priorities – Page 48 – Grits with Grace

Family, Grace, gratitude, life, Military memories, priorities, Scripture, Southern born, sovereignty of God, thankful

A Grits Love Story

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

Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.” Genesis 2:18

It happened just like that. I love grits…a lot. I know some of you have no idea what grits are and have never tried them. If you are from the North, I understand. If you are from the South, well, that’s just inexcusable. The problem with grits is that people want to mess with them by adding things like sugar and milk. Listen…you don’t mess with Texas and you don’t mess with grits. When you add those two things to grits it changes their DNA and whatever it becomes it is no longer grits. It may be the same consistency, but sugar and milk robs grits of their heart and soul.

There are things you can add to grits. The first three things on the list are salt, pepper and butter. Grits were meant to be seasoned so don’t think a sprinkle of this, or a dash of that will get the job done. You need to grab the that salt shaker and get serious and do the same thing with the pepper. Someone will say that salt is bad for your blood pressure. Well, some things are worth the sacrifice. The other things that bring grits to life are bacon, cheese and amazingly, shrimp. I’m telling you…grits are not the breakfast of champions…grits are the champion of breakfast. If you learn to eat them right…you will never go back and the only question you will ask is, “Why did it take me so long?

I should have asked that question sooner in another season of my life. It was late summer of 1974 and I was coming out of a relationship that had gone on way too long. It was just time for it to end and it did. I was in the Air Force and trust me an Air Force base nine miles from town in South Georgia can be a lonely place. Imagine a bowl of grits without the salt, pepper, and butter and that was me. And then on a Wednesday night I decided to go to a local church. Now I had done church all of my life, but walking into a strange church, by myself, on a Wednesday night, was not in my comfort zone. But this bowl of grits needed some seasoning. So, I went hoping I would meet someone who might add some seasoning to my life. And, just like that, it happened.

That night, I walked in the side door of the church and there was a small group of young ladies standing by the piano. One, and only one, caught my eye. Her name was Judy Allen and that night was the beginning of a love story that has now stretched into a 45 year adventure of life and love. I guess she was a little too young and maybe I was a little too old, but it was a different time and the bottom line…we fell in love. That Georgia peach stole my heart and has never given it back. I never thought of it this way, but I guess grits and peaches go together after all.

Through the decades and years, we have journeyed together…sometimes across town and sometimes across the world. We built a legacy together that includes our three daughters, their husbands, and our grandkids…all eight of them. We first served our country together as an Air Force family and then served our God as a team—side by side in four different churches over 39 years. At each stop, I was the grits, and she was the seasoning. She was and is a gifted servant in her own right, but she was also the salt, pepper, and butter that made me a better bowl of grits, a better man…a better pastor. I fully understand what God meant when He said in Genesis, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.” Well, thank you God for that one.

Grits (what I write not the ones you eat) is just one more example of her seasoning me—encouraging me. She had been nudging me for years to write and I simply wouldn’t listen. And then COVID came along and on a whim, I wrote a very short story and posted it and almost a year later my fingers are still mashing keys. What you may not know is that Judy once again was there to season my frail attempts. She developed the blog and the Facebook page, and she proofs my words then designs the graphics. She adds flavor to Grits—and our life and our ministry.

So, on purpose and without apology, let me tell her and you, just how much I love her and how grateful I am for the seasonings she has brought to my life. There are two things I know. First, I can’t imagine what life would have been if I hadn’t gone to church that night. See, you oughta go to church! But second, I can’t imagine what life would have been if this particular someone, by God’s amazing grace, hadn’t walked with me all these years. It seemed she always knew just how much salt, how much pepper and how much butter to add to this ole bowl of grits…and I love her for it.

So, there you go. It’s a grits love story. If you’ve tried grits (the ones you eat…not the ones you’re reading) and didn’t like them…you probably just didn’t have them seasoned right. You might want to give them another try. And if you have someone in your life that, honestly, just feels a little bland, like grits without the good stuff, don’t give up on them. Go ahead and be the seasoning in their life. You might be amazed, just like I was, how a little salt, a little pepper, and some butter can make a bowl of ground corn taste amazingly good. Oh, and then, don’t forget to also thank God because He’s the One who made it all possible anyway. I’ve learned, and I am still learning, “He’s got this.” Bro. Dewayne

fear, forgiveness, Grace, gratitude, life, loving others, prayer, priorities, Scripture, sovereignty of God, Trials, wisdom

A Memorable Funeral

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

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

It was years ago and something that I will never forget. I am a pastor and that often gives me the opportunity to help people at some of their hardest moments. Over the last 38 years I have officiated at hundreds of funerals. Some of them were tragic and some of them were celebrations of life. Regardless…they were all difficult. I believe that every service should be as personal as I can make it. I heard a story once of a pastor who was asked to do a service for a man he didn’t know well. Unfortunately, he kept calling the gentleman by the wrong name. Finally, in sheer desperation, his wife shouted out, “John, his name is John.” Gratefully, I have managed to avoid something like that thus far. But there was one funeral I will never forget.

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

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

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

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

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

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

forgiveness, gratitude, life, loving others, prayer, priorities, Trials

Drop the Rocks

Posted on February 11, 2021February 10, 2021 by Dewayne Taylor

When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” John 8:7

It kinda made me mad. I know there are a multitude of things in the world that make us mad and there are also degrees of madness—boy is that a play on words. There is a little mad, some mad, half mad and downright mad. Well, anyway, I was just a little mad. Back on the first Monday in January, I started walking again for exercise. Since the weather is so unpredictable, I decided to just use the treadmill. It isn’t as good as the outdoors but you sure can work up a sweat. So, five or six days a week I have my date with “the mill.” I have a television mounted right in front of me to keep my mind busy while I walk. With all the new streaming services there is a lot to watch.

One of my favorite things is something called “Aerial America.” They take a particular state and with a drone and/or helicopter they fly all over the state and shoot video. It is very interesting and stunning but there was a problem. Because it was filmed from the air, I had a hard time staying on the treadmill. They would go up and down, left and right and I was all over the place with them. You know…where you stare you steer. Maybe I needed to find something else to watch while walking on the treadmill. I decided it would be a great opportunity to get some good Bible teaching, so I started watching services from some of the guys I like. It has been very profitable.

Different guys have different styles and I always try and pick speakers that stay close to the Bible and there are a couple that have large ministries and by and large do a great job teaching. Now, I never agree with everything that every speaker says. In fact, I teach every Sunday and guess what? I don’t always agree with me. It’s just a fact of life so if you teach publicly get ready for someone to say something. I get that. But then there was this morning.

As I was looking for something to watch from one of the guys I follow, I saw something that just about made me mad. Some no-name guy, a pastor, teacher posted a video calling this nationally known speaker a “false teacher.” Well, I didn’t watch his video because it wasn’t worth my time. But I wondered exactly what caused him to say that this guy wasn’t the real deal. Now again, I don’t always agree with everything this teacher says nor how he says it but “false teacher?” I don’t think so. He leads one of the largest evangelical churches in America. He teaches the Bible and at the end of every service he has a time for people to act on what they heard and specially, to act on an invitation to accept Jesus’ invitation to follow Him. He gives an old-fashioned altar call.

Oh, and one other amazing thing. Everything this church produces, sermons, curriculum, music, you name it—they give it all away for free. His church could make a zillion dollars but instead with incredible generosity they just give it away. I find that amazing. So, what’s up with the dude who made himself judge and jury? If I were to take a guess it would probably be jealousy. When someone is successful some people just assume that they are fake or false. It seems the more successful a ministry is, the more people cast stones. Cast stones…hmmm. It seems like Jesus had something to say about that. Remember?

There was a woman in the Bible taken in the very act of adultery. The Pharisees (we won’t go there) dragged her out in public in front of Jesus and declared, “Moses said we should stone this woman. What do you say?” First, and always, don’t mess with Jesus. You will lose. But Jesus stooped down and wrote something in the sand, (we don’t know what), and then said, “Okay.” Well, that wasn’t all He said. The rest rattled their bones. He said, “Okay, but the person without sin needs to cast the first stone.” You could hear a pin drop, but then you would have heard something else—the sound of rocks falling to the ground. And, beginning with the oldest to the youngest, they left—all of them. Jesus looked at the woman and said, “Where are your accusers?” They had skedaddled. And here’s the best part. The One who was left, Jesus, the One who could condemn her—didn’t. Amazing.

I know it is our natural tendency to chuck rocks but don’t you think maybe it is time to let the rocks fall. Whether you are a Jesus follower or not, chucking rocks is a dangerous game. Those rocks can act like boomerangs—and that will definitely leave a mark. Should we practice a discerning spirit? Absolutely. But rock chucking has nothing to do with discerning—it has to do with a judgmental spirit. I know, those rocks can be hard to drop sometimes but I know someone who is good at dislodging them from our sticky hands. His name is Jesus, and you can take it to the bank, He’s got that too. Bro. Dewayne

Family, forgiveness, Grace, gratitude, life, priorities, thankful, wisdom

You’re Kidding Me, Right?

Posted on February 9, 2021February 8, 2021 by Dewayne Taylor

Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it.” 1 Timothy 6:6-7

It was a dumb decision. When it comes to cars…I just seem to be inherently dumb. Naw…that’s probably too strong. I think I am just unwise. My first new car was a 1973 Volkswagen Super Beetle. I was so proud of that car. It was bright orange with a black racing stripe and I had even jazzed it up some. I added exhaust headers, dual point ignition, a two-barrel carburetor, and an under-dash AM-FM radio, cassette player. Shoot that thing…it was so cool. And then…I got bored. Here’s a warning. When you get bored with your car, do not under any circumstances go to a car lot. Well, I did and even when the credit union said no, the nice man at the dealership said yes. My payments went from $83.00 per month to $135.00 per month which doesn’t sound bad till you realize I was in the Air Force and only making about $400 a month.

I think that whole deal turned out pretty good. When I met my wife Judy, I think she was impressed with my 5-speed Toyota Corona SE and later when we got orders for Germany, we were able to sell it and just about break even. I wish I could tell you I learned my lesson but sometimes, and especially when it comes to cars, I am just a slow learner. And when the car bug bites—Katie bar the door. The year was 2001. We were just beginning our ministry at a new church and getting settled into a new house and a new town. On September 11th of that year the terrorists knocked down the twin towers in New York and our country was stunned. To boost the economy President Bush encouraged the carmakers to get America back on the road again. He also encouraged people to go out and buy a new car. So, I did. Twice.

I asked Judy what she thought about buying a car and not surprisingly she was totally against it. However, we had money in the bank from selling our previous home, and so I went to the dealership and came home with a new car. It was brand-new Pontiac Grand Am and I got it with 2% financing. “Yay” I said…for a while. After owning the car for about six months or so, I noticed there was whine when the air conditioning was on. They checked it out and said it was normal. Well, I knew it wasn’t normal, so I went back…several times. Finally, the guy who sold me the car in the first place told me to come and he would “work something out.” This isn’t going to end well, is it?

I went in and I just assumed he was going to give me full credit for the car since in my eyes it was “defective.” Well, he didn’t and by this time I was up to my eyeballs with “I.Want.It-itis.” Yup, I traded my new car in, took a big loss, and bought another new car…one that was a little bigger and, of course, a little more expensive. It was a bad deal from start to finish. I felt so bad about it, and the fact I was in debt, that I depleted a chunk of our savings to go ahead and pay it off. I thought it would make me feel better. It didn’t. I told you I was a slow learner.

The really, sad, sad part of this story is that about a year later I wrecked the car and because of depreciation I could only replace it with an older used car. But…there is light at the end of this tunnel. You see, that was almost twenty years ago and while I have bought and sold cars several times…I never again made the mistake of buying a new car. I discovered that you can buy a four or five year old car for about half the price of a new one. How about that? I also relearned the important principle of BBQ grills. A long time ago, I heard a guy teaching and he said, “Don’t look for a new BBQ grill unless you are ready to buy a new grill.” That’s good advice, and it applies to many areas of life.

There’s a lot to be said for contentment. The Bible says, “True godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it.” I was speaking at my church recently and reached this conclusion. I said, “We need to learn two things. First, Jesus is enough. Second, the world is never enough.” That alone is worth your time in reading this story. The truth is the things that really bring satisfaction can’t be bought in a store…they are free. And at the top of that list is a relationship with Creator God. That will cost you nothing because Jesus paid that price a long time ago. If you seek satisfaction anywhere else, it will cost you and it just won’t satisfy. Someone said there is a God shaped vacuum in the life of every man, woman, and child. We can try and stuff other things in that vacuum, but it will always fall short.

So, I hope my car misadventures will help you learn and avoid the hard way. And I hope you will give God a try. Remember, don’t confuse church and religion with a relationship with God. One of the things that makes my life worth living is that He is my Dearest Father, and He loves me 100%—100% of the time. He will never leave me…even when I make those less than wise decisions. And when I fail and fall…He is always there with the assurance that “He’s got this.” Bro. Dewayne

Family, gratitude, life, loving others, priorities, Scripture, thankful, wisdom

God of the Details

Posted on February 5, 2021February 4, 2021 by Dewayne Taylor

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come!” 2 Corinthians 5:17

It is just engrained in me. If you are a Grits reader you might remember when I talked about my first car. It was a 1961 Rambler painted (with a paint brush) a royal blue with a yellow stripe right down the middle. Due to its former home, Daytona Beach, it had more Bondo body filler than metal and its floorboards had also fallen victim to the salty air and water. But I was so grateful to have it. It was part trade and part gift from my oldest sister, and I loved it. I would regularly wash it and clean the inside. Since it was the seventies, I bought flowery seat covers to hide the worn-out seats. The bottom line—it was my baby. A little scarred, more than a little worn out—but she was mine.

From that very first one, I have always tried to take care of my cars. A few were new and some were old, some were in good condition and others not so much. But each car received that same loving car. They ranged from a 1971 pinto with a rod knocking (something the Rambler shared) to a new 1985 Oldsmobile Cutlass Cruiser with wood grain sides. My wife Judy and I bought that one on a whim because of a deal they were having on interest rates. It was also “on sale” because it had a 4.3 liter diesel engine which was popular at the time. I had no clue about diesel engines and was surprised to learn that they didn’t even have spark plugs. What? One time I was looking at buying a used pickup truck that had a huge lift kit on it. It was almost a monster truck. The guy let me keep it overnight and what did I do? You bet, I washed it and cleaned it out. I wanted to see what it would look like…and then I didn’t even buy it. Strange.

I have a knack for cleaning cars. I can make most cars look pretty good. It is amazing what a good wash job, some Windex, a strong vacuum and some Armor All can do. Give me a couple of hours and shazam—you have yourself a showroom classic. Well, not really but it sounds good. But they did always look better. Now somewhere beyond better is the next level and that is—a detailing. In case you don’t know, when a car is detailed, the cleaner person should really pay attention to—get ready—the details. Let me explain.

Recently, a friend gave me a gift certificate for my car to be detailed. I was genuinely excited. We have two cars and I had to choose which car got the beauty treatment. Judy’s car won because, honestly, it needed it the worse. After I dropped it off at the detailing place, about four hours later I received a call that it was done. I couldn’t wait to pick it up—and I was not disappointed. When I pulled up the detailer’s shop there she was and like Cinderella ready for the ball, Judy’s car was dazzling.

It had not only been washed but it was sporting a new wax job. It glimmered in the noon day sun. The tires and splash guard were all shiny black and the wheels sparkled like a person’s teeth after a whitening treatment. I opened the door, and the entire interior was not only clean, but shining clean. The floor mats were spotless. Yup—I was impressed. I opened the trunk to find it spotless and the space where the lid meets the body—a perfect place for dirt and grim to hide—clean. When I bought gas a couple of days later, I noticed that even the place where you put fuel in had been cleaned. Like I said, a good detailer will pay attention to the details…and she did.

Her name was Jo, and she has been detailing cars for over 35 years, so she has a lot of experience. She knows how to make a car look new. Speaking of new, that is why I am keen on God. He can take the most bruised and broken life and not make it look new—but make it new. I was reading in the Bible just today something that Paul, one of the New Testament writers, said. He writes, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come!” You see God doesn’t do detailing…though He is definitely a God of the details…He just makes every person who puts their faith in His Son a brand-new creation. I mean, imagine taking your car to get it detailed and picking it up four hours later only to find a brand-new car. Wow and trust me, God’s work in the lives of people is an even bigger wow factor!

One time, a year or so ago, I hired a guy I didn’t know, to detail my car. I paid him too much money, and let’s just say, I was very disappointed. He just didn’t do a good job. But after a 46-year journey with Jesus I can tell you that He never disappoints, and He never misses a single detail. So, hats off to Jo and thanks to that special friend who gave me the gift certificate. And, remember, if you need your life made new, give Jesus a shout. His line is never busy, and you won’t get an answering machine. He is online all the time and whatever the challenge, He’s up to it. He’s got this.

Bro. Dewayne

Family, gratitude, life, loving others, prayer, priorities, Scripture, thankful, travel, wisdom

Watch Your Step

Posted on January 29, 2021January 28, 2021 by Dewayne Taylor

Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days.” Ephesians 5:16

There are certain times you just need to watch your step. For example, there are at least two things to watch out for when you are walking through a cow pasture. First, you need to make sure that it is fact a cow pasture and not a bull pasture. If it is a bull pasture you need to head to the nearest fence…immediately. Bulls are not cows, and most of the time the reason they call them bulls is because they are bullies. The second thing you need to watch out for when walking through a cow pasture are cow patties. You will just have to trust me on this one.

There are lots of other times and places you need to watch your step and one that I recently experienced was while hiking down by Bell Smith Springs. My wife Judy and I have grown quite fond of hiking. It is great exercise, and it is a great opportunity to get out and enjoy nature. So, last week we headed down to Bell Smith Springs to take on the Sentry Ridge Trail. It is a three-mile loop trail that follows a ridge (no surprise there) and looks down on a small canyon with a creek. The problem is a pleasure. It is just beautiful. There is so much to see, you want to look and look. But that is also the problem.

You see, the trail, in more than several places, is quite rocky. There are places when the trail is “paved” with large slabs of native stone. In other places, though, it is as if someone had come along and strewn stones everywhere. While they are mostly firmly embedded in the ground, they are still uneven. The bottom line is watch where you are stepping, or one of three things is bound to happen. One, you will twist your ankle. Two, you will fall and bust something you don’t want busted. Three, you will find yourself on the way down a long wooded cliff or bluff.

Now for the pleasurable problem. So, as we were hiking one of us believes in the destination. In other words, the goal is to make it, to do it, to get it done. The other one is in it for the journey. They actually believe the journey is primary to the destination. Can you guess who is who in this scenario? Yup. I, as the man, the conqueror, believes that the primary purpose of this trip is to finish and put another notch in my “hiking” belt. Judy, as the lady of the trail, wants to stop and take pictures of the trees—every tree; the rocks—every rock. Her conversation is dotted with “Look, Dewayne…” and other phrases that conquerors don’t use, or necessarily want to hear.

Now, because I love her so much, I will actually try and look but there is a problem. I have discovered that while you are looking around, you can’t be looking down and if you aren’t looking down you aren’t seeing rocks and if you aren’t seeing rocks you are in trouble. Whew. Now that was one long sentence. But do you get my point? I suppose you could actually stop, and look around, but that is just not what conquerors do. We conquerors conqueror and you can’t conqueror much standing still.

So, what is a conqueror to do? Well, the truth is, we should stop (all you conquerors forgive me) and smell the roses. Judy is in fact right. The joy is in the journey. The joy is pausing and seeing what there is to see…to enjoy what is there to enjoy. Now that doesn’t mean I need a picture of every rock and tree, but I do need to see what my Dearest Daddy has made. We need to learn to hit pause, every once in a while and then soon enough, hit play again.

What happens if you don’t? Well, actually, two things. You are going to miss the best part of the trip or maybe the day. As I am writing, there is a big, and I do mean big, full moon. They said it was a “Wolf Moon.” I’m not sure why it is called that besides the fact that the conqueror in me kinda wanted to stop and let out a howl. Earlier I was driving when Judy said those two words, “Dewayne, look…”. This time I got it right. I stole a quick glance to my right and there it was…and it was magnificent. I could have made some comment about I was driving but I discovered you can carefully sneak a look at the moon and drive too. That is true on trails, and in many other sights and sounds.

Paul, the guy who wrote most of the New Testament in the Christian Bible said that we should take the time and redeem the time. What he was saying is that we should make the most of the time we have. But we need to realize that while that includes working and doing life…it should also include time to enjoy the journey. I’m glad I’m married to someone who knows how to do that. Does it drive me nuts sometimes? Absolutely, but even that is part of the joy of the journey. So, be careful and watch where you step but be sure and take a few minutes to enjoy life around you. Think you can’t? Sure you can, with the Creator’s help! After all, He’s got this.

Family, fear, Grace, gratitude, life, loving others, prayer, priorities, Scripture, thankful, Trials

Barney

Posted on January 26, 2021January 25, 2021 by Dewayne Taylor

For instance, there was Joseph, the one the apostles nicknamed Barnabas (which means “Son of Encouragement”).” Acts 4:36

It happened driving down the road at 55 miles per hour. When I was growing up, there was one man outside my family that I respected so much…one that garnered my admiration. It was my pastor. His name was James Branch. I happened to be an insider at his house because his son was one of my best friends. It didn’t matter when or where—I always saw him as a man I could trust and more than once he was there for my family. When my Daddy died early one Sunday morning, he was at my house. I can still remember him on the back porch in his white shirt minus the black tie he wore, consoling my Mama. She was so upset and began to hyperventilate. Bro. Branch, with his hand on her shoulder, spoke words of comfort and peace. There can be no doubt he played a big role in how I would later serve as a pastor.

That might be why it stung so much. I received an email this week from a national organization. It revealed the results of Gallup’s national survey on American’s perception of the honesty and ethical standards of professions. Not surprising, 89% of Americans gave nurses high or very-high standards. Doctors stood at 77% followed by pharmacists at 71%. Well, I certainly can’t argue with that. These dedicated folks have surely shown their colors this past year during the COVID-19 pandemic. Hats off to our school-teachers too, who scored 75% and our men and women in blue who scored 52%—the only other profession about which a majority of Americans say have high or very high ethics and honesty.

The article went on to say that clergy or ministers came in at 39% when it came to honesty—right between judges and nursing home operators. While senior adults as a group ranked pastors higher (51%), the younger generation (ages 18-34) rated pastors only at 24 percent. To put it in perspective, in 1985, pastors received a 67% rating. When I think of my pastor in 1974 who stood on the back porch with my grieving family, I have to wonder, “what happened?” Why is it that so many think so lowly of clergy? Some of the reasoning, I believe, is a cultural shift—while too much, might, just might, be the truth. It seems we can only go a few weeks without some named pastor being in the news for some breach of trust. I just don’t know.

When I read this news, I grieved. After all, pastors, above all other Jesus followers, should be, must be, people of integrity. We should set the example. Granted, we are not perfect—in fact far from it. Like the old saying goes, “Christians, including pastors, aren’t perfect, we are just forgiven.” I like that. This is why what happened that day driving 55 miles per hour meant so much. My phone rang.

I looked at the caller ID and saw it was a young man who is a member at the church I pastor. Honestly, I wondered why he was calling. While we speak often at church, he is not on my speed dial and I’m sure I am not on his. I answered the phone and exchanged greetings and said, “Hey, what can I do for you?” What happened next was not what I could do for him, but what he did for me. I won’t get it all right, but the bottom line is he said, “I know you have a really hard job right now with all that is going on. I want you to know as one of the younger generation, I think you are doing a good job.” He shared how he and another of our young guys were talking the other night—sharing the same thing. It made my day and I told him so.

It turned out that he was driving in the same direction as I and had passed me and just felt prompted to make that call. I’m so glad he did. It is one of those times I just wonder if the Whisperer whispered in his ear and said, “Call Dewayne. He needs a good word about now.” And thankfully he did. So, let me encourage you to be an encourager. We all know people who just need a word to help keep them going. There was a guy in the Bible whose name was Barnabas, which literally means “encourager.” I’m assuming he was such a positive force in the lives of others, someone said, “We’ll just call you Barney…and it stuck”.

So, to my Barney that Friday morning, thanks. Thanks for listening to the Lord and thanks for encouraging a guy who happens to be a lot older than you and who happens to be a pastor. And keep it up. There are a lot of empty cups in our world that need filling. I love the fact that my Dearest Daddy believes in me. I’m still amazed how much Judy believes in me. But when someone outside that circle cares and believes…that is special. Let’s join Jesus and be the light in someone’s day. Encourage everyone you know and assure them that everything is going to be okay. Why? Because, “He’s got this.”

Family, fear, gratitude, life, loving others, priorities, Scripture, sovereignty of God, thankful, Trials, wisdom

Our Longest Day

Posted on January 25, 2021January 24, 2021 by Dewayne Taylor

Let us not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up.” Galatians 6:9

It was a long day. I can’t tell you how many times I have said it. My wife, Judy, often greets me at the end of the workday as I come home. She will say, “How was your day today?” And sometimes I will respond, “It was one long day.” Then there are other times, often on a Friday or Saturday, when the day seems to stretch on forever. I get so much done around the house and yard and at the end, I tell Judy, “What a great long day today.” Often the circumstances of the day seem to dictate how the day will be remembered and perceived.

Perhaps you are familiar with the date, June 6th. No? What if I were to add the year 1944 to the equation? Well, if you have studied your history you probably made the connection with World War II and you might have even remembered that was the day of the Allied invasion of Normandy, France—the beginning of the end of that great conflict. It was a massive under-taking and the outcome was never a sure thing. But at the end of the day, and with great cost, the Allies gained a foothold on the European continent. Someone there that day called it, “the longest day.” And it was.

All of us have “longest days” and yes, I know that 2020 may have seemed like 366 of them. Sometimes those “longest days” cause us to mourn, but sometimes they are a reason to celebrate. For my wife and me, January 24th was one of those. You see, on that day, forty years ago this year, our first daughter was born, and it was a long and exciting day.

Late Thursday evening Judy started having some consistent labor pains and when they didn’t stop, we knew it was time to head to the hospital. When we arrived, they decided to keep her and the journey began in earnest. Judy had decided to have Rebecca without much intervention from medicine, so it was a challenging process. By the way, if it had been me, I would have had every drug available to modern man. We all know if populating the world was left in the hands of men—it would be a very, small world.

At any rate, the hours began to pass. As the clock ticked the seconds, minutes and hours by, it soon became apparent that this was not going to be a sprint but rather a marathon. All day Friday, I (her faithful husband) stayed by her side, encouraging her each step of the way. Well, okay, maybe there were a couple of exceptions. A friend of mine brought me a huge burger and fries which I dutifully ate while Judy watched—no, make that glared. What was I thinking? Oh, that’s right…I wasn’t.

The hours continued to tick by and soon it was evening and while things were progressing, Rebecca was determined to delay her grand arrival. Finally, at about midnight, Dr. Dickerson, came in to check on Judy and announced it was about time. I had the television on and one of those ultra-low budget Japanese monster movies was on. Before long, the doctor and I were enthralled with the movie. So, while Judy was groaning in labor, the doctor and I watched as Godzilla ate up the known world.

Finally, the movie was over, and Dr. Dickerson announced it was time to head to the delivery room. Coincidence? I was allowed to go in and not much later, Rebecca made her grand appearance. The baby was crying, Judy was more than relieved and crying, and I was more than excited and crying. As it turned out, Judy had endured 23 hours of labor before Rebecca was born. Oh, and when she arrived, she weighed 8 lbs. 15.5 ounces. What a prize!

For years and every once -in-a-while, even today we still talk of our longest day. Well, actually, it was Judy’s longest day. For me it was burgers, fries and a cheesy monster movie. But for both of us it was a day we will never forget—the day God blessed us with our first daughter. And before it was all said and done—He would bless us two more times with two more daughters and later with eight grandchildren. That is incredible. And what’s more incredible? The next day, the pastor asked me to speak on the radio and give my testimony for Baptist Men’s Day. I’m sure that longest day was part of what I said that day and God used that to launch me—us— into the ministry of pastoring.

So, when you have your longest day, keep in mind a couple of thoughts. First, every day is created by the Creator God. His Word says tells us that this day, every day, is a gift that He created just for us. How about that? And if we will allow God to direct our steps in that day, we will not only endure—we can thrive. I know it seems sometimes that the finish line—the prize, is always just out of reach—but it will come if we keep on.

Paul was one of the writers in the New Testament and he knew a whole lot about long days. He may not have known about the labor pains that produce babies, but he did know a lot about the kind of “labor pains” life can sometimes send our way. He said, “Let us not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up.” The bottom-line is don’t give up—don’t quit. And by the way, even if you are not a Jesus follower, that is still good advice. The farmer gets the harvest if he keeps working the field. The good news is that God is just waiting to help you through every day, including your longest day. He is right there and mark it down, “He’s got this.”

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

Their Best

Posted on January 22, 2021January 21, 2021 by Dewayne Taylor

“Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.” Matthew 7:12

It was our second trip to West Africa. We were back on the dry sandy desert fringes of Niger doing a food distribution. It was such a barren land made worse by an ongoing drought. The people would do just about anything for food. While we had prepared to feed many of the people, truthfully, we couldn’t feed them all. So, families with the greatest need were chosen. We would go to their villages the day before the food distribution and meet with them and do some registration work before the distribution.

It is hard to describe the poverty there. Simply put, most of the people had nothing. They had little food and little water but something amazing happened everywhere we went. We would gather with the leaders and the people in their village. We would give them a word of greeting and then they would greet us. All of this, of course, was done with the help of interpreters. After a while, we would complete the necessary paperwork and finalize details for them to come to main village the next day. And then, it would be time to say goodbye for the day.

This was a repeat of the greeting we had done when we arrived. They would graciously thank us for coming and we would graciously thank them for allowing us to come. Then it happened…every time. These incredibly poor people would present us with gifts. Often it was some sort of leather craft decorated according to their customs and their people group. It was such a gracious act of kindness and we always left feeling incredibly blessed. They who had so little gave to us who had so much.

It was the last appointment of the day. We drove and drove—it was more than several kilometers. When we arrived at the site, we realized it wasn’t a village it was just a meeting place. The people we were to meet were truly nomads. Someone had set up a large tent made from skins and rugs to offer some shade from the searing Saharan Desert sun. When we arrived, there was one or two people there but soon many more arrived and the area under the tent was filled with five white guys and a bunch of men whose skin was tough like leather and tanned a deep brown. Then we really saw it.

In the middle of the tent and now surrounded by people sat a medium sized metal bowl. In the bowl was what can only be described as dirty, brown water. As I looked at the bowl you could see something swimming. It was the larva from some sort of insect native to Niger. I assumed that perhaps this was for us to wash our hands though I was quite certain my hands were cleaner than the water in the bowl. I would soon find out that the water wasn’t for washing.

Soon the greeting started. We thanked them for letting us come and they thanked us for coming. Then someone in their group made the presentation. It wasn’t a brightly colored trinket…it was the gift of water. And the brown water in the bowl wasn’t for washing hands soiled by the West African dust. No, it was a portion of their precious drinking water. That brown water with larva swimming it in was what they drank every day, and they were offering something very precious to them—something they could ill afford to give.

Ordinarily, we would try and eat or drink what they offered, but our missionary knew, and we knew, that one drink of this water would make us very seriously ill. So, through the interpreter our missionary explained that while we deeply appreciated their kindness and generosity, we could not partake in the water for that reason. They certainly understood so the water remained throughout our visit. At the end we reversed the greeting process and climbed aboard our four-wheel drive for the long drive back to where we were staying.

The ride was quieter than normal. Each one of us was clearly aware of what had just happened. We all were pierced to our hearts over this act of immense generosity and the immense blessings that God had graciously poured on our lives. Mission trips tend to do this to anyone who travels to a third world country. There is always some kind of guilt over having so much while those you serve have so little. But understanding God’s grace and humbly serving others at least helps. But it always changes you. It always marks your life.

In my mind’s eye I can clearly see the bowl of water all these years later. I can still see the people coming through the gate after walking kilometers to get their food. I can still see them trying to manage the heavy bags of rice and millet. But something was missing. Not one person complained about the lack of a vehicle to carry their load. Each was just grateful to be able to eat that night. And, yes, we were changed again. I would like to think that a little of their gratitude rubbed off on us and that it still remains. I know we will never forget those eleven or twelve days in Niger.

