Category: loving others

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

Seize the Day

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

But as for me, I will sing about Your power. Each morning I will sing with joy about Your unfailing love. For You have been my refuge, a place of safety when I am in distress.” Psalm 59:16

After a yearlong silence…they are singing. I stepped out into my backyard to finish my last cup of coffee…well, at least for a couple hours.  When I opened the door, my backyard, and apparently the back yards, and front yard, and side yards of my neighbors were all filled with the sound of cicadas singing their song.  What is a cicada?  Well, it is an insect, and quite honestly, an ugly insect that emerges here in late summer.  Now this isn’t the one that sleeps for 14 or 17 years.  This one emerges every year.

You’ve probably heard the song of the cicadas.  It can be loud, and it can be annoying, unless of course you are a cicada.  You see, they are not just singing, they are singing a love song.  They are letting everyone know that they are up, they are out, and they are ready to prepare for the future.  They have just a few days to sing their love song, find someone to love, start a family and, uh, die. That is one reason they are singing with such gusto. They don’t worry about annoying their neighbors…they are just looking for love.

In a few days, our yards will be a lot quieter.  The party will be over, their love song will be silenced and buried in the ground will be thousands and maybe millions of nymphs waiting for their time to sing.  The beautiful thing about us is that we don’t have to wait 13 years, or 17 years or even one year to sing.  We have the opportunity to sing every day, and it is an opportunity we should embrace.  There is a Latin saying that says “Carpe diem.” Now don’t confuse that with the surgery you have when your wrist hurts.  That is carpal tunnel and has nothing to do with singing…unless it is the blues.

No, carpe diem is a Latin phrase that means “seize the day” …to make the most of every day.  It means that we are to sing our love song clearly and loudly.  “Love song?”, you ask.  Sure.  If we look around, we have so much to sing about.  Breathing makes the list…so does seeing, hearing, and walking.  If you don’t think those things are worth singing about…ask someone who can’t. Oh, and then there are people…people like family, like friends, like the guy who rides on the back of the trash truck and once a week hauls your garbage off.  Ever thank him? Ever include him in your love song, your life song?  If not, why not?  You see the more we are grateful, the more we realize how much we have to sing about.

I know for me when I walk out in the morning and see the sun rising and the moon fading, my mind immediately goes to Creator God, my Dearest Daddy, who thought us worthy of another day.  Oh sure, it’s not gonna be perfect, in fact, it might be difficult, but it is and should be something worth singing about.  A song writer in the Bible put it this way, “But as for me, I will sing about your power. Each morning I will sing with joy about your unfailing love. For you have been my refuge, a place of safety when I am in distress.” Well, put Mister Songwriter, well put.

So, tomorrow, step out and see who is singing in your world…and join them.  Dare to believe that you have a reason to sing…even if your world is less than you wished for. Stop, pause, listen, and believe.  There is Someone who loves you dearly, who wants to walk with you, who believes in you and that is something no circumstances can steal away. So, sing and believe “He’s got this.”  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in life, loving others, prayer, pride, priorities, Scripture, spiritual battles, Trials

When the Word Abides

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

“Let the Word of Christ dwell richly among you.” Colossians 3:16a

It made all the difference in the world.  The other day I was reading a story, and it was one of those stories that seemed too weird to be true…but apparently it is.  The story starts in Kalinovka, Russia—more specifically at the small church in the village. To encourage the children to attend Sunday School, the priest began to hand out candy to the peasant children and not surprisingly—it worked.

One of the most faithful of the children was a pug-nosed, pugnacious boy who recited his Scriptures with proper piety, pocketed his reward, then fled into the fields to munch on it.

The priest took a liking to the boy and persuaded him to attend church school by offering other incentives. It was there that the priest managed to teach the boy the four Gospels. In fact, this little boy won a special prize for learning all four by heart and reciting them nonstop in church! It was an amazing feat back then and now.

Now, let’s fast forward the clock 60 years, and we find that the boy still loved to recite Scriptures but in a context that would horrify the old priest. You see, the prized pupil who memorized so much of the Bible was Nikita Khrushchev, the former Communist leader. The same little boy who nimbly mouthed God’s Word as a child later declared God to be nonexistent.

By now, you might be asking, “How could this be?” Well, it is not as rare as you might think.  You see, Khrushchev memorized the Scripture for the rewards rather than for the impact it could have in life. There is a truth that was true then and trust me, it is true today. You see, artificial motivation will produce artificial results. While Khrushchev heard and memorized the scripture, he never allowed it to penetrate his heart and consequently his heart was never changed.

The harsh truth then is a harsh truth now.  Ask yourself, “How many times have I gone to church and mindlessly sat through a sermon?  How many times have I read the Bible and not allowed its truth to change my life? We could go on and on, but the bottom line is this—it is not enough, in fact it is woefully short, when we merely hear or merely read the Bible. We have got to let the Word of God abide in us—to change us. It’s a good reminder that as you learn the Word of God, keep your motives pure and make it an exercise of both your heart and your mind!

Perhaps Paul, the guy in the Bible, said it best when he wrote, “Let the Word of Christ dwell richly among you.” The word “dwell” here means to allow it to be at home—to take up residence.  When we allow the Word to dwell—well, it can’t help but make a big impact. Many of us travel along on our Jesus journey and wonder why it just doesn’t seem to make a real difference. This just might be your answer. Remember John 1:14 tells us that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. Let Him and His Word in and you will quickly discover a great truth—He’s more real and powerful than you ever imagined and—He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, food, friends, gratitude, life, loving others, missions, Scripture, thankful, travel

Same Words, Different Melody

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

When He saw the crowds, He had compassion on them.”  Matthew 9:36a

It was familiar but not.  One of the highlights of our trip to England a couple of years ago was the opportunity to experience so many things that were similar to life in America but at the same time different.  After all, we all spoke English, but our English and the English the Brits spoke was just a little different.  More on that in another story.  We both drive cars but on different sides of the road.  They drive on the left (who knows why) and we drive on the right because…we are right.  We like (love) ice in our drinks, and when we ask for ice, they look at you like, “What?” Crisps are potato chips and flats are apartments.  Like I said, we both speak English but not quite the same.

Another thing I enjoyed while I was there was attending worship.  I am a Christian who happens to be a Baptist.  The church I attended there was Baptist too and while it was the same, it was different.  They didn’t have offering plates…they used these little bag things with a pole attached.  It was like a fish net but was made of cloth instead of netting.  One of the things we really loved…and wished we could import…was the fellowship time at the end of the service.  After the last prayer, instead of rushing out the door to the nearest restaurant or appointment, everyone gathered at the back of the worship hall and just visited.  There were some light refreshments but mostly people just talked.  How novel.

One thing that was a little different was the songs that they sang.  While some were familiar there were several that were totally new to us.  So, I was glad when the song person said we were going to sing, “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross.”  That is a wondrous (pun intended) song and one of the older hymns that I enjoy singing.  As the instruments, a piano, flute, and guitar began to play the introduction…something wasn’t quite right…not familiar.  And soon, very soon, I realized that while I knew the words, I certainly wasn’t familiar with the melody. How about that?  Same song, same words, different melody.

So, I jumped right in and worked my way through the unfamiliar melody motivated by the beautiful familiar words.  And even with the different melody, the words carried me into worship.  And just about then it hit me.  In life, church or no church, we can come together and do life.  We may walk or dance to a different tune but still can be carried by the same message.  Wouldn’t it be a better world if we realized that we are all created by the same God and the things that make us different are not a weakness but a strength?  Wouldn’t it be a better world if we were not driven apart by skin color, or our heart language or the social economic station we are in life?  Let me tell you. It.Would.Be.Better.

Of the thousand things that I love about Jesus, one of the best is that He loves people.  Period.  When He lived here, He just saw people as people.  Some might have been more broken than others, but He loved them all the same.  One time a bunch of people met Him on the shore as He got out of a boat.  I’m sure there were all kinds of people there that day but all He saw was people and the Bible just says He had compassion on them.  He loved them.

If you are a Jesus follower, or even if you are not, why not follow the example of this lowly man from an obscure part of the world?  Why not set out today to see people as people…and love them regardless?  Even if they look different, speak different, believe differently or, gulp, vote differently than you…why not just love them?  If you happen to be a Jesus person, well, I’m sure that is something that would make Him smile…and if not well…He probably would smile anyway.  Accepting people as people isn’t easy but with a little help from the One who made us…anything is possible.  In other words, He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, friends, Grace, gratitude, heaven, life, love, loving others, priorities, school days, Scripture, Southern born, thankful, Trials

Be You

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

God saw all that He had made, and it was very good indeed. Evening came and then morning: the sixth day.” Genesis 1:31

It was a profound statement.  It was 1967, and I was in junior high.  In Jacksonville that meant grades 7-9 and it meant a whole different world from elementary school.  For the first time we went to separate classes and got to choose some of our food for lunch in the cafeteria. I remember, for a dime, you could buy a bowl of French fries. While they weren’t anything like McDonald’s, I do believe they were potatoes, and they were long and skinny.

It may have been the sixties, but there were rules. For the girls skirts and dresses had to be of a certain length. For the guys your hair could only be so long and then there were the big three: shirt tucked in, wear a belt, and socks.  Break those and you and the principal had a date.  By the time I was in the ninth grade, things were relaxing a little and that included the big three.  On Fridays, boys were allowed to untuck their shirts, not wear a belt, and not wear socks. Holy moly, what was the world coming to?  Looking back, the cool thing was to take the socks that you weren’t wearing and put them hanging out of your rear pants pocket.  Every Friday, my shirt was out, my belt stayed home, and my socks were flapping in the breeze.  Do you know why?  It was cool…and I wanted to be cool. I wanted to be in. I wanted to be accepted.

As you know, over the years the trends have changed, styles have come and gone, and so have the labels.  In high school Gold Toe socks were coveted and so were Gant shirts. We couldn’t afford it either but when I joined the Air Force and could shop at the Base Exchange, they carried both and both became part of my world.  I was cool. I was in. I was accepted. Some things never change, and this is one of those.  There was always something that someone was wearing that if you had it, you just knew you would feel cool…accepted…part of the “in” crowd.  When I came to my current church, it was shirts with ponies and shoes named “Crocs.” Whatever the newest label, and there was always one, peer pressure and the desire to be cool, accepted, and in, pushed and pulled.  It seemed I always wanted to be what someone else was.

Thankfully, some of that has changed.  Ponies and crocs aren’t really that cool anymore, and I’m starting to realize that a label doesn’t define who I am.  I.Am.Me. In fact, my four favorite shirts are from Walmart and cost a grand total of $9.88 each. There’s nothing on the pocket—they are just plain shirts which is cool, because I define them…they don’t define me.

I read something one morning that was just profound.  Here it is. Are you ready?  “Each person was born an original; no one should die a copy.” Wow.  It goes like this.  Somewhere in heaven, God came up with a design plan for me.  He wrote the design and then declared it an original, and just right. In fact, in Genesis 1:31, the Bible says, “God saw all that He had made, and it was very good indeed.” And do you know what?  That includes me and that includes you. There is not another me or you, anywhere, and that was intentional. I don’t need to be you, and you don’t need to be me. We just need to be who God made us. Sure, fashion labels are fine, and I’m even sure there is a perfect weight and height, but those don’t dictate who we are…God does.

In the years that God gives me, I hope I will remember this.  When the clock stops ticking, the heart stops beating, and you are having a chicken dinner somewhere in my honor, I hope someone will be able to say, “That Dewayne, he was an original. God broke the mold when He made him.”  I don’t want to die a copy…I want to die an original.

Given my bent to be a people pleaser and desire to be cool, accepted and in, I’m sure that will be a challenge. Gratefully, my Dearest Daddy will be with me along the way to remind me that I am a custom-made job, and you are too.  And, if I am wise enough to ask and listen, He will help me be me.  Oh, and if I struggle, and I will, and you will too, just listen as He reassures us that, “He’s got this.” Bro. Dewayne

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

Do You Love Me?

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

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

Music is in me. All my life I have been a music person. From the time when I was a little kid and my mother forced, yes forced, my sister to let me sing at her wedding, until right now—I love music. Back in the day when musicals were the rage, one of my favorites was, “Fiddler on the Roof.” It was the story of a poor Jewish family who lived in Russia and thus were persecuted by the government. Life was hard, very hard, but two things sustained them—family and their faith.

This was the time of arranged marriages and the husband and wife were no exception. Now they were older middle age, and he asks her one day, “Do you love me?” She responds, “For twenty-five years I’ve washed your clothes, cooked your meals, cleaned your house, given you children, milked your cow. After twenty-five years, why talk about love right now?” Well, he persists and asks her again, “But do you love me?” As if thinking it out in her mind, she says, “For twenty-five years I’ve lived with him, fought with him, starved with him. For twenty-five years my bed is his—if that’s not love, what is?”

It all ends with him exclaiming, “Then you love me!” She thoughtfully says, “I suppose I do.” And then, he says, “I suppose I love you too.” And that is the way of love. True love endures, true love forgives and forbears, true love overlooks the imperfection and fault of another. And even more is the love that God has for us and therefore it is the love that we can have for one another.

I think that we often fear that God will stop loving us if we do this or that.  Right now…think of your biggest sin or maybe the culmination of all your sins.  Does a little fear rise in your throat? Are you afraid that God will call it quits on your relationship? Do you fear that His grace won’t quite reach that far? Well, I have really good news. Did you know that the day God welcomed you into His family, all your sins were forgiven—past, present and future. But wait! It gets better.

He knew what sins you would commit, including that big one or the sum of a whole bunch of little ones, and He forgave you anyway. He came into the relationship with full knowledge of all your failures and warts and chose you anyway.  Oh, my goodness, how wonderful is that?

Now truth be known, people aren’t always like that—we are not always like that. But we do have a God who is, so don’t be afraid to come to Him and tell Him all about it. John, who wrote several of the New Testament books said this, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Wow!  That is good news and that is THE Good News. So, put your fears of God rejecting you to bed or better yet, chuck them in the trash. He knows you through and through and nothing is going to change His love.  After all, He’s got that.  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, forgiveness, friends, gratitude, life, loving others, priorities, Scripture, thankful, travel

The Power of Living Water

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

Jesus replied, “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask Me, and I would give you living water.” John 4:10

It had all the making of a Lazarus story. When I started this new chapter of my life, one of the things that I picked up at home was watering all the plants that needed a daily drink. Now this is no small undertaking. Generally speaking, it takes just about forty-five minutes from start to finish.  And apparently it is one of my spiritual gifts since all the flowers (again there are quite a few) are happy and flourishing. You can almost see them smiling as I make my rounds.

Recently we were going to be gone for several days so Judy asked someone to take over my job. I must admit I was a little apprehensive about leaving my new friends but when we returned, they all looked happy which made me happy. Well, the morning after we got back, after some Jesus time, I went downstairs to join Judy on the patio to chat and stuff. As I sat down, I saw it—a casualty of my absenteeism. For all intent and purposes, this plant looked deader than a doornail. Oh, course I was shocked and asked Judy what in the world had happened.  She said that apparently the water person had missed this particular plant and it had thirsted to death. If you look in the graphic for today in the lower right corner, you can see this dreadful scene.

Judy said that she thought it might not be too late, so she went ahead and gave it a good drink. I thought she might be either hopelessly hoping or trying to make me feel better. So, just in case there was a trial for murder, I took a picture for evidence.  Well, I moved on with my day and several hours later I went back to see what had happened. Believe it or not, Lazarus had come back to life. The plant that looked beyond hope was fully perked up alive and breathing (well, as much as plants breath.) I was genuinely excited…so much so that I went out and took another picture.

There’s a great story and truth here—for plants but also for us humans.  If a plant is deprived of water, well, it will die or, in this case, nearly die. For sure, it went from thriving to dying. Give that same plant some water and it can literally resurrect.  We humans, like plants, need water to live, without it we won’t nearly die—we will die. But there is another kind of water we need just as badly—and that is the living water that only Jesus can give.  If we choose to live without His living water, we can limp along pretending to live and ultimately, die spiritually—eternally separated from God! But wait!

When a person puts their faith and trust in Him—He gives them living water—a water that gives life to life and eternal life in eternity.  Jesus bumped into a woman at a well and He told her about the living water. At first, she didn’t quite understand but before the conversation was over, she ran into her town and said, “Come see a man that told me everything I have ever done…surely this is the Messiah.” Well, they went and turned out the whole bunch got Jesus and His living water—and you can too.

Listen, life is too precious and eternity too long to miss the living water. If you will put your faith and trust in Jesus, you will find Him everything He promises to be. And there is something more. You will discover that no matter what you face…He will be there for you and with you. As always…He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, forgiveness, friends, Grace, life, loving others, prayer, Scripture, Trials
Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:40-42

I am so easily distracted.  I mean if there is more than one thing going on at a time I flounder.  One of the great miracles of modern times is that when I am on stage speaking, I walk, talk, and breathe all at the same time.  Probably more of a miracle is the fact that in 42 years as a pastor, I managed not to fall off the stage. I’m sure there is a syndrome or something for people like me. It probably has something to do with being a male.

I try to have a quiet time each morning.  A quiet time is when you set apart some time to read the Bible and pray.  It is a great way to begin or end the day.  The name is very appropriate.  For me, it must be quiet.  Sometimes I like to change things up, and in the process get too many things going on—which usually means more than one.  It’s like going through a buffet line. We must be careful not to get too much on our plate.  Well, sometimes that happens to me in my quiet time. Let me explain.

First, I do my quiet time thing on my iPad.  I use the You Version app and it is just incredible.  If you own a smartphone or a tablet of some sort you can download the app from the Apple or Android store for free.  It has all kinds of devotions and reading plans as well as a zillion translations of the Bible.  Even if you speak Swahili, they can fix you up.  No kidding.  One of the totally cool features of the app is that it will read the Bible to you. Amazing.

Well, a while back, I was about to start my quiet time and decided I would try some soft music. I asked Alexa, who lives with Judy and me, to play some music. I said, “Alexa please play Christian instrumental music on Pandora.”  As always, she was so kind and said she would be glad to do that.  In a few seconds beautiful music was wafting through the air in my office.  Then I opened my You Version app and began to read.  I was able to pull that off well, but I really had to concentrate on the words on the page and not the words of the songs that were playing.  Just to be as clear as mud, the words weren’t really playing—they were just playing in my head. I told you; I get easily distracted.

Well, scripture is a part of most every devotion in You Version so after I had read the devotion, I mashed the button that started the app reading to me.  That’s when things went south.  The beautiful music was wafting through the air and then this guy was reading God’s word to me and the two collided in my brain.  I found I couldn’t focus on either one.  The same thing happens when I am watching the news and Judy comes in and starts chatting.  It is an audio disaster.  And then, as if it couldn’t, it got worse.

In my home office I have several clocks and one of them plays the beautiful Westminster chimes. Well, while my brain was struggling with the music and the guy reading to me—the clock went off. It was the top of the hour, and it began playing its melody.  And what would normally be one of my favorite sounds, suddenly pushed me over the edge.  If a quiet time is supposed to make you more spiritual…it, or rather I, failed.  As the music is wafting, the guy is reading, and the clock is dinging and I lost it.

With all that going on, I shouted, yes shouted, at my friend Alexa, “Alexa, STOP THE MUSIC!” Oh my, did I feel bad.  She did and at about the same time the clock stopped dinging and the guy stopped reading.  Suddenly…there were only the sounds of silence and the Whisperer whispering, “Dewayne, it’s ok.  Don’t let all this stuff that doesn’t matter get to you.  Just listen for Me and to Me and everything else will fall into place.”  That’s it.  That was the message for the quiet time that day.  I told my Father I was sorry for getting all frustrated and, as always, He gently whispered words of forgiveness.

In the Bible a woman named Martha got all frustrated and distracted too and Jesus told her the same thing.  He told her not what she wanted to hear but what she needed to hear. He told her that she was all worked up over nothing.  I guess it’s good to know that I’m not the only one who gets distracted and frustrated. Did I mention annoyed? Jesus invited Martha to come have a seat with Him and rest and it’s the same invitation He gives us.  I like that.  And do you know what? No matter the mess, it’s just good to know that He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne

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

Look, See and Love

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

I look for someone to come and help me, but no one gives me a passing thought! No one will help me; no one cares a bit what happens to me.” Psalm 142:4-5

There she stood…alone and frightened.  I guess you could say I am a “details” person. I notice things most others don’t see.  My wife Judy and I just returned from a short trip to Nashville for a few days of “let’s get away.” We were sitting on the back porch chatting and drinking coffee and I said to Judy, “Did you happen to notice that the house over there (over there being at least two blocks away) has three pairs of shutters—one pair open and the other two pairs closed?”  Well, she hadn’t noticed and that was when she stated the obvious, “You are such a detail person.” And she was right…I am.

My attention to detail is just as keen back home in Harrisburg.  In our town we have quite a few people who are homeless—some by choice, some with mental illness and some who are just struggling with life.  As I see them—and I do see them—I often think about what their life must be like. How do they do it? What is it like to not have a place to call home? What does it feel like to feel abandoned and unloved?  It saddens me when I realize that the life they have now is most likely the only life they will ever know. Most won’t ever know anything better. And then, I usually pray asking Him to care for those who wander through life as they wander the streets. And I know that it is only by the grace of God that I am where I am. Charles Stanley, the former pastor of First Baptist Church of Atlanta, once saw a homeless lady pushing a buggy and he said, “There, but by the grace of God, goes I.”

The other day I was helping with our Fun Food ministry at the local Methodist church.  We were serving the kids there for Vacation Bible School some popcorn, snow cones, and cotton candy. While we were waiting for the kids, a homeless lady wandered up. She was tall and as thin as a rail and her eyes were filled—not with life but fear. We offered her some of what we had but it was as if she was afraid to take it. She stayed a safe distance and with difficulty asked if we had some water.  We did not. I believe she did finally take some popcorn and maybe some cotton candy and then—she wandered away. The last time I saw her, her hands were empty and so were her eyes. She kept glancing back as if to make sure we weren’t going to harm her.

Well, a couple of days later I was reading the Bible and remembered a verse that I had discovered in years past.  It is found in Psalms 142:4-5 and says, “I look for someone to come and help me, but no one gives me a passing thought! No one will help me; no one cares a bit what happens to me.” What I saw and experienced that day gave me pause and it still does.  Here’s the deal.  Sometimes we can help physically, and we should do so…carefully. But something that we can do every time is to assign the same value God does to every person—regardless. We must treat every person with the same dignity that God does. Believe me—He values a life regardless of what station or color they are—and we should do the same.

Someone said, “Don’t let the fact that you can’t help everyone keep you from helping someone.” And do you know what? Sometimes that help looks a whole lot like Jesus—loving them like He loves us. The one thing I could do that day for that lady was to show love and treat her like she mattered—because she does. I know this can be challenging and honestly loving usually is.  But remember this…the One who loves you most is waiting to help you do the hard stuff like loving.  After all, He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne

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

Miracles

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

For nothing will be impossible with God.” Luke 1:37

Well, there are miracles and then there are miracles.  One of the great adventures that Judy and I have been privileged to be a part of are the church mission trips.  Specifically, mission trips to Africa.  For the past 15 or 16 years, our church has been an active participant in mission adventures.  One of our favorite places to serve was and is Africa.  We started in Niger and then had to move a little south to the country of Mali.  We were privileged to serve there for several years.

I can’t explain how incredible it is to go on a mission adventure.  I also can’t really explain the draw that so many feel led to this place called Africa. Where this story begins was a difficult place.  We would stay in the bush, often sleeping on the ground in tents.  The temperature would hover over 100 degrees.  I have one picture that showed a thermometer with a reading 125 degrees.  The food, well, let’s just say it wasn’t McDonald’s.  So, what is it that causes people to step way out of their comfort zones just to serve others.  This story is part of that answer.

We were on a medical trip in Mali and the days were long and fruit was plentiful.  We had a full team including two medical doctors and several nurses.  They would treat the physically broken and we would try and share the truth of God’s love to the spiritually broken.  We would tell stories of Jesus and how He would go and help people.  We then would simply explain that we wanted to be like Him and help others.  We explained that people who knew Jesus in America had bought and paid for the medicine that they were receiving.  It was free to them because someone else paid the price.  It was always a great lead into the gospel stories because Jesus did the same for us.

Well, it was the end of a long day.  Most of us had wandered back to camp and were sitting around and chatting about the day’s activities.  Suddenly someone ran into the camp and shouted that there was an emergency back at the clinic.  We all rushed back over and what we found was grim…very grim.  A little girl, about nine if I remember correctly, had been climbing a tree.  She was about twenty-five feet up in the air when she slipped and fell—landing directly on her face.  Her father had carried her on a Moto (a small motorcycle) about three or four miles.  She was semi-conscious and unresponsive.

Two things happened simultaneously.  First, the doctors when to work and the saints went to praying.  Her pupils were unresponsive and though she was breathing, her respirations were rapid and shallow.  About an hour later the doctors said it was probably only a matter of time, her brain injuries seemed very serious.  I slipped into my pastor mode and wondered what an African funeral was like.  The doctors took turns sitting with her through the night, and then took her to the nearest first aid station. This part is fuzzy, but it seems like at some point the father went ahead and took her back to her village.

The next day we went back to work with a somewhat heavy heart.  And then something happened…we heard that the little girl had woken up.  We then heard that she was speaking and walking around.  We then heard that she was responding and acting almost completely normal.  “What is this,” I wondered.  Again, if I remember correctly either that day or the next the father brought his little girl back to the doctors and there she stood.  A living, breathing, miracle.  It can be described as nothing else.  God had heard the prayers of His children and chosen to reach down from heaven and touch this little girl and give her back her life.  It.Was.A.Miracle.

Many of us have been to Africa many times and we have seen more than one miracle.  Sometimes it looked like this, sometimes it was God acting to avoid a tragedy and sometimes it like a frog strangling rainstorm when it hadn’t rained for months and months.  But each time it was obvious that God was still God and He can do what He wants, when He wants.  After all, He is God.  For the skeptics out there, who think that God doesn’t do the miracle thing—that it died out in the old days—well, that little girl would beg to differ with you.

