travel – Page 32 – Grits with Grace

Family, forgiveness, Grace, life, loving others, missions, prayer, priorities, Scripture, thankful, travel, wisdom

Zone of Fire

Posted on January 15, 2021January 14, 2021 by Dewayne Taylor

And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity.” James 1:6a

It was over in a flash. Well, most everyone has heard of Johnny Cash and most everyone has heard his number one hit, “Ring of Fire.” Well, Johnny had his ring and I had my “zone of fire.” Twenty-five or so years ago my brother decided he would come up and visit with my wife and I. It was a big deal because he is from the deep south and well, for him to cross the Mason-Dixon Line was pretty much a miracle. When we were making plans, he mentioned that he wanted to go pheasant hunting. Well, I checked into it and found that there was a “bird farm” about an hour from where we lived.

A “bird farm” is a business that owes a ton of land and then raises birds to be released into the wild for the purpose of hunting. When the day came, we drove up to the bird farm. When we got there, it was me, him and a couple of other guys, we checked in and the guy said that we would have a dog hunt with us. That was strange since we didn’t pay for one but hey, ok. We headed out with the dog and the guide. The way this works is you form a line, straight across, and about fifteen to twenty feet apart. Then the dog works the area in front of you as you move forward. If the dog goes on point (which means he found a bird) then the guide scares up the bird and someone, or a lot of someones, shoot. So we hunted, and hunted and hunted. The bottom line? I was pretty sure there wasn’t a bird within a hundred miles of that place. The dog never went on point.

From there things went downhill. The owner came and said that he had accidentally given us the dog and we had to give him up…so we did. That meant we were totally on our own. We would walk through the weeds saying, “Here birdie, birdie.” Ok, not really but we did walk through the field just trying to scare up a bird. It was beginning to look like a continuation of the time with the dog when it happened. As we walked through the field, and with no warning, we scared up a bird. It was a beautiful male pheasant and he just exploded off the ground about thirty feet in front of me and slightly to my right.

I can’t tell you how fast this all happened. He leapt into the air, I raised my bird gun and fired. It really was over in a flash and it was a perfect shot. Just like that the bird was down and everyone was excited. I had shot pheasant once or twice before but honestly it was a great shot…all except one thing. Not once, not for a millisecond did I think about my “zone of fire.” Basically, the zone of fire is the predetermined area where it is safe for you to fire your weapon. It obviously includes where there aren’t any people. Now, it all worked out just fine. I was within my zone of fire, but it was not because I intentionally did it—it was just luck.

While I don’t personally believe in luck, I do believe in a God who takes care of us…even when we are just a little—careless. Truth be known, if that bird was a little closer to the line of guys I could have wounded one of my friends and that would have been unbelievably tragic. When you have a weapon, you need to be sharp, you need to be focused, and you need to be careful. You must be always be aware of your zone of fire.

That truth doesn’t just apply to weapons, you know. We need to apply it anytime we are with people. You see, we carry a lethal weapon with us all the time. That would be our mouth. And if we are not careful, a situation may come up, and before even thinking, boom…someone is wounded or hurt. And the crazy part? It can happen in a flash just like pheasant exploding off the ground in front of me. In a moment of time, we can fire from the mouth that will leave a lasting, and sometimes permanent scar, on the heart of someone around us. We just need to be careful.

James, the half-brother of Jesus said that the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. We all know the stories of the wildfires in the west—the grave property damage and the tragic loss of life. And James says in the same way the tongue can cause that kind of damage in the lives of people. What can we do to prevent that? The same thing when we are using our weapons around others. We need to be sharp, we need to be focused, and we need to be careful. Now, I have a friend who is a weapons expert and a great hunter. If he had been there that day, he would have given us a safety briefing which would have included our “zone of fire.”

We have an expert with our tongues too. He is our Dearest Daddy and because He made us, He knows the destructive power of the tongue and can help us control it. As we walk through each day, He will be by our side and He will guide us and help us. He will whisper the guidance we need to be safe and not hurt others. He is a guide that can be trusted and depended on. After all, He’s got this.

Christmas, Family, Grace, gratitude, Holidays, life, loving others, priorities, Scripture, thankful, travel, wisdom

The Rest of the Story

Posted on January 12, 2021January 11, 2021 by Dewayne Taylor

When it is in your power, don’t withhold good from the one to whom it belongs.” Proverbs 3:27

And now you know the rest of the story. You might remember that line from Paul Harvey who used to tell some incredible stories from real life. He would tell the part that was known and then tell the part of the story that was not. He would always end with, “And now you know the rest of the story.” Well, today I want to tell you the rest of the story.

In the days right before last Christmas, I wrote a Grits story about my storied Christmas childhood. It was almost magical. Each year it seemed that Mama and Daddy pulled it all together, and that always meant sacrifice, and gave us a Christmas beyond our dreams. I cannot recall one Christmas that wasn’t incredible. I’ve heard stories from the generation that endured the Great Depression and they would speak of no Christmas or maybe just an apple or orange. My Daddy and Mama were part of that generation and I wonder if that is why they were so generous to us?