You don’t have to go to Africa, or Haiti, or Nicaragua, or London, or China, or Bulgaria, or the Philippines or wherever to serve. Each of us are missionaries on a mission field and each of us can serve others…just like Jesus did. One day He was sitting on a hillside teaching the people and He said, “Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.” It really is that simple. It won’t get you to heaven…God’s grace and faith in what Jesus did on the cross does that. But it is an opportunity to be like Him…to love like Him. It’s a tall order but don’t worry, you know that He’s got this too.

Family, fear, forgiveness, Grace, gratitude, life, priorities, Scripture, thankful, Trials

I’m All Shook Up

Posted on January 20, 2021January 18, 2021 by Dewayne Taylor

The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it.” Proverbs 27:12

I grabbed it and couldn’t let go. I’ve said it before but growing up, times were pretty hard. My Daddy worked very hard to provide a good home for us and we always had plenty of good food. Sure, sometimes there was more “loaf than meat” but hey it was still good. One of my favorite food memories from when I was nine or ten was a fried potato sandwich. When there wasn’t any meat for sandwiches, Mama would slice some potatoes and fry them up. We would slap those things between two pieces of bread with some mayo and instant heaven. I mean who doesn’t like home fries anyway?

We lived in an old World War II barracks that had been converted into a two bedroom house with a breezeway that led to a closed in garage that served as a third bedroom. We also had two acres of land which was great for playing but not so great for mowing. We didn’t have a riding mower until I was in my teens so the two acres had to be mowed by hand. To get it done we had an old push mower. Just trust me that was a lot to mow with a push mower. Anyway, this mower had two unique qualities. First, it didn’t have a throttle. It had one speed—wide open. It was one of those deals where you wrapped a rope around the top and gave it a yank. If you said your prayers and held your tongue just right—it would crank. And like I said, when it started…it started.

The other quirk with our lawnmower was that it didn’t have a kill switch either. There were two ways to turn it off. First, you could take a screwdriver and ground the spark plug to a metal part on the mower. The second was a lot more risky. You could attempt to pull the spark plug wire off the spark plug. Now, keep in mind I was pretty young and didn’t understand all the dynamics of a spark plug, the coil and touching the wrong thing at the wrong time. I was a setup for a shocking experience.

So one day…you can see it coming can’t you? Well, one day, I was done mowing and the lawnmower was running wide open. I had to kill the beast—slay the dragon if you will. I was a good piece from the shed and didn’t have a screw driver so that left only option 2—pulling off the spark plug wire. Running wide open, shaking like a hula dance (that would be me and not the lawnmower) I reached down and grabbed a hold. I still don’t know if I grabbed the wrong part or if the current came though the brittle insulation on the wire but it got me.

I’m not sure if I can describe the sensation that I experienced. I can vividly remember two things. My whole arm shaking and the fact that I couldn’t get loose. I’m sure I’ve never experienced anything quite like it. Like the Ray Stevens song about the Mississippi Squirrel, I was sure “something had a hold of me.” I don’t know how I got loose. It may have been mercy from above or pure desperation but I did get loose. The lawnmower was still running and my arm was still shaking. If you ever see this strange twitch in my left arm—well, it still hasn’t got over the sensation.

I’m supposing I got a LONG screwdriver and killed the engine and I am also sure I never, and I mean never, went out again without it again. You only need to grab the wrong thing one time and you will never do it again. I know that is true with quirky old lawnmowers but I also know it is true with bad decisions. I suppose everyone of us has a bad decision somewhere in our past—and I am not talking about spicy pizza as a midnight snack.

There are certain things, and a lot of times they are lawbreakers, that you shouldn’t do once much less twice. If we would just hit the pause button and think about it we could eliminate a lot of our regrets and consequences. Do I really want to do that? Do I really want to keep that date? Is that a call I really want to make? Is that a relationship I really want to maintain? Think about it. I have never done this before but I just need to use that verse we wrote about recently. It is from Proverbs (which is like wise sayings) and it tells us the prudent (or wise) person will see danger and take refuge. The simple (inexperienced) person will see the danger and keep right on going.

Let me tell you. I grabbed that wire once and once was enough. The only thing that would have been better was if I would have walked to the shed and got the screwdriver. It wasn’t that far. But, I thought I would be the exception. I thought I could pull it off…no pun intended…and I was wrong. I.Was.Wrong. I don’t know if there is anything in your life right now that is a bad idea or maybe you’re making plans. Take some advice from a former “wire grabber.” Don’t. Just do the right thing and you won’t regret it. Oh, and if you don’t, there is a God who loves and cares for you. And if you ask, He will help. He’s got this.