Category: prayer

Posted in fear, food, friends, Grace, gratitude, life, Military memories, prayer, Scripture, thankful, travel, Trials, wisdom

Spaghetti Eis

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

Do not be conformed to this age but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Romans 12:2

They called it “spaghetti ice.”  I called it heaven on earth. When Judy and I were married, I was in the Air Force.  About a year later we received orders to serve in Sembach, Germany.  Let me just say it was an amazing time.  We were newlyweds living in a beautiful country of hills and mountains, lush valleys, incredible evergreen forests and fairy tale castles.  Like I said, it was amazing.  And life got better when I bumped into spaghetti eis (ice).

We discovered spaghetti ice cream with some friends from church.  “It” lived in a small town called Landstuhl. It was about a 15-mile drive to the place that sold this small piece of heaven.  It was worth every mile. “What is spaghetti ice?” you say.  Well, let me try and describe it to you.

First, imagine (I’m already drooling) a rich vanilla ice cream, pressed through a mold.  It goes in looking like ice cream and comes out looking like a four or five-inch mound of spaghetti. Then right in the middle of the ice cream sat a big dollop of incredible whipped cream.  Can someone say “amen?”  But wait, I’m just getting started.

After its journey through the press, they would lavishly cover the ice cream with a strawberry berry sauce.  The crowning jewel was an ample sprinkling of finely ground coconut. I’m about to shout “hallelujah!”

Ready to buy your ticket to Landstuhl?  The thing that amazed Judy and me was the fact that something so not spaghetti could look like spaghetti.  It was like your eyes were seeing one thing and your tongue was tasting another. The way they pressed it and dressed it made it look like something that it was not. Wait a minute, I think that is what the world wants to do to us.

You see, regardless of the circumstances, there is constant pressure from the world to press us and dress us like them.  We are pressured to think like the world, dress like the world, do business like the world.  Shortly after that we start being bitter like the world, hating like the world, and fearing like the world. That could be why so many believers are fearful in these crazy days. They are seeing life and circumstances through the eyes of the world.

But the deal is that God says we are to be different.  While He was praying for us, and how cool is that? Jesus said, “They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by the truth; your Word is truth.” Check it out.  It’s recorded in John 17:16-17.

That word sanctify is a word that simply means “to be set apart.”  When we became one of God’s kids He sets us apart from the world.  We live differently, speak differently, and do life differently.  Now wait.  That doesn’t mean we are better than anyone, but we are to be different.  And that different is to be the magnet that draws others to Jesus.

So, like the ice cream is pressed and dressed to look like spaghetti, we will be pressured to be like everyone else.  And when we are like everyone else, we lose the ability and privilege to share the hope of Jesus.  That’s why Paul writes in Romans 12:2 “Do not be conformed to this age but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

Don’t let the world put you through the press, but rather let God’s Word renew you to look like Jesus.  People need hope today. People need Jesus.  If that is going to happen, we must resist the urge to become “spaghetti ice” in a world that needs truth–that needs the real deal.  Don’t be afraid to be different. Whether the fear comes from the current circumstances or being different–we can rest in Him.  After all, He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne

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

Trust

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the LORD holds them by the hand.” Psalm 37:23

It seems so easy…but it is just not. In the Disney movie Aladdin, the central figure named Aladdin (bet you saw that one coming) and the beautiful young princess are in a difficult situation.  Options are limited because the bad guys are just about to win the day–grab her and jail him.  He reaches out his hand, looks her in the eyes and says, “Do you trust me?”

Well, you’ve probably seen the movie a dozen times, but the bottom line is she does, they escape, and eventually live happily ever after.  But not before one more precarious situation, one more extended hand and one more time the all-important question asked, “Do you trust me?”  She does.  She extends her hand and well, you know.

Times like these times help us begin to understand just how difficult it might have been for these two fictitious characters.  To not trust meant certain disaster. To trust meant risk.  It’s a hard call–well especially in the movie because Aladdin wasn’t some dashing, super strong, super-hero but a “street rat,” a nobody, from the wrong side of town.

But what about us–what about our plot–our uncertainty.  Well, there is an extended hand and there is that all important question, “Do you trust me?”  But that’s where things change.  The hand extended to us doesn’t belong to a “street rat” but rather to the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.  It belongs to the One who speaks, and a billion stars begin to twinkle. And the one on the receiving end?  Oh, that would be us–the one He calls son, daughter, child of mine.

I love Psalm 37:24. Speaking of God and us, it says, “Though they [that would be us] stumble, they will never fall, for the LORD holds them by the hand.” Never fall, never perish, never. Let that soak in.  The word picture is that of a person—perhaps a small child or maybe a frail senior adult—who has lost their footing and consequently is on their way down to certain pain and suffering.  Then, at the last minute, the hand reaches down and takes hold, and they are saved.

That has to be what caused the prophet Habakkuk 3:17-18 to say, “Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fails and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, 18.  yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.”

It’s not a hard call really.  I mean He’s all powerful and loves us like no prince has ever loved his princess…cares for us more than any husband his bride.  He has a perfect track record. Never fails…no, not once. Regardless of how scary the days were or may become, He is bigger, He is stronger, and He can be trusted. So, listen carefully today. Tune out or turn down the volume of a screeching world and you will probably hear a soft whisper saying, “Do you trust me?”  And look with Spirit eyes and you might even see a hand extended.  You don’t even need to try and take hold for He’s got you and yes, He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne

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

Food for Thought

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

For when we place our faith in Christ Jesus, there is no benefit in being circumcised or being uncircumcised. What is important is faith expressing itself in love.” Galatians 5:6

Sometimes the main thing gets lost.  I am one of those people that likes things with my things. You know, I like a few French fries with my ketchup.  I am fond of a little pie with my ice cream and of course I prefer a little lettuce with my bleu cheese dressing. Oh, and I like a little taco with my cheese too. Yup, I do like things with my things but there is one thing that I like just the way it is…and that is my coffee.

You see, I learned a long time ago that for me black coffee is the only way to drink it.  I like my coffee black, rich, and strong. It is hard to put my finger on it but there is just something about hot, black coffee that warms the soul.  I know a lot of people would beg to disagree.  They, like me with several of my food groups, prefer a little coffee with their sugar and or cream.  While sugar is generally sugar, the choices of creams are as varied as flowers in a garden. I know my wife Judy’s favorite is “Sweet Italian Cream” and with a name like that…who couldn’t, wouldn’t like it!

The problem, at least from my perspective, is that amid all that sugar and flavoring, the coffee gets lost. Often people find out they don’t really like coffee, they like all the stuff that goes in it.  You might say, the main thing just gets lost, and I guess if that works for you…that’s ok.  But now what about Jesus’ stuff?

When it comes to Jesus’ stuff, His teaching, and writings, it is a must that we keep the main thing the main thing.  We are great at doing a whole bunch of religious stuff and forgetting or ignoring the most important.  Paul wrote a few words about this in Galatians 5:6 the last part when he said, “What is important is faith expressing itself in love.” In other words, all those made-up rules and traditions pale when compared to the love of Christ.  Two things stand out—he was right, and it is true.

In the first part of that verse Paul says, “For when we place our faith in Christ Jesus, there is no benefit in being circumcised or being uncircumcised.” In other words, when we get Jesus, it is time for the religious fluff to fly and the Jesus stuff to stick and stick tight.  Well, anyway, how you do your coffee is all about personal preference but how we live out our relationship with Jesus, well, that is a different matter.  If you need some insight, might I suggest spending some time with the One that matters and in His Word.  He would be glad to meet with you.  You can always trust Him…He’s got this.

Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, Grace, gratitude, life, prayer, priorities, Scripture, sovereignty of God, spring, thankful, Trials

Singing before the Sunrise

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

For we walk by faith, not by sight.” 2 Corinthians 5:7

It happens every year…just about this time.  One of the amazing things about God’s creation is the preciseness of it all.  You can predict the time of the sunrise a hundred years from today within seconds.  The seasons come and go with precise assuredness, and it is not an accident.  Oh no, it is by intentional design.  The Creator God of it all is the God of details and He doesn’t miss one.  Just a couple of years ago here in Southern Illinois we were freezing and had a dose of snow, sleet, and ice.   Then the following Monday it was just over seventy degrees, the grass was greening, and the limbs of the trees were swelling with anticipation. They all know it is time.  Even late snow won’t upset the apple cart.

I know sometimes we worry about some things and sometimes we worry about everything, but nature just doesn’t seem to have that problem.  Sometimes I long for that.  When things around me seem so confusing and threatening, when it seems that the new normal isn’t normal at all…I just tend to worry.  But nature doesn’t miss a beat.  A few mornings ago, I got up at my somewhat usual 5:30 am (don’t ask me why) and began my day with a cup of coffee and some time with Jesus.  It works well.  The coffee wakes me up and my time with Jesus sets me up for a brand-new day. 

At 5:30 am the sun is still sleeping so the skies and the countryside are still dark…very dark.  But something happens every year…just about this time.  Somewhere in my yard, somewhere outside my window a songbird starts to sing.  I’m sure it is a different bird every year and it might even be a different bird every day but long before daylight, he or she decides to sing.  I find it very…refreshing.  Though it is dark, the songbird sings in anticipation of what is coming.  Somehow, they know that the darkness of night is just about over, and the sun is going to rise.  They seem to know that the darkness cannot last forever…it must give way to the power of light.

By faith, the songbird sings its celebration of Spring and of a new day.  And do you know what?  Sure enough, in about thirty or forty minutes, the dawn begins to break, and God honors their faith.  Day in and day out the songbird sings and day in and day out God is faithful.  I think there is a lesson there for us. Actually, there are two lessons to learn.  First, is the lesson of our faithfulness.  The songbird sings not because it sees the light but because it believes the light is coming.  Tucked away in a letter that Paul wrote to the church located in Corinth are these words, “For we walk by faith, not by sight.”  We.Walk.By.Faith.

The songbird sings by faith and God calls us to walk by faith.  Walking by faith believes that what God has said will come to pass.  And the second lesson?  It is the lesson of His faithfulness.  Our faithfulness is based on a faithful One.  We have all lived long enough to know that put your faith in the wrong thing and you’re toast.  But put your faith in the One who is faithful, and it is the sanest, most logical thing that you can do. In 2020 it was difficult to find sure footing.  Everywhere you stepped it was shifting sand and honestly, 2021 wasn’t much better. The one exception to that was God.  The God who was God in March of 2020 when we started that COVID mess is the same faithful God today, four years later.  He does not change. You can take that to the bank.

So tomorrow morning, even if it’s out of the range of my hearing, a songbird will begin to sing in the darkness.  It will be announcing, by faith, that a new day is coming—daylight is coming. And Lord willing, most of us will awaken from a night of rest.  For some it may be dark and for others quite light, but for all of us we have the opportunity to take our first steps in the new day.  I hope they will be steps of faith…faith in a Dearest Daddy who loves us enough to guide us, to help us and to lead us.  All we must do is believe…in Him…in who He is and what He said.  He has never failed, you know.  It is totally foreign to Him.  He can and will come through…not matter what.  So, go ahead and peer out into the darkness as the songbird sings and know, “He’s got this.” Bro. Dewayne

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

Happy Birthday Grits

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

Jesus always used stories and illustrations like these when speaking to the crowds.” Matthew 13:34

Well – what an adventure!  It was a Friday morning in March of 2020 and the beginning of the COVID pandemic that caused me to sit down one morning and write a short post on Facebook. I intended it to be a one and done deal and was simply meant to be an encouragement. I wrote it and posted it…and then, something happened.  For whatever reason it touched a chord with people who followed my Facebook page and many readers responded.  And, with that random act, Grits with Grace was born.

We made a permanent home for Grits in May of 2020 on WordPress with a new address, www.gritswithgrace.com . The website archives all the stories and has a great search engine if you are looking for a particular subject. It also has some valuable statistics…that remind us how the God’s Word never comes back void. As of March 20, 2024, the WordPress website has 516 followers (people who currently follow our site), and 685 followers on Facebook. Wow! We find it very exciting that some are following us in other countries, Singapore, India, and the Philippines.

I thought you might want to read the very first Grits again. If so, the next few paragraphs contain that first story.  If not, I’ll just meet you at the bottom of the page.
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A Word of Encouragement

The story is told of a Christian lady who had cancer.  Her pastor went to see, encourage, and pray with her.  Towards the end of the visit, her pastor asked if he could pray with and for her.  Her response was, “yes, of course.”  That wasn’t surprising.  What happened next was.

When he asked how he should pray, her response was totally unexpected.  He assumed it would be for healing but instead she said, “Pastor, pray that I would not waste this suffering.”  Waste this suffering.

She was wise enough to know that the God she believed in was sovereign, was in control and was a kind, merciful and loving God.  She also knew that He was wise and that this had been allowed into her life for a purpose–His purpose.

God’s word says, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

I admit I’m baffled by a lot of what is happening around me.  Just when I think I can’t be surprised…I am.  But I’m not baffled about God.  He is working in our circumstances to bring glory to His name and strengthen our faith.

So, God has this.  He isn’t asking us to understand…He is only asking us to trust Him.  And believe me…He has a track record of always getting it right.  God bless you today…trust Him…He’s got this.

Well, that is where it all started. The last four years my wife Judy and I have been honored to share our lives and our stories with all of you.  We honestly don’t have an accurate idea of how many people take the time to read Grits each day, but we do know that we are grateful for all of them. The stories have been as varied as life itself.  We have written about everything from the “Underwear Fairy” to a mean goose in our city park we named, “Bubba.”  Hopefully, many made you smile, and some might have made you cry.  I know there were times when tears slid down my cheeks as I wrote.

You know, Jesus loved to tell stories and He told a lot of them.  Maybe that is why I love Grits so much—it teaches the way He did. All the stories for the last 1460 days have had a truth that can be applied to life and very often that truth centered around just how much Creator God loves us, His creation.  Oh, and we have learned that no matter how big or how small the problem or the circumstance, we can know for certain that, “He’s got this.”
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I’ve wondered how long Grits will be around. Well, I suppose the answer is this.  As long as there is a story to tell and a friend who enjoys reading it, I will keep pressing the keys and Judy will keep designing the graphics. So, once again, thank you so much for reading and sharing Grits with your family, friends, and neighbors. And let’s always remember that no matter how difficult the circumstance, “He’s got this.”  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, fear, friends, Grace, gratitude, life, prayer, priorities, Scripture, thankful, travel, Trials, USA

Head to the Exit and Live

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, He will show you a way out so that you can endure.” 1 Corinthians 10:13 

Most of us have memories of that bright but dark morning in September 2001—9/11. I know for me I can remember walking into the office and my secretary breaking the limited news to me.  A plane had crashed into one of the Twin Towers. “How big” I asked.  She didn’t know…there was so much we didn’t know but we all learned quickly as it played out on national television.

One of the stories I remember was written by someone who was going to fly commercially in the crazy days following 9/11.  Of course, for a period of time every aircraft was grounded but slowly things returned to a semblance of normal.  He was sitting on the plane and he realized something was different.  Before 9/11 everyone would chat and get settled in their seats while the flight attendants busily gave the safety briefing. Honestly, virtually no one ever listened to their briefing.  But that morning it was different.

As the flight attendants spoke, the entire plane seemed to hang onto every word. The role aircraft played in the attack changed everything.  People always needed to know but that morning they wanted to know.  After all, what if it happened…again? They finally realized that it was important to know where the closest exit was…and as the flight attendant always emphasized…even if it was behind them.

As I thought about that…I thought about this.  Isn’t that true when it comes to temptation and sin?  Shouldn’t we listen to what the Bible says about temptations and exits? Shouldn’t we train ourselves to know where the closest exit from temptation is?  The bottom line is we are going to be tempted…get used to it.  But we have this amazing promise from God.  Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians, “The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, He will show you a way out so that you can endure.” Wow…that is a promise.

If you pay attention to the safety briefing you can have confidence that you will know where the exit is when you need it. If you listen to God, you can also be confident an exit will be there when Satan messes with you and throws temptations your way.  When you combine this promise with the power of the Holy Spirit, well, all of a sudden that temptation that seemed so impossible to overcome is defeated.  How about that.

Never forget that God is so for you.  He not only wants you to win…He makes your winning a priority.  What we can’t do on our own…we can do with Him.  But remember this…a passenger on a crashed airliner has to make the decision to head for the closest exit.  If they don’t take action, they probably won’t survive.  Act and live…it is that simple.  So, listen to the safety briefing of life, God gives it every day, in fact it is what His Book is all about. Listen and read…and live.  He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne

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

#Friends

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their efforts. For if either falls, his companion can lift him up; but pity the one who falls without another to lift him up.” Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

There were times when having a sister was not a bad thing. So, I am the baby of eight kids.  Daddy and Momma, probably unintentionally, grouped the kids.  There were three older boys, then a girl and a boy, and finally two more girls and me—the object of my parent’s delight—the perfect child. Ok, that is not even close to true but after all, it is my story. Growing up there was not a brother too close to my age, so I was kinda a solo act and too often the object of my sister’s merciless teasing and testing. More often than not…we were at odds.  And, of course, they would run to Momma and tell her how bad I was.  But she knew better…oh yes, she knew better.

Now with all that said, there were times when having a sister was not a bad thing.  When they became teenagers a few years before me, sometimes I got to tag along on dates. Since their boyfriends had their driver’s license, it meant…freedom!   Yup, even sisters have advantages. Another of those advantages involved manual labor. You see when I was a kid, one of my responsibilities was to mow the yard.  While our yard was good sized, we also had a couple of acres that was just a big open field.  Every once in a while, that field had to be mowed.  Riding mower?  You’ve got to be kidding.

At one time or another, I do remember we had two push mowers.  They were nothing special—in fact they were anything but.  They were usually lawnmower corpses that my Daddy had resurrected using spare parts.  I particularly remember one that didn’t have an off position on the throttle.  The only way to turn it off was to pull off the plug wire.  It was this mower that taught me the value of doing something carefully because if you didn’t remove the wire very carefully…well, let’s just say it was a shocking experience!

Well, I’m not whining (no, really) but that was a lot of weeds to mow.  So, every once in a while, I would talk one of my sisters into helping and sometimes they would even volunteer.  I mean you know how girls…even sisters…are about their figures and what I saw as work they saw as a weight loss plan.  Anyway, I would lead with mower number 1 and my sister would follow with mower number 2.  It sure helped–both physically and psychologically.  Just knowing I wasn’t all alone was really encouraging.  Well, I remember the time I was mowing my little heart out thinking my sister was right behind me with mower number 2.  Around and around I went…never looking back…believing that she was still there.

Well, the bottom line is I went and went and then I happened to look back only to realize that she had quit, and I was all alone.  Instantly the task seemed impossible and the field bigger than ever and I wanted to quit too.  The difference:  I was alone.  At that moment I realized that even though I didn’t always like my sister…I needed her. We may have fussed and fought but when it came to mowing, she was my helper–my partner.

Well, the point is this…we really do need each other…especially in our life journeys, our spiritual journeys, our day-to-day bump into stuff journeys.  Having someone we can talk with, someone we can share our burdens with, someone who will pray with us and for us, someone who is slow to judge and quick to love is just invaluable.  Someone said, “No man is an island” and that is just the truth. I’m learning that you don’t have to always agree with someone to love that someone…or even like that someone.

Even as a person who values alone time—I know there is value in walking side by side with others. In the Old Testament part of the Bible, Ecclesiastes 4:9–10, one of the smartest guys ever to live said, “Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their efforts. For if either falls, his companion can lift him up; but pity the one who falls without another to lift him up.” Well, let me just tell you, I know that is true when you are nine or ten and mowing two acres and it is true today and every day.  There is no better best friend than the One who wants to be your Dearest Daddy.  He will never leave you alone…never quit.  You can trust that, “He’s got this.” Bro. Dewayne

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

The Stain Remains

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

So if your eye—even your good eye—causes you to lust, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.” Matthew 5:29

Despite my best efforts…it happened.  This isn’t a story about one event…or two…or even three.  It is a story about a reoccurring thing in my life…and probably in yours.  So, imagine with me.  You are having dinner, and it is one of your favorites—spaghetti! You have on a favorite shirt or blouse, and it is one of your favorite colors.  So, something tells you that you should change shirts, but you don’t. Instead, you decide it is too much trouble, so you make a conscious decision to be careful and it works—till it doesn’t.

You are careful not to slurp the noodles, you are careful to lean over your plate but alas you look down and there, on your favorite shirt you see several freckles of reddish orange. The dreaded spaghetti sauce has somehow found its way not to your mouth but to your shirt. Bummer.  You jump from the table and immediately head to the kitchen sink and arm yourself with a damp dishcloth and some Dawn dishwashing soap. After all, everyone knows from the television commercials that Dawn can do anything…even save the life of a small duckling.

You carefully begin to rub the spots and slowly they get lighter and lighter—until they don’t. On no, despite your best efforts, your favorite shirt now has some permanent light reddish-orange freckles.  The sauce is gone but it has left a cotton-picking stain, and no amount of scrubbing or rubbing is going to change the outcome. No amount of regret for not changing the shirt before you started dinner is going to change this.  The stain remains.

And do you know what?  What is true about shirts and spaghetti is true about us and our lives.  You know what I mean—we are faced with a choice, and we choose poorly.  We say we are sorry, both to God and whoever else it impacts, but the stain remains.  We say something to someone, the kind of words that are better left unspoken, and we watch as the hurt spreads across their face. We apologize but they know, and you know that while forgiveness is granted, the stain will remain.

If we are wise, and let’s be honest, sometimes we are not, we would do well to think before we speak.  We would be wise enough to take whatever action necessary to avoid the whole mess—and the stain that will remain.  They say an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure and that is so, so true.  Jesus said, “So if your eye—even your good eye—causes you to lust, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.” Yeah, I know, drastic right?  But remember this is spoken by Someone who understood the seriousness of sin—who would later die on a cross to pay for yours…and mine.

So, the next time you are sitting down for a nice spaghetti dinner, remember this plate of Grits and change your shirt.  Oh, and the next time you are about to make a bad choice remember that the stain, the consequences, will remain.  The good news is if you still splatter the shirt of your life, His grace is gonna be sufficient.  He’s got this. 

Bro. Dewayne

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

Choosing the Light

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.” John 3:19

I’ve waited and waited.  Finally, the sunrise is finally getting to a respectable time. As a “you’ve got to be kidding me” early riser, I am so glad that Mr. Sun has decided to join me…a little. The sunrise is finally down to a respectable 6:30 am which is a whole lot more respectable than 7:20 am or later.  Of course, thanks to Daylight Savings Time we will lose that hour in just about ten days.  I know, I know it stays light later in the evening but try telling that to my early genes.

Anyway, I noticed the other morning that when I looked toward the west it was still stone cold dark. I knew it was getting to be time for Mr. Sun to say good morning, but he sure seemed to be taking his time.  A few minutes later and finally I could see that the darkness had slowly turned to a very dusky gray.  It was going to happen again…God was sending us a new day.  For whatever reason, I went out of my room to our bedroom which had an east-facing window.  Imagine my surprise to discover the eastern sky was much, much lighter than the western sky. 

While all that was expected that day it just seemed the difference was amazing.  Looking one way, to the west, it seemed daylight was many long minutes away.  Turn the other way, to the east, and daylight was happening right then.  The bottom line was it all depended on which way you were going to look.  At least for a few minutes, I got to choose light vs darkness.  Soon it was all over but for that moment—it mattered, and I chose to look east.

I am certain many times we have that same choice to make in our lives.  We get to choose whether to look to the darkness or to the light.  We get to choose to embrace the light or plunge into the darkness.  I know for me that morning, the choice was very easy, but can we be honest?  Too often I choose to muddle in the darkness.  When I do, it mars my day and sometimes my life, with negativity and grumble bumbles.  Usually, on those days, I’m not happy with anything or anyone—including myself.

Jesus said in the New Testament part of the Bible that men naturally love darkness more than light and, as always, He was right.  But what I find out is I choose that darkness not out of love but out of habit.  Some of us are wired a little weird but that is certainly not an excuse.  What if we started a new habit and determined to look through the eyes of Jesus?  After all, he always saw things through the lens of His Father.  What if we simply made our default view toward the sunrise and not the darkness of the west.  I have a feeling it would be a game changer.

So, tomorrow morning if you are an early riser, remember this simple lesson.  Remember that in most every situation there is a choice—toward the light or toward the darkness. It is our call.  It is our choice.  Jesus declared He was the light of the world and, well, it just makes sense we should seek Him…every time. Why? Well, the reason is simple. It helps us remember that “He’s got this.” Bro. Dewayne

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

Baits, Hooks, and Bill

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need.” Proverbs 17:17

His name was Bill, and he was an investor—in people.  When Judy and I landed in Warrensburg, Missouri via God, and the Air Force we began attending First Baptist Church.  For us, God and the church thing was an all-in deal so soon we were singing in the choir, attending church, and going to Sunday School. Our Bible Study teachers were Bill and Edith Hensley, and they were a class act.  The time we spend in their class was rich in every way imaginable.  We build friendships and did life together.  It seemed that whether you were in the Air Force like I was or a professor at the local university or a lawyer, it just didn’t matter.  We were pilgrims journeying with each other and with Jesus and it was good.

Bill was a lawyer by trade and a disciple-maker by faith.  He believed in Jesus, believed the Bible, and believed in people—including me.  I’m not sure how it happened but he kinda adopted me and began investing in me by teaching me about fishing, hunting, and growing in my faith.  He loved to fish.  He would often call the house and say, “What time is it?”  Now it might be time to wash the car or time to mow the grass, but I knew what the answer was.  “It’s time to go fishing” I would reply and in about 30 minutes I would be in his pickup truck heading to some pond to see if we could catch a bass or two.

That was the case one late summer evening.  We had the boat out in a small pond.  Things had been slow, and the sun was just about to call it a day.  Bill suggested that I make a cast or two more toward the shore.  He pointed out a log that just broke the surface about three feet from land.  I gave the rod a swing and amazingly that ole hula-popper landed right up next to that log.  A hula-popper is a soft lure that sounds just like a wounded frog when you pull up on the rod.  I pulled up on the rod and heard the familiar gurgling sound.  Nothing happened.

I gave it another tug and two things happened.  First there was a small splashing sound and second the lure stopped dead in the water.  At first, I thought I had snagged the log but I soon realized I had hooked a pretty good size bass.  Now since it was late summer the water was a bit cool so there wasn’t this epic battle—you know, man against whale.  Instead, it was like reeling in a big piece of wood.  Of course, there was a tug here or there but whatever was on the other end of the rod wasn’t up for much of a fight.

Before long the fish was beside the boat and Bill got the net and bought him on board.  It turned out to be a good-sized fish.  It was a 6.5-pound largemouth bass.  I couldn’t believe it,  Bill couldn’t believe it and I am pretty sure the bass couldn’t believe it either.  Well, we snapped a couple of pictures and headed for shore with the bass safely in the fish well.  I asked Bill if I should have him mounted but he said no because I was sure to catch a bigger one someday in the future.  Well, I haven’t and honestly, I believe he knew (because I didn’t know) my Air Force salary couldn’t handle the cost.

Bill and I enjoyed many more fishing trips before I finally moved out of the area and over into Southern Illinois.  I slowly lost touch with Bill and Edith and now they are both in heaven.  I am sure they heard, “well done.”  I can only imagine how many lives they touched.  I do know that night I learned a couple of good lessons.

The first lesson came thanks to that old bass.  I wonder how many “almost” nights he had laid up by that log.  You don’t get to be 6.5 pounds in a few nights or by making bad decisions.  So many a night there he lay and each of those nights he was wise enough to say no when a fisherman came by with a tempting bait.  For some reason that night was different.  It wasn’t that I was an expert, and it wasn’t that the bait seemed that real.  More than likely he just let his guard down and bit the bait.  That night at the cost of his life he learned a valuable lesson.  As Bob Goff puts it, “It is always better to resist the bait than struggle on the hook.”  Now that is good advice. So, in these days that take way too much energy just to do life, don’t get too lax and make a really bad decision.  Resist the bait.

The other lesson was from Bill…the man who invested his time, his wisdom and even some of his resources in a young Air Force sergeant. Bill was simply a good man who loved Jesus.  He was busy but he wasn’t too busy to pour his life into mine.  The Bible says, “A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need.” Bill was that to me and I know that I am a better person for knowing him.

In days like these when it seems the chief topic is survival don’t get so self-absorbed that you can’t invest in the folks in your world.  There are plenty of people like me who need someone a little wiser to speak into their lives.  Why not be that voice?  That voice may be whispering, “Don’t take the bait” or it might be encouraging someone to trust in the One who is worthy…to trust and rest in the God who made it all.  I think Bill was one of the ones who spoke into my life and helped me believe that I could trust God because, “He’s got this.”  Thanks, Bill. 

Bro. Dewayne