Well, in that story I talked about my Daddy’s old 410 shotgun. Every Christmas morning, long before sunrise, he or one of my older brothers would go on the back porch or the breezeway and shoot the old 410. It was like firing the pistol at a horse race. We knew it was time to race into the room to see what Santa had brought. I mentioned in the story that I wasn’t sure who had the gun—this priceless family heirloom. I knew it was somewhere but where?

While I had four brothers, five including me, there are only two of us left. We are the bookends—he the oldest (soon to be 84) and me the youngest (a long way from 84). Christmas night I received a message from my brother. He wrote that he had read my story about Daddy’s old 410 and that I had mentioned that I didn’t know what had happened to it. He shared with me that he had the gun. Shortly after our Daddy died in 1974 it came into his possession and he had it ever since. What he wrote next made the Christmas of 2020 one for the books.

My brother said, “Dewayne, I want you to have Daddy’s old 410.”

My brother said, “Dewayne, I want you to have Daddy’s old 410.” I couldn’t believe it, so I read it again and I had indeed read the message correctly. Tears instantly began streaming down my cheek as I shared the text with my wife, Judy. He said he had already talked to his son who was helping with his affairs and let him know his desire to pass it to me. Well, Judy and I had already made plans to go to Cookeville, Tennessee right after Christmas so I told her that we needed to head to Jacksonville when we were done there so I could go and pick up the gun…and we did.

We drove hundreds of miles and a whole lot of hours to go get “the old 410.” I couldn’t see the brother who had blessed me due to COVID, as he and his wife life in an assisted living home. I did get to sit and visit with his son who is only six years younger than me. The gun (not a gun but THE gun) and that visit made every mile and every hour worthwhile. If I am still alive when my brother passes, I will probably have the opportunity to share at his service. I already am extremely thankful for him—his fingerprints are all over my life. But that day I will share this story and how his thoughtfulness made the Christmas of 2020 one I will never forget.

The old 410 sits right to my left as I write this. I showed it to my oldest grandson and his dad. We always spend Christmas Eve night with them. I smiled from ear to ear when my son-in-law leaned over and said, “Papa, you will have to bring the old 410 to our house next year so we can shoot it off Christmas morning.” That sounds like a grand idea and if the Lord is willing that is exactly what we will do.

The Bible says that we shouldn’t withhold good from a person when it is within our power to grant it. I am so grateful my brother didn’t wait. He could have. He could have passed it to someone else, but instead he chose his baby brother who just happened to write a story. Me, my Daddy, my uncle and each of my brothers have hunted with this gun—it is a beautiful piece of our family legacy. It is now one of my most cherished possessions.

So, let’s watch for opportunities to bless someone when it is within our power. I know Jesus was really good at that and if we are Jesus followers, well, we should follow His lead. I wonder if the Whisperer whispered in my brother’s ear and he just listened. I wouldn’t be surprised—he and Jesus are pretty tight. And when it is our turn to be kind, well, don’t worry. He will whisper to you too, and rest assured He will give you the wisdom and ability you need. He’s got this.

fear, forgiveness, Grace, gratitude, life, loving others, missions, prayer, priorities, Scripture, travel, wisdom

Jesus Road

Posted on January 8, 2021January 7, 2021 by Dewayne Taylor

There is no distinction between Jew and Greek, because the same Lord of all richly blesses all who call on Him. For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:12-13

It seemed like a waste of time. I was part of a mission’s medical team and we were ministering in Uganda. We were working with a ministry that helped orphans and due to war, aids and poverty—there were many to help. After ministering at the orphanage, we went out to local villages and bush to reach more of the people. Medical care, though extremely inexpensive, was out of the reach of most of the people. That alone clearly speaks of their poverty. It was such an opportunity to help others.

Before we started the clinic, I would have the opportunity to speak to the people. I would explain that there was a Man named Jesus who was like no other man. He would go from village to village helping people—often healing them of their diseases. I would explain that He did it because He loved them. Then, I would tell the people that we were followers of that Man and just as He wanted to help people—we wanted to help them. I explained that the medicine and the doctors were there at no charge to them because someone else had paid the price. And naturally, that led to me sharing how God was offering them a way for their spiritual brokenness to be forgiven.

Some of the people in the village had heard of this Man—many had not. Some were Muslims and some followed whatever local religion they were familiar with. Before they saw the doctors, we had the privilege of sharing with them more about this man Jesus. We would ask them if they wanted to leave whatever “god” road they were on and walk the Jesus Road. While it seems simplistic here, there it made perfect sense. There was no pressure just an opportunity to believe. Whether they said yes or no, the medicine, the help, was theirs for free. That’s what Jesus would do.

It had been a long day and we had seen well over a hundred patients—maybe two hundred. Many had said yes to the question about the Jesus Road, but some simply said no. As the day wore on, our spirits were still willing, but our bodies were growing tired. Finally, there was just one man left and it was my turn to share with him. He was tall and dressed in the traditional Muslin clothing. I could tell that he was elderly, but I was surprised to learn that he was 81 years old. Now, honestly, the chances of a Muslin man that old choosing to change roads was slim to none. It seemed like an exercise in futility.

