marvel at and enjoy. We are surely in His safety and care–not for 25 days but for all eternity. He doesn’t clean house but He marvelously cleans up the messes we make in life. Amazing…Simply amazing.

Now to be clear all of that doesn’t make Him our butler and room steward but it does make Him a friend, a Good Shepherd and a Dearest Daddy that loves us enough to never stop loving us. His Word is clear that before the foundation of the world was laid, before we ever did anything right or wrong, He loved us and made a way to guide and carry us through life. And all of that is made possible by believing, by faith…nothing more and nothing less.

I hope you have made the decision to board His ship and trust Him for your life and your eternity. Trust me when I say, it is a decision that you will never regret. He promised that if we would believe, He would guide the ship of our lives safely into His eternal harbor. With Him there is never a doubt about our safe arrival because as always…He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, friends, gratitude, heaven, Military memories, Scripture

Welcome Home

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents.” Luke 15:10

It wasn’t what they deserved.  On any given day, each day is dedicated to this or that.  There is National Polar Bear Plunge Day (that was January 1st—seems July 1st would have been a better choice!) Then there is World Introvert Day (its ok…don’t be shy about it.) A personal favorite of mine is National Buffet Day. And then of course there is National Chocolate Covered Cherry Day followed by National Trivia Day (anybody want to guess what day?) Well, on and on the list goes.  Believe it or not those are all from the first few days of January.

It turns out the day I wrote this was a very special day indeed and I suppose very few people had a clue about what it was.  I know I didn’t until I got an email from the Armed Forces Exchange Services.  These folks run the stores that are located on all the Army and Air Force bases and as a veteran I am allowed to shop with them.  They sent an email honoring a special group of men and women—the veterans who served during the Vietnam War Era—November 1, 1955, through May 15, 1975. While those who went to Vietnam are an elite part of this group, I think it special they included all those who were a part of the Armed Forces during that period.

These brave warriors never received the welcome home they deserved.  Our nation was a hot mess in the sixties and one of the reasons was the war in Vietnam.  And, instead of taking it out on the politicians, many, too many, chose to take it out on the men and women who were simply doing what they were ordered to do.  They were cursed and spit upon and as if the scars of war weren’t enough—they were subjected to the anger and ridicule of their peers. It grieved my heart then…and it grieves my heart now.

Well, the years have gone by and as the sand slipped through the hourglass these warriors grew older.  In days gone by when you saw an older veteran, wearied, and bruised by time and hard times, wearing a shirt or cap signifying their service, you just assumed they were from World War II or perhaps Korea.  Now there is a good chance that aged warrior served in the Vietnam era. I know I served from 1972 to 1984 and I find myself reflecting on seven decades of life. Time marches on.

Sadly, the time to say thank you to our World War II and Korean veterans is just about gone.  Fewer and fewer of them remain with us and slowly the same can be said for our Vietnam warriors.  I hope you took every opportunity to recognize those veterans from World War II and Korea. Now I hope I will, you will, we all will afford our Vietnam veterans the same honor.  Not for all but for many there is still time to say, “Thank you for your service.”

No, there simply weren’t enough appropriate homecomings back in the sixties and early seventies but I am glad there is one place where every person can be welcomed home and that is heaven.  No, not every veteran, in fact not every person, will receive that welcome because not every person will be going there.  You see, the welcome sign is out and the invitations mailed but no amount of service to your country, no amount of being good and doing good can earn you this homecoming.  This one comes by believing in the One who fought and defeated sin and death—and His name is Jesus.

Granted it is a narrow way but at the same time it is wide for the invitation to be part of the family is open to any man, woman or child who is willing to believe. Simply put—if you are willing to say yes to Him—He is more than willing to say yes to you. And when you do, if you do, there will be a bigger party than you can imagine.  Jesus said, “In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents.” In other words, God wants to throw the party of the century for you.  He can’t wait to welcome you home.