Tucked away in the book of Luke, incidentally, written by a physician in Jesus’ day, are some words that say it all.  It says, “For nothing shall be impossible with God.” Nothing. Period. Seven words that can shake your world and this world. So, what is rocking your world today?  Family or health? Wondering about tomorrow or the next meal?  Worried about our country?  Well, I don’t know what God has planned—after all I’m in sales and not management—smile. But I do know that nothing is too big for Him to handle.  Just like that little girl in Africa who discovered she could lay down and rest in Him—so can you.  After all…He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne

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

Makin’ Grits

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”  Jesus in John 10:10b

It was time for some grits.  Well, after two weeks on the road traveling and doing God stuff it was so good to be home.  Dorothy (the one from the Wizard of Oz) said it best…there is no place like home…and she was right.  Over the last two weeks we did different things and slept in different beds and ate a lot of different foods. But for now, it was time for something familiar. It was time for grits.

When I woke up and had breakfast in this place called home, I wanted something that was normal…something that would remind me I was indeed home.  It shouldn’t surprise you that I turned to grits.  For me, if there is something that says home, it is grits.  Grits are more than food.  Grits are part of my heritage.  Grits are wholesome.  Grits are…grits.  This morning’s grits started with a bowl of “cheater” grits cooked in the microwave.  Trust me…grits on the stove or grits in the microwave are still stinking good.  So, in the bowl went the grits, an amount of water that varies from day to day, a good shaking of salt and pepper, a small handful of bacon bits and finally, a wedge of Laughing Cow Light Swiss cheese.  Can someone say, “Hallelujah?”  Well, from the first bite till I scraped the bowl clean…it was heaven…it was good…it said, “Home.”

While I love grits, I also am honest enough to admit that just plain grits are well…plain.  But when you add the good stuff, well, all I can say is “Shoot that thing.”  The good stuff can make something plain…sing.  It is true with grits, and it is true with life.  You see, life can be just life but when you add the good stuff, life sings like a happy opera singer.  What makes life sing is different for each person but for me the list is short and sweet.  First, you add God to the mix and not just any god but Jehovah God…the One who made it all.  The trees, the flowers, the mountains, and the rivers are just a few of His works.  Look up and the stars and the planets all sing of His greatness. You know, Jesus once said that He had come to give us life and not only that but a life worth living…and I believe He did. Now don’t confuse God and religion.  God is always good and religion by itself is just like plain grits…tasteless.

Another thing that makes my life sing is family and friends.  You see, I don’t believe grits were made to be eaten plain.  Grits are the foundation just waiting for the good stuff.  We were never created to be loners on a desert island.  No, we were made for each other.  Again, each life is different, but each life should include others…the kind that enrich and fulfill us.  For some it is a big family and for others it might be a family of one.  It might be ten close friends or only one or two, but we all need others.  Why not invite someone into your world today?  I know for me that can sometimes be difficult, but it is worth the effort.

The third thing that we need to make our life sing is a trio of treats.  They are love, gratitude, and contentment.  Just like the cheese, bacon bits, and salt and pepper bring my bowl of grits to life, so do these three powerful life ingredients.  Love is as essential as the air that we breathe and gratitude, being thankful for all we have instead of grumpy about what we don’t, is too. Oh, and when we are grateful…we are usually content.  Throw all of this together and you have a life that sings…a life that is worth getting up to everyday.

You see, to have a full life, a life that is as sweet as the sweetest love song, doesn’t require titles, dollars, and stuff.  No…a life that sings is so much more than that.  All we must do is be willing to start.  This morning’s breakfast of grits wasn’t hard…I mean that is one thing that even I can prepare.  But it did require a start…it did require a beginning.  So, today, let’s take that first step.  Let’s pour in the bowl of our life a big dose of faith, love, gratitude, and contentment and then let’s sit down to the table of life and feast. Don’t know where or how to start? Why not ask God, the one many call “Father?”  You will find Him there ready and willing to help. You can rest assured that, “He’s got this.”