I shared a Bible story with him and was surprised that he paid close attention. At the end of the story, which spoke of a person choosing to walk the Jesus Road, through the interpreter, I asked him, “Would you like to follow this Jesus Road?” Much to my utter surprise, he responded, “Yes, I would.” I was certain he just didn’t understand my question, so I rephrased it and his response was the same. Amazing. Finally, I said, “Do you understand that walking the Jesus Road requires you to leave the road you are on?” I said, “You cannot walk two roads…only one.” His response was, “I choose the Jesus Road.”

We bowed our heads and he prayed telling Creator God that he was a sinner, but he believed that Jesus had died to pay for his sins. He said that he was willing to leave all other roads and follow only Jesus. And just like that, this dear old man, became a Jesus follower. Did he fully understand all the theology that was involved? Probably not, but he did know that God loved him, that he was a sinner and Jesus would forgive him and that was enough. What seemed like a waste of time, an exercise of futility, turned into the most amazing moment of the trip. That day that man became a child of God.

This story never grows old—and neither does the old, old story about Jesus being born, living, dying, being buried, and coming back to life in three days—never to die again. It is a factual, amazing story. I am always amazed that we know more about this carpenter from a small village in the middle of nowhere than we do of all the Roman emperors. Do you know the reason? Jesus is the real deal. How about that?

You might be surprised to learn that Jesus wasn’t a big fan of religion. In fact, neither is God. I always think of religion as man’s attempt to reach God while Jesus was God’s way to reach us. A relationship with God is not about church, being good, or keeping rules. It is about God’s love and our faith in what Jesus did. It is simple, it is powerful, and it is true.

If you want a witness, you can go to Uganda and find my 81-year-old friend, but truthfully, he probably isn’t there. By now, he has most likely followed the Jesus Road straight into heaven. That’s where it ultimately ends. And as much as I love the fact that the road leads there, I am also so glad that there is room for two to walk side by side—Jesus and me, Jesus and you, Jesus and us. And as we walk, I know that I can face whatever the road holds because, “He’s got this.” Bro. Dewayne

Grace, gratitude, life, loving others, missions, prayer, priorities, Scripture, sovereignty of God, thankful, travel, wisdom

The Rain Maker

Posted on January 4, 2021January 3, 2021 by Dewayne Taylor

Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4

It was drier than two-month-old bread. It’s been several years now, but the story is as fresh as today’s bread. We were on our second trip to Niger, West Africa. We would fly forever and finally arrive in the capital city of Niamey. There were two things that were always the same. It was always very late at night and we were always totally exhausted. After a day getting acclimated, we would load up and drive all day on one of the few paved roads in the entire country.

Niger is a sub-Saharan country in West Africa. It was on the edge of the Saharan Desert—hot, dry, and dusty. Our journey would take us to a small city in the middle of nowhere. We would stay with a family there who were kind and filled with hospitality. As is customary, we would settle in and then go see the “chief” of the village. We would meet, greet, and thank him for allowing us to come and stay in the village. On this particular trip we were distributing food to several dozen families in the area. Because of the extreme dryness, food was always in short supply and because of a few years of drought—it was life-threatening.

As we met with the chief, we told him we were servants of the Creator God and asked him if there was anything that we could pray for. Without hesitation, he said, “I want you to pray for rain. It hasn’t rained here in a very long time and we are desperate. We have prayed but no rain has come.” We prayed there and then and told him we would pray more—even asking people in America to pray. And we did, both.

What happened next is a thing of legends—except it is not a legend—it is truth. After immediately contacting some of our folks back in America, and praying ourselves…again…we went to sleep. Sometime in the middle of the night, the wind began to blow, and the temperature began to fall. Soon, there was the sound of a distant thunder. Then, as we stood in our doorway and watched, a heavy rain began to fall. David, one of our team members, was soon out dancing in the rain. All of us were dancing in our hearts.

We would later learn that our friends in America, watching the radar online, saw a storm develop from nothing and move across our area. As we danced in Africa—they were dancing in America. That very night, right at three inches of rain fell in that village on the edge of the desert. It was unbelievable. It rained for several hours and fell so hard that several walls, made of mud, straw, and manure, collapsed. A couple of storage buildings lost walls too. When light finally came, literally, small lakes of water were everywhere. We would be using the four-wheel drive feature on our trucks for several days.

I can’t remember if the chief came to us or summoned us to go to him, but that day we had another conversation. He thanked us for praying and said that our God did what their god did not do. He was grateful for us coming to the village and invited us to stay as long we wanted—and to return as often as we wanted. Such are the wonders and miracles of the One True God. This would not be the last or only miracle we would witness in West Africa. It is amazing what God can and will do if the primary focus is to glorify His name. I sometimes wonder if the people there still speak of the night of the rain. I know we do.

There is an intriguing scripture in the Psalms—a collection of Hebrew hymns in the Jewish and Christian Bibles. It is found in Psalm 37:4. It says that if we are willing to delight ourselves in God, He will give us the desires of our heart. At first that sounds like a “rub the bottle and a genie pops out” story. Trust me…it is not. You see the first part is key—when we delight ourselves in God—then our desires align with His desires and when that happens—miracles do too.

This year, let me encourage you in a couple of areas. First, if you haven’t thought much about Creator God—Jehovah God—in a while—why not revisit Him? I believe you will come to the same conclusion I did years ago. He is amazing. And then, as we journey through this New Year, let’s commit to making His desires, our desires. Let’s get on the same page with Him and watch, in wonder, what He can and will do. It may not be exactly what we want but it will be what is exactly right. He doesn’t make mistakes. Wrapped up in all of this is that powerful truth we end each story with. It is good news for this day and every day. We can have the confidence assurance that, “He’s got this” and He does.

Family, food, Grace, gratitude, Holidays, life, loving others, New Year, prayer, priorities, Scripture, thankful, travel, wisdom

Ralph’s

Posted on January 1, 2021December 31, 2020 by Dewayne Taylor

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

It was donut heaven. Judy and I took a trip to middle Tennessee to do some hiking and be amazed all over again at the wonder of God’s creation. We stayed in the small city of Cookeville which is about an hour east of Nashville. We had driven by there many times on our way to Pigeon Forge and points east but never stopped. And for some reason…this time it was our destination. It was wonderful.

Within a few minutes driving time were some of the most beautiful waterfalls I have ever seen. One, Fall Creek Falls, is the tallest falls east of the Rockies—256 feet of free falling water. Then there was Burgess Falls which had not one, but three separate falls…each one more spectacular than the one before. Finally we drove over to Rock Island State Park and were amazed by a river that fell and fell and fell—each time creating a beautiful waterfall. Then, coming out of caves in a huge, high bluff was a massive waterfall falling into the river. Unbelievable. I would think God would get a 10 for all the beauty that we have seen. And then…there was Ralph’s.

When we stay at an Airbnb, we always check out all the literature that the host leaves to make the visit more enjoyable. We also check out comments in the guest book for tidbits of information. That is where we heard about Ralph’s. Three different previous guests mentioned this mom and pop donut shop in downtown Cookeville. We had to visit. To not do so would have been a travesty of donut-ism. So we were on our way on Monday morning when Judy checked their website. Oh no…closed on Mondays. We had to wait another day.

Tuesday morning after planning our hikes for the day, we headed to Ralph’s Donut Shop to ensure we had plenty of calories on hand for our journey. When we arrived it was indeed an ordinary mom and pop donut shop. But trust me…it was anything but ordinary. The first thing I noticed was the sign stating that they had been open since 1962. Do the math and you will find out that they have been making donuts for 58 years—in the donut world that’s like forever. And then—we opened the door.

It was donut heaven. I know that to be true because so many things in the case were “holey.” Get it? Anyway, to my left was a horseshoe shaped counter with almost every stool filled with locals enjoying coffee and pastries. There was a long glass case and a whole wall filled with pastries and donuts. And there to greet us was the best donut salesman in the world. You could tell this guy loved his job and was “in the right seat on the bus.” Judy and I use that phrase to describe someone who is doing what they were meant to do. This guy was meant to work at Ralph’s. The first thing my eye spotted was the royalty of pastries—the fried apple fritter. It was massive, fried crispy, covered with glaze with the middle stuffed with apple filling. One please.

Then the sales guy told us the fritter was their best seller until the butter twist came along. It was a fried donut but the twist was they brushed it with butter before cooking. He said it was voted the number one donut in the entire state of Tennessee. I’m sure he was telling the truth. Two please. Judy wanted something chocolate. No problem—a butter twist with chocolate frosting should do the trick. One please. Then I asked about this chocolate creation on the top shelf. It was a devil’s food mix and saturated with chocolate. He said it was diabetes on a plate and should come with a shot of insulin. We passed on that one. His final gift was a spice bar that was broken in two, so it was free. He said it was as if Little Debbie married gingerbread and had a baby. I loved it.

Judy and I had read that they closed at 11:30 so we assumed 11:30 am but we asked anyway. Oh no…they have three shifts of bakers and are open from 5:00 am till 11:30 pm. Now who has ever heard of a donut shop staying open that long—and they are doing quite well, thank you. Oh, and did I mention that they are listed in the top 20 donut bakeries in the entire United States? Oh, yes…it was donut heaven and it was “holey” ground.

Well, there is one thing that was obvious at Ralph’s—they were all in. They knew their product, they believed in their product and they wanted to share their product. Even if you didn’t like donuts, you wanted to buy one by the time you left. You wanted what they had because it had to be worth having. I have a feeling that we as Jesus followers should take a lesson from Ralph’s. We know we have the best thing in all of creation to offer those in our world—the good news of Jesus Christ. Donuts may be “holey” but Jesus can make us holy—holy enough to call God, Father—holy enough to go to heaven. And Ralph’s may have been making donuts for 58 years but God has been loving us since before the foundation of the world. He wants to walk with us through this New Year and every year. He is a beyond amazing God.

Since He is so incredible—if we love Him, if we believe in Him—we should be all in too. We should live like we believe and share the Word about Him like we believe it. I left Ralph’s wanting to tell people about this amazing place. I think we need to get up every morning wanting to tell everyone the great Good News. On this first day of this great New Year let’s figuratively get behind the counter—not to sell donuts but to share the Good News. And what is that? It is that God, Creator God, so loved this world that gave His Son to a Roman cross that anyone who believes in Him and what He did—can have everlasting life. And that is the best news ever. Oh and then there is more. No matter what today or this year sends our way, we have the assurance that He’s got this.

Christmas, Family, Grace, life, loving others, missions, travel, wisdom

Oops

Posted on December 15, 2020December 14, 2020 by Dewayne Taylor

We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.” Hebrews 2:1

I should have paid closer attention. This past week our church took its annual trip to Atlanta to work at the Operation Christmas Child distribution center. Samaritan’s Purse heads up this amazing ministry that encourages people to pack a shoebox with toys, toiletries, and the like. The boxes are then collected and shipped around the world to kids everywhere…last year 10 million of them! To the kids it is the greatest gift ever. But the best part is that each box contains the story of Jesus and how much He loves them. Every child loves the gifts but many also hear about Jesus for the first time and love Him too.

So, we take a day and travel on our church bus from Southern Illinois down to Atlanta. We work a full day at the processing center preparing the boxes to be shipped and then the next day we travel home. It is a busy three days and frankly the day we work at the processing center is a long, but wonderful, day. The travel days are easy thanks to our great bus driver Brent. Brent is on staff at our church and He loves people, loves Jesus, and loves to drive!

Well, we left early, really early, Tuesday morning and travelled all day before arriving in Atlanta in the late afternoon. After we checked into our hotel rooms we loaded back up on the bus and went to a mall that was close to the hotel to get supper. We went our separate ways but several of us ended up at a Greek restaurant. It was good. We took our time enjoying the meal and soon it was time for us to leave. My wife Judy was going to pay our bill and I told her I was going to go to the restroom. Having not been there before I looked for the sign and headed in that direction. It was down a small hallway. I only saw one sign and it said men, so in I went.

No one else was in the restroom and in just a minute I was ready to leave. When I opened the door, a lady from our team was just about to push the door open. I looked at her and she looked at me…something wasn’t right. My first thought was that she obviously was confused and was going into the wrong restroom. But then I had a thought. It was odd that the restroom didn’t have the usual equipment you find in a men’s restroom. And then it hit me. Oh no!

Well, I blurted out to her, “Am I in the wrong restroom?” And she confirmed my worst nightmare…I was. Fortunately, I knew her and fortunately no one else was in there, I began to I apologize all over myself. Crazily, in my 66 years of life, this had happened two other times—both years ago. Each time, I wanted to die. This case was no different. I swore her to secrecy but then realized this was too good of a story to pass by. The big question is how in the world do you end up where you don’t belong? That’s a great question. In my case the signage just wasn’t clear, and I was tired, and I just wasn’t paying attention. Put those three together and know that social disaster is right around the corner.

Maybe you have never gone in the wrong restroom, but perhaps you’ve headed the wrong way on a one way street. It’s frightening when you’re seeing headlights and you’re supposed to be seeing taillights. It is one thing when we accidentally go in the wrong direction, but too many times we find ourselves in the wrong place—by choice. The wrong movie, the wrong relationship, the wrong side of the law, or more importantly, on the wrong side of God’s Word. Truth be known it happens way too often. And it usually happens when we get tired, or busy, or sloppy, in our faith. In my case there really were no consequences besides my being incredibly embarrassed, but that is not always the case. Too often our sloppiness ends up in broken lives, broken marriages, and broken hearts.

The Bible has a lot to say about wisdom and staying on the right path. It says, “We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.” If I had been paying careful attention, I would have noticed that the sign was intended for the other door…not the one I took. If I hadn’t been sloppy, I could have passed on a very embarrassing moment. Well, they say that hindsight is 20/20. So, what about it? Are we willing to watch where we go and where we step? I think you will find that it is just the wise thing to do. And, by the way, when we do mess up, well, it’s good to know that His grace really is sufficient and to know that always, He’s got this.

Christmas, gratitude, life, loving others, missions, prayer, priorities, Scripture, thankful, travel

Chilled to the Bone

Posted on December 9, 2020December 8, 2020 by Dewayne Taylor

And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” 2 Corinthians 9:8

If it wasn’t the coldest night of my life…it was close. Back in 2008 we began a journey of doing mission work in West Africa. While I had traveled to several, and some would say many, countries nothing compared to West Africa. Even a trip to the third world part of Bulgaria with the Roma people couldn’t compare. When we arrived in Niamey, Niger late one night, I thought I and my teammates had landed on the far side of the moon. It was that different. Rarely am I had a loss for words, but that trip like no other caused me to appreciate my home country but also the people and places on a continent called Africa.

Niger is in what is called Sub-Saharan Africa. The Sahara Desert is a stone’s throw from Niger’s capital city. After we had taken a day to acclimate, we headed north into the desert to a small town literally in the middle of nowhere. We were visiting with a couple of single guys who were living there and doing some work with the local people. The goal was to share with the people about someone many of them had never heard about. That someone was Jesus. We were really limited to what we could do, but we did prayer walking and would try and talk with some of the folks through an interpreter. It was incredible.

On the eight-hour drive into the desert (and keep in mind we flew for hours and hours to even get to Niger) our missionary casually mentioned that we would need to buy some blankets because it was likely to be cold at night. I laughed. If you are like me you think Africa and the Sahara and then you think hot, dry and then hot again. I told her I doubted very seriously that I would get cold. She just smiled. Late in the afternoon we arrived at Tchin-Tabaraden. In case you are wondering I am pretty sure we could see the end of the world just outside of town. Smile.

We had a great time talking with the two guys that lived there and before long it was time to set up our sleeping arrangements. We were going to sleep out in the courtyard. There was a small house, but we chose to sleep under the stars. We set our cots up and each one of us had a blanket. I was sure I wouldn’t need mine, but being the team player I hung on to it. Before long, it was dark…really dark. There was no running water and no electricity. After a while we decided it was time to settle down for our long winter’s nap. It seemed just a bit cooler.

Soon the stars were simply brilliant. I am sure there are places in America without light pollution that really shows off the stars. With that said, there is simply nothing as beautiful as the stars above Africa. Then, slowly a huge full moon came up over the horizon. If you can imagine it, it was almost too bright to sleep, and I am not kidding. Then it happened.

It? What was it? It was the desert cold. Slowly, almost without warning, the dry “winter” air settled in. In just a few minutes I had spread the blanket lightly over me. In another few minutes, I had tucked the blanket around me. A little later I was trying to figure out how to put the blanket under me and over me. Apparently, there was too much of me and too little blanket. Then, well then, I just got bone chilling, you’ve got to be kidding me, am I really in Africa, COLD. Let me just say, I spent a large part of that night wishing for daylight. Oh, how I couldn’t wait to see my old friend the sun. It was the coldest night I have ever spent.

Finally, at about the 4:30 in the morning the mosque right across the street began the first call of prayer for the day. Of course, I had long beaten them to the punch. I had been praying since about midnight for the sun to come up. I figured if Joshua could pray for the sun to stand still, maybe I could pull off it coming up early. Nope. When the sun did come up and began to warm the compound, the first thing I did was apologize to the missionary for doubting her forecast of a chilly night.

Ironically, that wasn’t quite the end of the story. For our second night at the compound, we decided we would cram into the little house where certainly it would at least be warmer. Well, the joke was on us. Just like that, the weather turned and that night in the little house, no one used a blanket. In fact…it was downright warm…too warm. After the freezing night and then the too warm night, back-to-back, you might be wondering would I go back? Well, the answer is absolutely. Over the years, it has been my privilege to return time and again and each time the blessings far outweigh the hardships. No contest. I long for the day when my feet will be on African soil once again, sharing the Good News.

We have made wonderful friendships, experienced many diversified cultures, and seen countless people come to know Christ as Savior. We have seen more than a few miracles and watched as God changed lives—most notably the fair skinned men and women from America. I am sure it is impossible to go on a trip like this and not be changed. It has a tendency to put things like we have experienced recently in perspective. We whine because bathroom tissue is out of stock. Go to West Africa…they don’t even have bathrooms. Smile.

Well, there you go. As we enter this most wonderful time of the year, be sure and be thankful for all the blessings you have. Paul, a guy who wrote a bunch of the New Testament in the Bible said, “And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” That’s right, Paul. You see, many of those people who lived in Tchin-Tabaraden didn’t face one cold night, or warm night, they experienced them all and without a blanket or the air conditioning humming quietly. We are indeed blessed. The old hymn says, “Count your blessings, name them one by one.” That is good advice and there is nothing like a trip to a third-world country to help you do it. I am grateful that we never travel alone. Our Dearest Daddy goes with us each time. He provides rest in the midst of restless nights and no matter the obstacle or hardship, we know, “He’s got this.”

Family, gratitude, life, priorities, Scripture, sovereignty of God, thankful, travel, USA, wisdom

Black Friday

Posted on November 27, 2020November 26, 2020 by Dewayne Taylor

Rest in God alone, my soul, for my hope comes from Him.” Psalm 62:5

We stumbled into Black Friday. It was 1980. We had just returned from a three year tour in Germany while serving in the United States Air Force. It is amazing how things can change in three short years. We enjoyed our time in Germany immensely but it was so good to get back to the greatest country in the world…the USA. We were being assigned to Whiteman Air Force Base in Knob Noster, Missouri. No, I am not kidding. We quickly settled into the new version of our old life. See, you only thought “new normalcy” was something new!

We got back in the country in August and before we knew it, Thanksgiving was right around the corner. I don’t remember anything about Thanksgiving Day, but I sure do remember the day after. I was off on Friday and since Kansas City was only about 45 minutes away, we decided to drive into the city and go shopping. It sounded like a great idea. It probably was a great idea before we left for Germany in 1977, but things had changed. It was a new normal.

We got up on Friday, ate and headed into town. Visions of good deals and the excitement of the Christmas season were dancing in our heads. We picked our mall—there were several to choose from—and off we went. As we drove down the highway and neared the exit and the mall, much to our surprise there was traffic everywhere. The exit was jam packed and once we got into the parking lot we realized it was stuffed to the gills. We kept saying over and over again, “What in the world is going on?”

Well, I can’t remember if we gave up on that mall or not. I don’t remember finding a parking spot but I may have blocked it from my memory. We tend to do that with nightmares! Anyway, we headed to mall number two. It was much larger, with a very, large parking lot and plus by now the initial rush was slowing down some. After circling the area several times, we did manage to find a parking spot. Hey, what if it was ten miles from the mall? Smile.

We hiked to the mall and joined a sea of people as they weaved their way through the stores. It was about that time we finally asked someone, “So what is the deal with all the people? Why is everyone here?” It sounds almost humorous now, but we were sincerely in the dark. The clerk looked at us like we had just returned from the moon or something and I guess in that instance, we had. Apparently while we were in Germany this thing called “Black Friday” was either born or exploded. We had walked into a feeding frenzy of holiday madness. Since that time, it has taken on a life of its own. Stores that opened at crazy hours were now opening on Thanksgiving Day itself. People would storm the doors and fight for the right to get a good deal. But.Not.This.Year.

This year it is going to be different. Because of this year’s new normalcy, many stores that were open on Thanksgiving last year will be closed. Employees who last year had to work will now have time with their families. In the recent weeks leading up to Black Friday, stores have been offering, promising, Black Friday pricing for weeks and not for a day. That might just save someone’s life. Perhaps Friday morning will look more humane and not so much like the Allied troops storming the beaches at Normandy.

I know it is hard to find good things in bad days but maybe, just maybe, if we look hard enough, we might find that parts of the new normalcy will be a better normalcy. It seemed from the beginning that part of this COVID thing was a forced Sabbath. God tells us in His Word to rest in Him alone because all our hope should come from Him. It was like He said, “Enough is enough of this madness we call life. Slow down, already.” And, we have. Maybe this holiday season we will rediscover the blessings all around us. Maybe we will rediscover the wonder of a little Baby born in a feeding trough to save the world from the madness of sin. Maybe we will rediscover the value of family, of others, of generosity, of love. I hope so.

After my initial baptism into the fires of Black Friday I have not been much of a fan. I’ve never stood in line at the door, I’ve never fought someone for a deal, and I’ve never gotten up at 2:00 am to go shopping. But I have rushed through the holidays like a bull running the streets of Spain. Maybe this year I will slow down. Maybe you will too. Sound challenging? It is. But pressing the pause button is not a bad idea…especially if it causes us to rest next to our Dearest Daddy. And, especially if it causes me to realize…He’s got this.

Family, fear, food, forgiveness, Grace, gratitude, life, loving others, Military memories, priorities, Scripture, Southern born, thankful, Thanksgiving, travel, wisdom

A Thanksgiving to Remember

Posted on November 26, 2020November 25, 2020 by Dewayne Taylor

But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead…” Philippians 3:13

It was a Thanksgiving to remember. Throughout the years, Thanksgiving has been a big deal in our family. Growing up, it was a time when Mama would buy a huge turkey and cook it all night in the roaster oven that set by the stove for such an occasion. It was a time when pies were cooked, ambrosia was made, and giblet gravy simmered on the stove. It was a time for two kinds of dressing—cornbread and cornbread with oysters. I’m not sure where that came from, but it was pretty popular. Then, of course, it was a time when most everyone would come home, and we would feast—on good food and enjoy family.

When I graduated from high school and enlisted in the Air Force things had to change. My first duty station was about an hour from the Canadian border in a town called Minot—Minot, North Dakota. I arrived there in October and it was already too cold for a Florida boy. The holidays were looming ahead and it looked like Thanksgiving was going to be a solo flight. But then something happened. Somehow, remember this is long before cellphones, my brother Jimmy, who lived in Amarillo, Texas, called and invited me to his house for Thanksgiving.

Again, somehow, someway, it happened. My base pay of $320 per month didn’t allow for plane tickets, so it meant a trip to the credit union to see if I could get a loan. They granted it and I bought the ticket, got my leave approved and had someone haul me to the airport. So, like the song says, over the river and through the woods, I was on my way, not to grandmother’s house but my brother’s. I can remember flying down to Amarillo in that two engine, piston driven, plane feeling excited and afraid all at the same time. What in the world was I doing?

Soon enough, I was on the ground and there was my big brother and a couple of his kids waiting for me. The best I can remember he worked, maybe managed, a ranch of sorts. It seemed we drove a long way out into the Texas countryside before finally arriving at his house. The next day was Thanksgiving and it was so much like the one at home. We ate well and enjoyed good family fellowship. The thing that was so different was that in the past I was treated as the baby of the family—which I was. But that day—I was his peer. I was a man.

As much as I enjoyed Thanksgiving Day, the next couple of days were also awesome. We went jackrabbit hunting. It was cold with snow covering the ground, and we would jolt and bounce through the fields in his old Willis Jeep. Back at the house we drank hot coffee as he would spin tales about his time in the Air Force. Jimmy was always bigger than life and he was that day too. We also put up the Christmas tree while I was there. One of his favorite Christmas songs was Charlie Pride’s “Christmas in My Home Town.” We played it over and over again while I was there. To this day it is still one of my favorites.

Soon it was time for me to head back to the far north. We headed back to the airport and soon those piston engines were shaking and vibrating the old plane again as I flew back to Minot. I’ve had many good Thanksgivings over the years but that one stands out for me. It was a time when my brother made sure I wasn’t alone at a time when too many were. That was back in 1972 so a lot of water has flowed beneath the bridge. I’m decades older and he is now in heaven. But I am left with the memories…memories that still refresh my soul and make me smile.

To be honest, there are other Thanksgivings that were not so easy…times when another brother and his family were not on speaking terms with the family, times when Daddy was sick and times when the family went separate ways. But I have grown to realize that each of us have a choice. We can choose to remember and relish the good times, or we can remember and dwell on the hard times. The choice is ours. Paul, the guy who wrote about two-thirds of the New Testament in the Bible had plenty of hard memories. He was a pretty bad guy before he met Jesus. After Jesus, he began to write some new stories in his life and he made the decision to leave the past in the past. We should too.