So, many thanks to all the active duty warriors and veterans but at least today—a special thanks to those who served during the Vietnam era.  And if you went over and you didn’t receive the welcome you deserve then, well, just know God’s got one planned for you when you finally get home. Why not go ahead and say, yes to Him today.  Think you’ve messed up too badly? Think God could never forgive…you?  Don’t you worry—He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

Posted in communication, heaven, life, prayer, Scripture

A Memorable Funeral

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not.” 2 Timothy 4:2

It was years ago and something that I will never forget.  I was a pastor and that often gave me the opportunity to help people at some of their hardest moments.  Over that 42 years I officiated at hundreds of funerals. Some of them were tragic and some of them were celebrations of life.  Regardless…they were all difficult.  I believe that every service should be as personal as I can make it. I heard a story once of a pastor who was asked to do a service for a man he didn’t know well.  Unfortunately, he kept calling the gentleman by the wrong name.  Finally, in sheer desperation, his wife shouted out, “John, his name is John.” Gratefully, I managed to avoid something like that…thus far.  But there was one funeral I will never forget.

I am a preacher…a pastor.  Well, I happen to be a singing pastor.  You see, long before I started preaching, I was singing.  I’m certainly no Frank Sinatra, but I can carry a tune.  That led to opportunities to serve families in another way.  When the funeral home needed a vocalist, I would sometimes get a call.  One day…the call came.  I was to sing a couple of songs…one at the beginning and one midway through the service.  So, my time came…no pun intended…and I sang my first song and then the second.  An older pastor was speaking and he was really into the sermon.  As the vocalist, I was sitting in a side room where I couldn’t see him, but I could see the audience. And then…it happened.

As I said he was preaching hard, and all of a sudden two things happened in a split second.  First, a moment of silence.  It went from “Katie bar the door” to dead silence.  Then, in a moment of time, there was something that sounded like a clap of thunder—literally. And finally, there was the sound of chaos—-people screaming and crying.  It was a very frightening moment.  Immediately I stood up and looked into the room where the preacher was lying on the floor.  It seems as he was preaching, he suffered a massive heart attack, fell on top of the folding pulpit which then caused it to collapse. That was the clap of thunder. 

The funeral home folks called 911 and they quickly arrived and carried him out.  I’m not sure if he passed right there on the floor or in the ambulance, but he didn’t make it.  When they had left with him, I wondered what in the world do you do now?  The funeral director came over and said, “Dewayne, can you finish the service?” I told him I could if he would get me a Bible.  The preacher’s Bible was still laying there so he picked it up and gave it to me and we finished the service.  It was one of the strangest things I have ever witnessed—especially at a funeral.  As a side note, in a day or so, the funeral home called and asked me to do the service for the pastor who had died, and it was my privilege to do so.

I would suppose that there are a lot of lessons that can be learned from this but the big one is—we need to be ready.  We need to be ready to step into any situation that might arise. There is a verse in the Bible that says we should be prepared whether the time is favorable or not.  That is good advice.  We never know when we will have an opportunity to make a difference in someone’s life.  I don’t know exactly how well I did finishing the funeral that day, but I hope I was able to bring some peace into a crazy chaotic moment.

There’s also another lesson—another truth—from this story.  We should be prepared to step into eternity.  When we think of death, we often think we will all live well and long, die easy, and go to heaven.  The truth is we just don’t know how long we will live, but we can all be prepared.  I like what a friend of mine said one time.  He said, “I’m prepared to go to heaven, I’m just not ready to go.”  He was just saying that he was prepared to go to heaven he just wasn’t ready to get on the next bus. I’m sure the pastor who was speaking that day was prepared, but he probably didn’t have any idea that he would board the bus right then.

The good news is that because of the Good News, we can all be prepared.  Because of what Jesus did on a Roman cross two thousand years ago, we can know that we are going to heaven.  It’s not about religion or church—it is about faith in Him dying and coming back to life three days later.  It is about believing that He was who He said He was, that He would do what He said He would do, and about repenting and trusting in Jesus as the Way to eternal life with God. If you haven’t made that commitment, I’m hoping you will. Google it and check it out—check Him out.  The Boy Scout motto is “Be Prepared” and I hope you are.  When it comes time for us to board the bus, we can have the confident assurance that He will be there.  He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne