Category: loving others

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

Bring on the Gravy

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.” Ephesians 1:7-8

It just makes good things better!  Just imagine…Thanksgiving is right around the corner. For most it will be a time together with family and friends— to rejoice and remember.  I know from this side of the fence the Taylor cooks are off the scale good.  Our menu, especially the one that lists the side dishes, is almost set in stone.  Homemade (is there any other) mac and cheese, sweet potato casserole, strawberry pretzel salad and other salads that makes you like salads, Apple pie…well you get the idea.  There is one thing that deserves more recognition at our Thanksgiving table and that is the gravy.

Now I am a Southern boy and gravy has always been a big part of my eating life.  Momma would regularly make both brown and white gravies for our supper and they were incredible.  I remember one time I was reminded that you can have too much of a good thing.  When she cooked a roast I loved to take two slices (one wouldn’t do) of bread and then smother, no drown, the bread in gravy.  Well, one time it got me.  I guess all the goodness in the gravy was too much and I got sick, real sick to my stomach.  It wasn’t pretty.

Momma also made a great giblet gravy at Thanksgiving.  She would take all those things that are tucked inside the turkey when you buy it, cut them up in tiny pieces and put them in her gravy.  Yup…it was incredible.  That’s when I began to learn the value of gravy.  It could take the driest dressing (never my Momma’s mind you) and make it the best dressing in the world.  It worked even better on leftovers.  You go back later that afternoon, fill your plate for round two of the feast, warm up the gravy and let her fly.  The dressing, the potatoes and the turkey all were reborn with a little gravy.

Gravy also can play the role of redeemer with biscuits.  Now even the best biscuits almost always need a little help to become great.  It might be a smothering of butter or butter and syrup and good becomes great.  By far the best soul mate of a biscuit is a flood of good sausage gravy.  On my goodness—that combination is its own food group.  Any good restaurant that serves breakfast is always sure to include that in its offerings. The bottom line is that gravy makes things better.

I know something else that does the same thing—even more so.  That is grace.  Grace is when we choose to extend something good to someone they really don’t deserve.  It might be an act of kindness, a measure of forgiveness or a kind word or two. As a pastor I know people have extended a measure of grace when they commented on some of my sermons.  “Best sermon this year, preacher!”  Well, truth be known it wasn’t that good—they were just being graceful.

Now hear this.  Just like a good gravy can make ordinary or less than extraordinary food taste incredible—grace can do the same thing for life.  Families are stronger, relationships are better, teams at work are more productive when grace is poured all over them.  You probably can remember how political opinions and COVID fractured relationships like crazy.  It divided families, friends and, yes, churches. Looking back, I know we needed to pour some gravy—some grace—all over it.

If you are a Jesus follower then you should be a grace expert.  You know that God extended that grace, His unmerited favor, to you and forgave all your failures, sins, and warts.  If you understand redemption right you know you didn’t deserve it—He just did it because of His love for broken people.  Grace makes the impossible possible.  Grace, like a good gravy, can redeem the worse and restore the driest.  God talks a whole lot about grace in His Book.  I encourage you to Google it and be amazed at grace—God’s grace.  It is so amazing they even wrote a song about.  Perhaps you’ve heard it—Amazing Grace.

Sometimes when I order at a restaurant, I will order my gravy on the side. Let’s be honest—not every place can make good gravy.  But when it comes to God’s grace don’t ever get it on the side.  Just ask God to pour it on heavy—flood the plate of your life. The Book says that through faith in Jesus we have redemption through His death on the cross.  When we believe that God forgives our sins through His grace that He lavishes on us…. wow bring on the gravy…bring on the grace. So, if your life is like a dry biscuit take a break and ask God to pour on the grace.  And if you are overwhelmed by circumstances that have left you like a 3:00 pm pile of dry turkey, ask God to pour on grace and you will soon be revived because…He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne

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

Approval-itis

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

As the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you. Remain in My love.” John 15:9

If He can’t, why am I surprised that I can’t? Do you know what still amazes me?  Creation…and not just part of it…all of it.  I’m amazed when I stop and look at a spring flower.  I’m amazed that the sun rises and sets day after day.  I’m amazed that my heart beats about 75 times a minute.  That is, wait for it, 108,000 times a day.  In case you are interested that is 39,420,000 times a year.  And, so far, it’s done well for 69 years.  Oh, and I’m amazed that out of all the galaxies, solar systems, and planets—zillions of them—only one can support life as we know it.  Earth.  And it is no accident.  It is an intentional act of creation.

God is really good at creating things.  He made us.  The Bible says that we are “fearfully and wonderfully made.” Another place in the Bible He says we are His masterpieces.  Now some are Rembrandt’s, and some are Picasso’s, but we are all masterpieces.  Handcrafted by the Creator of the universe—a “one of a kind” miracle. I know He made me with a few quirks and several warts and that is the point of this story…one of my quirky warts.

You see, from the time I was a little kid I have wanted people to like me.  I have craved approval from the time I can remember.  Whether it was from my Momma and Daddy, my brothers or sisters or the guy who picked up our garbage…I wanted approval.  Let me tell you if you are going to have a quirk wart…there are a lot better ones than this one.  The problem with “approval-itis—the need for people’s approval” is that it leads to a far worse disease—the passion, the drive to please people.  Now if I lived out in Montana where my nearest neighbor was 20 miles away, this wouldn’t be such a big problem.  But my life revolves around people—I am a pastor for goodness’ sake.  And to be honest, I want everyone to be happy and I want every one of them to like me. Sigh.

To be clear…the deal isn’t their deal…oh, no it lands right in my lap. The wart with all its bumps is right here.  For years I have been learning, or trying to learn, that I will not ever, never, please everyone.  But like an alcoholic craves the bottle—so we people pleasers crave approval.  And, by the way, I’ve gotten a little better.  Now, if I’m driving down the street and I wave at someone and they don’t wave back, I don’t write down their license plates and put a contract out on them. Smile.

If you can identify in any small way with “approval-itis” I have some good news.  It is sure to help you.  No, it is not seeking counseling and paying someone $125 dollars an hour to tell you that you can’t please everyone.  No, it is not moving to Montana…that wouldn’t work anyway because you would think the horse didn’t like you!  No, it is something that I read in one of my devotions the other morning. It is a simple truth.  Are you ready?  Here it is, “You can’t please everybody.  Even God couldn’t please everybody.”  Now isn’t that just profound…and true.  I mean God is like all powerful, all wise, all knowing and can be everywhere at the same time and a majority of the world is always mad at him.  How about that?

Think about it.  If God couldn’t pull it off, then who am I to think that I can? I guess God could snap His celestial fingers and make everyone like Him, but He has this thing about free will.  He doesn’t want to make people love Him—He wants them to love Him because they want too.  Because.They.Want.To. He loved us so much that He gave His only Son to die on a Roman cross and He did it knowing that many…maybe most…would never even respond.  Amazing.

So, here’s the deal.  I understand that I will never please everyone…probably not even a fraction of the people I bump into.  I can’t do that, but I can do this.  I can love like Jesus loved. He said, “As the Father has loved me, I have also loved you. Remain in my love.” He was saying, “Hey, when it comes to loving people…I’m all in. Sit back and enjoy it.”  I can give my best not because a person will respond like I want, but rather because that is what my Dearest Daddy wants me to do.  And guess what?  His approval is the only approval that matters.  We should live, love and long for the audience of One—Jesus.

Well, truth be told, I won’t get this one right in this lifetime because I probably won’t live that long—like a million years.  But with His help I can be more like Him, every day.  Love God, love people.  It’s that simple.  If you are “plum wore out” from “approval-itis,” well, why don’t you just take a rest.  You can, you know—because He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne

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

Payback

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

He will not fear bad news; his heart is confident, trusting in the Lord.” Psalm 112:7 (CSB)

Payback isn’t always bad. If you are a Grits reader, you know this is one guy who is pretty proud to be an American.  I love our country but that doesn’t mean we always get it right.  When we were in England, we discovered something that was awesome. Let me explain it to you. We took the train up to Edinburgh, Scotland and back. I had thought about driving but one thing they don’t get right over there is which side of the road to drive on.  They don’t drive on the right side of the road…literally.  So, after a short debate we decided to take the train.

I was impressed that their trains are fast.  The train we caught to Edinburgh was zipping along and I pulled out my trusty iPhone and discovered we were going 125 mph—now that is cool.  But that wasn’t the coolest thing.  Coming back, we were zipping along—until we weren’t.  About two-thirds through the journey, we made an unexpected stop in a small village.  The train driver guy came on the PA and apologized.  There was a problem up ahead with the signaling system so all trains, including ours, were stopped.  Well, after about 15 minutes, he came back on to let us know it was going to be a while, so he invited us to step off the train and stretch our legs if we wanted to.  We did—so we did.

Well, there was a Starbucks inside, so I got a cup of something and then my wife, Judy and I walked up and down the platform for a while. By now we had been stopped for just shy of an hour. No problem…everyone seemed to be handling the delay quite well.  So, we walked some more and finally decided to get back on.  Every few minutes the train driver guy would come back on the PA and apologize and promise to keep us updated. Well, after 118 minutes, I know, not because I was looking at my watch but because he told us, we were “back on the road (or tracks) again.”

As we got underway, he apologized for the twentieth time and then told us to be sure and visit the railroad’s website…wait for it…to get our money back. Yup…you read that right.  Apparently, on public transportation, including railroads, any delay over 30 minutes entitles you to some sort of refund.  In our case, we received a 100% refund of our ticket price…all without even asking.  What! Can you believe that? So, we turned in our information and in a couple of days all if our money was back in our account.  Now that is amazing.

I’m not sure, but that might be one reason why everyone on the train was so low key about the delay. They knew that the train company was going to take care of them. It didn’t change the delay but it sure did make it more tolerable. In a small way, that is kinda, sorta like God. You see in our lives; we have the confident assurance that God is going to take care of us too.  And, if we are wise enough to trust Him, it might just make our life journey less stressful. The journey is better if we know the end…it is true with trains and it is definitely true in life.

So, as you do your life journey, listen for the voice of your Dearest Daddy…He will probably be telling you to trust Him. He won’t apologize for the delay or the circumstances, but He will let you know that…He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

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

Sports Card Heaven

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

I love those who love Me, and those who seek Me diligently find Me.” Proverbs 8:17

Well, it sure wasn’t my thing.  Until a couple of years ago, each November we tried to take a short vacation with the Guest tribe.  Their tribe consists of my oldest daughter, Becca, her husband, Jonathan and three of my grandchildren, Faith (and her husband Dalton) Hope and Ethan.  It’s usually a three or four-day trip to the Smoky Mountains but this year the tour guide, Becca, decided we would go to Branson, Missouri.  So, over the river and through the woods we went, and we all ended up in that Southwest Missouri vacation mecca.

The first day we went shopping before heading to the Sights and Sounds theater to see a production on the life of Jesus—more on that in another Grits. Shopping just isn’t my thing.  We got to the outdoor mall and the boys went one way and the girls went another.  I figured my chances were better with the guys.  I mean whatever they wanted to look at had to beat girl stuff.  Well, Jonathan and Ethan eat, sleep, and breathe sports so naturally our shopping selections curved in that direction.  The first stop was a shop that specialized in hats and shirts for the various team sports.  We poked around for a while, liking this one and trashing another one—you know, the right team, wrong team thing.  Soon, it was time to move on.

So down the mall a way, there was another sports shop called, “On the Ball Sports.” This store sold a good variety of sports memorabilia.  It’s funny…neither store sold the tools of the trade but rather things that indicated what team or player you liked.  We entered “sports heaven” and it was soon apparent that this was not going to be a short visit.  We were there for the long haul, and it wasn’t what you might think that held us there.  It wasn’t jerseys or hats; it wasn’t pictures or mugs—it was sports cards. I’m not even sure of the official name but they had guys, or mostly guys, pictures on them and described who and when they played.

It turned out that I discovered my grandson Ethan was totally into sports cards.  This store had a very large selection and the young man working there was helpful and friendly.  We looked and looked and then we looked some more.  I discovered there might be, oh, a zillion cards for each player and based on their popularity and condition, they could be quite valuable.  The most expensive card we saw was worth $850 dollars.  I’m not sure why.  I asked a lot of questions and got lots of answers but quickly determined I should stay with my day job and try some other investments.

Well, two days later, ok, that is an exaggeration, about an hour and a half later, we walked out of the store.  While I had to take a couple of breaks from “card heaven” I did manage to stay there even though the Bass Pro Shop was next door.  You might ask, “Dewayne, why didn’t you just go next door.  Why did you stay in the card shop for so long if it wasn’t your thing?”  Well, the answer really is quite simple.  While it wasn’t my thing…it was my grandson’s thing, and I learned a long time ago that we should learn to love the things that those we love… love.  Did you track with that?

Well, it goes like this.  If you don’t like to shop but your wife does, you learn to love shopping.  And, on the other hand, ma’am if your husband loves to fish, you might want to give it a try. And here is the great part.  When you do that, you are showing love.  The whole tribe made jokes about my stint in “card heaven” for the rest of the trip.  It was fun and it kept the memory alive.  Into the days, weeks, and months, I’m sure we will occasionally remember our time together in “card heaven.”  Oh, and guess what Ethan is getting for Christmas.  I promise you it is something he loves.

What is true in our human world is also true in our spiritual world.  If you happen to be a Jesus follower, one of the surest ways to a close and personal relationship with Him is to learn to love the things that He loves.  And the amazing thing is the things He loves always make life better and they never carry any regrets or consequences.  It is like following a guide who always knows the best fishing holes, the best golf courses, or the best places to hike.  It is always…good.

Solomon, one of the smartest guys to ever live, wrote about God. Writing for God, he said, “I love those who love Me, and those who seek Me diligently find Me.” Just like the time I spent leaning over the counter with my grandson, it is valuable to spend time with Him, leaning at the counter of life, asking questions, learning, and loving what He loves.  Yup, it is always…good.  And why not take it a step further and just believe and trust…even if you don’t understand, that, “He’s got this.”   Bro. Dewayne

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

Seeing Isn’t Always Believing

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

And he looked up and said, “I see men, but they look like trees, walking.” Mark 8:24

He was still there the next morning.  A while back, a couple of really awesome friends allowed us to use their camper for a whole week.  It was a pastor appreciation thing even though I haven’t been their pastor for a long time.  But trust me…we sure appreciated it.  Now I need to tell you this wasn’t one of those camper campers—this was one of those fancy ones—the kind that moves you from camping to glamping.  They set it up for us in a beautiful campground in the Land Between the Lakes.  The leaves were falling, the weather was “fallish”, and we were two happy campers…no pun intended.

One evening I went out to find my car covered with a healthy crop of wet leaves.  With nothing important to do at the time, I begin picking the leaves off my car.  There were lots of different kinds of leaves.  As I worked my way around the car, I found something unusual on the driver’s side rear door.  It was a small stick about three inches long and it was stuck to the side of the door.  I thought that was kind of odd, so I took a closer look.  What I saw was what appeared to be one of those insects that look like a stick.  It had a small head and several joints down its body. It was amazing.  I said, “Hey Judy, come look at this cool insect.  It looks just like a stick.”

Well, she came over and took a look and she said, “Are you sure that is an insect?”  I assured her that it was since I am an amateur entomologist.  Oh, in case you are wondering, that is someone who studies insects.  I know because I looked it up.  So, me, the amateur entomologist, left this fine specimen of the insect world to spend the night on my car.  I really couldn’t believe she had questioned my judgment.  After all, what does she know about entomology anyway?  Well, apparently a lot.

The next morning, we were leaving. As I carried our stuff out to the car, I took the time to pick the remaining leaves off my car and guess what?  My stick friend was still there.  I told Judy, “Hey that stick insect is still on the car.  How cool is that?”  She gave me that “Are you sure it isn’t a stick” look and I gave her the “I know what I am talking about” look.  There was only one way to prove to her that I knew what I was talking about.  It was time for the touch test.  I went over to the car and looked again at my friend.  Head.  Check. Body. Check.  Legs.  Well, real small looking legs, but check.  So, I gave it a poke.  It fell off the car.

Yup.  I hate to admit it, but it was a stick.  I had to do the hard thing but the right thing. I went in and told Judy, “Hey you know that stick insect?  It was a stick.”  How about that?  I tried to lightly brush it off but no, I got a full load of the “I told you so” looks.  The bottom line was, she was right.  She knew her sticks and I obviously didn’t know my insects.  I think it is kinda funny that something I thought that was supposed to look like a stick really was.  No wonder it didn’t move all night.  I guess those weren’t legs after all.

I realized that morning that not everything that looks like a stick insect is in fact, a stick insect—it might just indeed be a stick.  Things are not always as they appear.  Seeing sometimes is not believing.  Our eyes can deceive us.  Our hearts can deceive us. Our minds can deceive us. Things can be deceiving.

There is a cool scripture about Jesus healing a guy who was blind.  Jesus touched his eyes and said, “What do you see?”  The man said, “I see men, but they look like trees walking.”  Well, Jesus touched his eyes again and basically said, “What about now?”  And guess what?  He could see just fine.  Now obviously the man wasn’t seeing trees walking but that is what he thought he could see.  In a world where things are upside-down, we should take the time and carefully examine something before we buy into it.  If I had poked that stick sooner, I would have discovered the truth sooner.  Things are not always as they appear.

However, there is One we can trust who is always spot on and that is God.  He is the real deal and the lens that we view Him is through His Word.  Don’t trust what people say about God—read it for yourself.  God gave us His Word to show Himself to us and then invites every person to read for themselves.  And how often do you get to talk to the Author while you read His book? That’s pretty cool.  And if you choose to read about Him, you will be amazed at what you find.  You won’t find a God that looks like a god.  You will find a God that is God and Who can do what He says.  You will find a God who loves you—a lot.  You will find a God who is not afraid of our investigation of Him because He will stand any test.  So, go ahead.  Read up.  You will find the real deal.  A God that invites you to rest in Him.  A God who’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne

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

Loving a Broken World

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

“If you love Me, obey My commandments.” John 14:15

Did it really happen?  I find myself wondering about that very thing when I remember 2020 and the COVID outbreak.  I am amazed when I think back and realize the worldwide impact of the pandemic.  Economies and societies came to a grinding halt.  When we were recently in England, invariably the topic would come up as people described what they could or could not do. Several members of my family eventually got it and I had it twice and it was a “Debbie-Downer.” For too many it was more than a downer—it was devastating and deadly.

I remember one of our church staff members tested positive for the virus.  When that was reported to the health department it messed with my normal—our normal.  First, because our entire staff had been a room with the positive case, we all were placed on quarantine.  Like it or not, stomp your foot if you want—we were locked up for two weeks.  Fortunately, no one else got it. Yay.  Second, because there were several other cases spread across the church family, most not related in any way, we had to go to remote worship for a couple of weeks. How crazy.

If you didn’t have to experience COVID or the quarantine thing…count your blessings.  You might ask, “Dewayne, what was it like?”  Well, I guess it depends on your perspective.  I know it was personally frustrating.  I found myself telling whoever would listen that I didn’t have time to be quarantined.  Of course, being the creative guy that I am, I found a few ways to work around it while not being around people but that is my secret.  Smile.

I think I came away with a better understanding of the impact this had on the lives of people.  The isolation and the stigma reminded me of what lepers must have gone though in the Bible.  They had to live apart from everyone one else and should they encounter someone they had to holler out, “Unclean, unclean.”  Well, I didn’t encounter anyone, so I didn’t do much hollering, but I did wonder when I saw someone from a distance, “What if they knew I was on lock up?  Would they treat me differently?”  And I decided that they would. I also decided it would hurt my heart.

I wonder how many people we encounter in our walk about world who have been beaten up and scarred by the world who feel the same way?  Do our stares and our intentional avoidance cause them to hurt?  I bet it does.  You know, our eyes and body language sometimes speak louder than our words.  I love the fact that Jesus never avoided the broken ones around Him.  If they had leprosy, He would love them and touch them.  If they were outcast by society because they were prostitutes or tax collectors, He would love them and touch them. If they were Romans soldiers who nailed people to crosses—even Him to His—He would love them and touch them if He could.  I like that…a lot.

COVID is now mostly in the rearview mirror but there are still some positive cases going around. Fortunately, now the symptoms are more of a big inconvenience. But I do think we would be wise to remember and respond to COVID or any other stigma with one question, “What would Jesus do?” When he saw hurting people, He took the time to love them and have compassion for them. And that should be our response too.

Like I said, the COVID thing is largely in the rearview mirror…and I hope that is where it stays. But what is not over is the brokenness in our world—however big or small that world may be.  What is not over is the need for Jesus’ people to be like Jesus. He said that if we really love Him, we should keep His commands.  And there are two that are at the top of His list—love God and love people.  One of the best ways to show our love for God is to show His love for those He created.  All of them.  Social status, skin color, or whatever label we tend to put on them just doesn’t matter.  So, when you bump into someone today, either from a distance or up close, be sure and love them like Jesus and leave the details to God.  You can rest in this one essential, nonnegotiable fact:  He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne

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

Early One Morning

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

Looking at the man, Jesus felt genuine love for him.” Mark 10:21

The end is a strange place to start.  My wife Judy and I spent a couple of weeks in England and Scotland.  The first part was God stuff, good stuff and the second part was Sabbath stuff, good stuff. But all things come to an end, and it was time for us to head home.  On our last night there we booked a hotel near the airport because we had an early flight.  It was indeed close, but it still required us to take a short ride on the Tube (aka the subway…not the kind that makes sandwiches but the kind you ride on).

So, we walked the short distance to the station and there was the train…we were right on time.  Even though it was 5:30 am, there were still plenty of people on the train, and we all looked strangely alike.  We all were wearing comfortable clothing suitable for traveling and we all had a variety of baggage.  We went to one end of the train car…the only place where there were seats… and grabbed one. It was there that we noticed that not everyone was alike…and not everyone was traveling.

I don’t mean to be harsh but as soon as we sat down, we noticed an unpleasant smell. It was like someone had lost their cookies and it wasn’t cleaned up properly. It was about then that I noticed a man slouched and sound asleep in a seat kinda across from us. At first, I thought he was going to the airport and to work but as I looked closer, it was obvious that he was homeless. His clothing was deeply stained and even his skin was darkened by too many hard days and times.  As I looked…I was grieved.

I can honestly say there was no judgement when my gaze found him.  There was no judgement when I realized he was the source of that unpleasant odor. What there was can best described as sadness, as empathy.  As I studied his weary body and stained backpack, and clothing three things came to mind.  First, this meager life he was living was all that he would have here. He would never have the plushness of my comfortable American life.  Second, I realized that if he slipped into eternity very few would care. There probably would be no family, no funeral, no nothing.

The last thought was this.  That God, the same God that loves me, loved him. The same Jesus that died for me, died for him. He was infinitely valuable to the One who created him.  All of that is true for him and it is true for every person we see…whether wandering aimlessly the streets of Harrisburg or living comfortably in one of our finest neighborhoods.  God loves everyone—the same.

He was still asleep as we departed the train, but I can still see him there.  I truly hope that one day he finds Jesus…the one Person who can change his present and his future.  I hope that for you too.  Everyone needs Jesus.  So, regardless of your station in life know that there is Someone who cares.  Know there is Someone who, no matter what we are facing, is big enough, strong enough and caring enough to declare, “I’ve got this.” Bro. Dewayne

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

Masterpiece

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago.”  Ephesians 2:10

I’m not much of an art fan but with that said, sometimes I am just amazed.  That amazement peaked when we recently visited the British Art Museum in London.  Admittedly, some of the pieces made me wonder how they made the cut, but others left me speechless.  Some of them were so detailed they resembled a photograph rather than an oil painting.  Add to that the fact that they were hundreds of years old, and the term “jaw-dropping” comes to mind. One thing is sure—the art is as varied as the people who paint it.

To me it is hard to believe that Picasso and Rembrandt are both considered masters.  Both are held in high acclaim and yet they and their work are totally different.  Picasso’s later works, at least from this art critic, appear to have been drawn in a kindergarten classroom.  Amazingly he didn’t always paint this way.  In his early years he was a masterful realist in his work.  What happened?  I think he got bored and went artistically berserk.  And people now love it.  Notice that word “now” because “then” they didn’t. His masterpieces became masterpieces mostly after the master had died.

I frequently find myself thinking about how incredible it is that according to God…and because of God…you and I are a masterpiece…a true work of art.  In case you missed it, the scripture reference is Ephesians 2:10 “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago.”  Isn’t that just an incredible thought that the God of the universe holds His children—you and me—in such high regard?

Now it is only because of God!  It certainly is not anything that we have done…not because of any of our own merit–it is just amazing grace. Sometimes people will say you are “a work of art” and you just know it isn’t exactly a compliment.  It is like Picasso’s work –not exactly a masterpiece—in my eyes anyway.  With apologies to his fans, I just can’t figure how he became famous for his artwork.  I know beauty is in the eye of the beholder but I’m just saying…

I know sometimes maybe our lives look more like a Picasso than a Rembrandt but just remember–often–beauty is in the eye of the beholder and in this case that is God.  When Jesus comes and gives us new life, we become this beautiful new creation.  The great part is that His opinion is the only one that matters.  It doesn’t matter what your spouse says, your kids say, or even what you say.  Nope, in Christ you are a masterpiece because God has declared you so.

One thing I know is that we must determine who we are going to listen to.  Will we listen to the worse critics of our life…those whose spiritual gift (they think) is demolition or the One who died for us?  Hmmmm….not too hard of a decision, is it? Why is all this so important? Because as we understand how God views us, we begin to live as the masterpiece we are.  We begin to live and understand that we are created in the image of Creator God and He thinks very highly of us.

Not once has God ever taken a masterpiece off the wall of His gallery of grace and declared it unworthy or junk.  Never has, never will.  And the reason is simple.  We are who we are because of Whose we are.  We are what we are because He has made us so and He just doesn’t make mistakes.  So today, rest in the declaration of your Dearest Father that you, yes-you, warts, and all, are a masterpiece.  Rest in the full assurance that even if your life looks like a Picasso, His grace can rearrange the squares and make you a Mona Lisa.  How? Because He’s got you and He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, food, friends, Grace, gratitude, life, loving others, missions, priorities, Scripture, sovereignty of God, thankful, travel

Sabbath

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

And He said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” Mark 2:27

It was a grits factory on steroids. So, we got away because we needed to get away. Recently we were able to take a trip that was a combination ministry journey and vacation. We went to England to minister in a church and a community that we had visited last year. We met some brothers and sisters and more importantly made some good friends. We spent about six days sharing and learning about what God was doing there. It was so good to see God’s hand working in a totally different part of the world.

After our time there, we rented a car and drove over to see some friends we had also met and served with last year. We spent the night with them and returned to our home base before striking out for Edinburg, Scotland via the train.  The whole trip was just about two weeks, and it was one of the most refreshing trips we have experienced in a long time. As the days went by, my wife Judy and I both could sense and feel the freshness of new adventures and ministry sweep over us.

It is always amazing how something new can restore and refresh.  It is also amazing how we begin to see things through different eyes.  My day job is that of pastor and teacher.  We hadn’t been in England very long before the scriptures began taking on new life.  Whether we were worshipping or having our Jesus time, it seemed that every verse of every scripture brought new insight and the possibility of a new teaching to share when we returned to our home mission field.

But that wasn’t all.  It seemed our days were filled with ordinary things that soon proved to be extraordinary.  We experienced the favor of our Dearest Daddy over and over again, and in that process found our Grits shelves once again being replenished.  Soon, my text inbox was filled with messages I sent myself to remind me of ideas for new Grits stories.  I found myself excited to click the keys once again on my keyboard — writing stories and preparing messages. 

And that was the best part of our journey…to renew and refresh.  I was reminded that was the reason that God gave us the Sabbath.  He knew we would need to get away.  Someone once said, “If we don’t come apart, we will come apart” and that is so, so true.  We are grateful for the opportunity that we had to “Sabbath” for a while. I hope you will take the time to Sabbath too.  Don’t have the time? No problem, just ask the One who thought up the idea.  He will be glad to help you sort it out. He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne

(picture taken in the Scottish Highlands, Stirling – Drip Bridge)

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

Looking for Grits

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

I went and searched, and we were out. You all know that food and I go way back. One of my favorite rooms in my house isn’t the biggest—not by a long shot.  In fact, it is one of the smallest.  It is so small, when they built that part of our house shortly after World War II, they had to custom make a little door for the little room.  I find myself using that door a lot.  And where does that door lead?  It leads into our pantry.

Not every house even has a pantry but ours does.  It is where we keep all our food stuff.  Of course, the cold stuff goes into the refrigerator, the frozen stuff goes in the freezer, and just about everything else goes in the pantry.  So, when you need something that has to do with food…it is the “go to” place.  There are cans and boxes and bags and containers that all share one thing in common—they all contain food.  When Judy is cooking, she will often go there to get what she needs.  Most times she will find it sitting right there on the shelf but sometimes it is empty, sometimes we have used the last of the last and then it is time to go to the store.

Well, I think it is time for my wife (and graphic designer) and me to go the store and get some more Grits.  As you know, our stories are taken from everyday life and after three and a half years, the shelf is getting just a little bare. So, we are going to take a little break and go to the store. For the next couple of weeks, we are going to be “out of pocket” on a mission trip and a week of vacation. We are certain between those two we can surely come back with a fresh supply of adventures and stories.  So, what does that mean?

After today, if you want to find Grits, you will need to visit our Facebook page and scroll back and pick a story to read.  Even better, you can visit our website, http://www.gritswithgrace.com and you can either scroll or search by topic or even scripture. Virtually every story we have written and used or reused over the last three years is there. I hope you will make that your Grits pantry for the next couple of weeks.

If you are into praying, you might ask our Father to help these two weeks to be profitable and peaceful—filled with service and purpose. As you look for Grits each morning, take a moment, and ask God to guide our steps.  We are hoping it will be a time when we can recharge our batteries and come back with a bag full of Grits’ ideas.  Jesus told His disciples that when they grew a little weary, they should come to Him and He would give them rest.  As we go, we are looking forward to spending some time together and with Him.  But don’t forget the big thing we have learned over these months and years that no matter what, we know for certain that, “He’s got this.” Bro. Dewayne