I know holidays can be hard because of the past, or maybe the present. Let me encourage you to choose to remember the good and let go of the rest. It’s not easy but it is possible—with a little help from God. I know these days He’s getting a lot of bad press, but trust me, if you don’t know Him you should get acquainted. He loves you more than you know and He wants to help you do life here. He can even help with those difficult memories.

One of the things that is a staple of mine in life is to eat and nap. Today, Lord willing, I will eat a very good meal, and I will take a very nice nap. Try it—you’ll like it. Also today, I’m going to take a nap of sorts with my best friend Jesus. I’m going to pull aside, rest, and just chat about all the ways He has blessed me. It might take a while because I’m pretty blessed—and so are you. We also will probably talk about some of the hard things going on now. He won’t judge me—He will just love me. You know, that Thanksgiving so many years ago my brother treated me as his peer. Today Jesus treats me as a friend—a friend closer than a brother. He’s a friend that can handle my past and my future. A friend I can trust. That’s why I know…He’s got this.

Family, fear, life, loving others, Scripture, sovereignty of God, thankful, travel, wisdom

Life from Ashes

Posted on November 19, 2020November 18, 2020 by Dewayne Taylor

The Lord Himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.” Exodus 14:14

It was a night that will not be forgotten. For many years, my family has visited the Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, area for vacation. It has not been an every year deal but occasionally. We love the trails and the mountains and, of course, all the places to eat. In some ways it is like a county fair because fair food and rides are everywhere. Several years ago we began joining my daughter and son-in-law with the grandkids in the fall…usually in November. In a word, it is fun.

In 2016 something happened that changed that area forever. A fire started by human hands near Chimney Tops on November 28th of that year quickly spread through the dry, tinder forests. The results were catastrophic and have been cited as the worst natural disaster in Tennessee history. Before it was all said and done, 14 people lost their lives, 2,460 buildings were destroyed, and 17,900 acres were burned. We watched on the news as it happened but also saw from a distance some of the devastation years later when we visited. There was safety in that, on television and from a distance, but what happens when the tragedy gets more personal?

This year we once again returned to the Gatlinburg area. Rebecca, my daughter, always makes the reservation, and she did again this time. As we were driving to the cabin, we passed through an area that had obviously been damaged by the wildfire. Judy made the comment that according to the GPS we were not too far from our cabin. We could look up on the ridge and see many cabins far above the valley floor. What we could not see was a lot of trees. Apparently, the fire had destroyed them.

As we made our turn on the road that would lead to our cabin, it soon became apparent that we would see the power of the fire from the night up close. The higher we climbed, the more we saw. There were trees scarred by the flames and only the foundations remaining where cabins worth hundreds of thousands of dollars had once stood. Some cabins had been rebuilt, some were being rebuilt, and some, well, stood as silent witnesses of destruction. It was harsh, it was sad, it was awakening. Suddenly the memories of what I saw on the news four years ago came to life like the dry bones Ezekiel saw in the Bible.

After an almost two mile trip up the mountain, we came to our cabin. There it stood, looking strangely new in one of Gatlinburg’s esteemed older rental areas. It was indeed new because it, like almost every house in the area, had been destroyed by the fire that week. In front of the house was a twenty foot section of tree that, while not alive, still sends a message. Carved into the massive trunk were the words “Smoky Strong.” I’m sure the tree was alive and well the night the fire swept the mountain, but even today it sends a message…we are not done.

All around the area were signs of destruction…of what used to be. But wait…don’t miss this. Also all around the area were signs of new life, of renewal, of rebirth. New trees are replacing those lost, new homes are replacing the damaged, and foundations will one day bear a new building. The pain and suffering of that night is being replaced by the hope of the future. I think we all can learn a lesson from Gatlinburg. It was about eight months ago that a fire of sorts began to sweep our nation. Its name was COVID, and its flames were the flames of fear. The question is what will we do with this hot mess? That is a question we have been asking for months.

I’m sure many have come to the conclusion that life will never be the same, and that is probably true. But why do we have to assume that this also means it won’t be better? Why do we have to assume that our best days are behind us? I know this. God is still God, and the last time I checked, He has not given up control to His enemy the Devil, or fear, or COVID. Moses, speaking for God, said, “The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.” You see, He still reigns ,and as long as that is true then the best is yet to come. The.Best.Is.Yet.To.Come.

I’m sure the house that once stood here was beautiful in its own rights. I never saw it, but I sit in its successor, and it is beautiful. I stand on the deck and have a clear view of the mountains and the valley below—a view that may have been obscured by the trees of the old normalcy. Perhaps the ability to see clearer is a gift. Perhaps the ability to trust God deeper during these days is a gift from our Heavenly Father. No, as I have said before, COVID is not good, but God can and will bring good from it. For some of us, that means a deeper trust in Him. For some, it means a clearer view of what really matters in life. For some, it will be the realization that it is good to have a Dearest Daddy we can rest in—knowing He’s got this.

*Chimney Tops 2 Fire. Incident Management Team photo