Category: sovereignty of God

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

Live Your Dreams – Vivez Votre Reves

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Matthew 6:33

It was an old message for today.  My home office is my man-cave.  It is a great place to work and a great place to remember.  It is filled, and this is not a metaphor, with things that remind me of some of the adventures that my wife Judy and I have been on.  It also contains things that are a part of my life story…things from my childhood, things from my Air Force days, and things about my Jesus journey. And this last one is what this Grits message is about.

So, there is a 16×20 picture that hangs over my man-cave size television.  The picture was taken I’m guessing ten years ago.  The location is Mali, West Africa and more specifically under a tree in a small village in the bush (or wilderness).  In the picture are eight people—five are Africans and three are American.  We had been called there because one of the African men believed he was demon possessed and he wanted the American missionaries to pray for him. So, we did.

After we prayed, we assured him that our God loved him dearly and wanted to set him free not just from a demon but from the sin that held him in bondage.  He was grateful for the prayer, and we were grateful for the opportunity to pray.  So, in this picture, one of the African men had on a bright yellow t shirt.  On the back of the shirt, and facing the camera, was something written in French. It said, “Vivez Votre Reves!” Well, all these years I never thought about what that shirt said.

The other morning, I was chatting with my Dearest Daddy about what He might want Judy and me to do in the coming and remaining days of our lives. And without really thinking, I glanced up at the picture that I have seen a thousand times and pondered, wondering what the shirt said. Well, I got my iPad out and opened Google Translator and typed in the French phrase. Within a half a second, I had my answer both to what the shirt said and maybe part of what God wants us to do.  The translated message on the shirt said, “Live Your Dreams.”

Well, I was amazed.  To me it was one of those God moments when I was praying, and God gave me a quick answer. Now in case you are wondering, I am one of those people who believes that whatever Judy and I dream should have God written on it.  In this case, God seemed to be saying, “Follow Me, dare to dream and dare to trust Me.” Wow.  I think that is pretty awesome.  The bottom-line, as always, is that while we may not have the details about tomorrow, we do know the One who holds our tomorrow…and He can be trusted.  No matter what, no matter when, we have the confident assurance that, “He’s got this.”  Bro. Dewayne

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

A Leap of Faith

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

Once I was young, and now I am old. Yet I have never seen the godly abandoned or their children begging for bread.” Psalm 37:25

It was a one and only, life changing, Valentine’s Day. It was 1982…forty-two years ago.  My wife Judy and I were enjoying life and enjoying our still “new to us” daughter who had just turned one.  And that isn’t all.  My wife Judy was expecting our second child due that August.  As Gomer Pyle used to say, “Surprise, surprise, surprise.”  But there was more…a lot more.  You see, about a month before that Valentine’s Day, the pastor where we attended church had asked me to speak on Men’s Day.  In case you’re wondering, Men’s Day in a Baptist Church is where the men step and do something.  It could be singing in the choir or, like me, speaking.  Yup, the pastor asked me to speak that day and I said yes.

That wasn’t a total surprise.  The previous year he had asked me to share my Jesus story…how I met and responded to faith in Jesus.  Shortly after that he asked me a curious question.  “Dewayne,” he said, “have you ever thought about becoming a pastor?”  Well, the truth was it had crossed my mind, but not seriously. After all, I had a great career going in the Air Force and with another baby on the way, well, it wasn’t on my radar. So, I sat down and wrote something that I thought would work and I guess it did. But from that moment on, something was restless in my soul.  I was afraid if I ever tried this speaking thing it might start something and it did.

For the next couple of weeks, things kinda rolled around in my soul. Something was stirring but even I was surprised by what that thing was.  So, that Valentine’s Day, Judy and I did what we always did on Sunday…go to church. I’m sure there were cards exchanged and most likely a gift or two, but it was a normal, “get up and go to church” Sunday.  We went to our Bible study class (which remains one of our favorite memories…great friends getting together).

After class we headed to worship.  We were sitting in our “normal” spot…center section, five or six rows back.  We sang, we prayed, we gave, and then we sat down to listen…and apparently, God was talking…to me.  At the end of the service, we always had a time for people to go forward and pray or perhaps make some sort of commitment. Well, without any warning (God does that sometimes), an unexpected passion or urgency came over me and I found myself leaving my seat and heading toward my pastor.  I took him by the hand and told him God was calling me to be a vocational pastor.  I don’t believe he was shocked, but I can tell you I was.  I knew this meant a total life change and career change.  It still amazes me as I think about it.

Well, there’s a lot to the story but that decision led me to leave the Air Force after 12 years of service and jump headlong into the pool of faith and trusting God.  Today, February 14th, marks that day forty-two years ago.  You might be wondering, “So, Dewayne, how did that work for you?”  Well, there have been bumps, but I want to tell you that God has been so faithful to us. We have had the ride of our lives, and it has been incredible. There’s a verse in the Bible where the author says that he had never seen someone who followed God forsaken or begging for bread.  Well, that’s a broad statement and it is certainly needs to be taken as a principle and not a promise, but I can tell you God has watched over us these four plus  decades.

Valentine’s Day is and should be a special day.  I know it was probably a ploy by Hallmark to make a ton of money.  I know it can be a blessing for those who remember and a bane for those who forget.  But for me, it is a time to remember the day I jumped…and God caught me. You might know that in the military if you serve 20 years you can retire handsomely. You may have done the math and concluded that if I had served eight more years, I would have been “fixed” for life.  You ask, “Do you every regret getting out and losing “all of that?”  My brother-in-law asked that one time and my answer was, “Absolutely, 100%, no.”  I wouldn’t have missed this story for the world. Oh, and the best part is…my story and yours are still being written.  You might wonder why I can end each story with, “He’s got this.” Well, the truth is, He’s proved it over and over again.  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in birthday, Family, forgiveness, friends, Grace, gratitude, life, loving others, Scripture, sovereignty of God, thankful, Trials

Lego’s Mania

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

For nothing is impossible with God.” Luke 1:37

Legos—not my cup of tea.  Legos are one of the hottest things going on. As I write this, part of my tribe consists of my daughter and her husband and three of my grandsons are in Atlanta. They are celebrating the middle one of the grandsons’ birthdays.  You see, there is a place called Legoland in Atlanta and it is a place where you can buy Legos. You can actually buy them just about anywhere, but this is the Mecca of Legos—Legos on steroids. In case you don’t know Legos are little pieces of plastic that snap together.  Now you have two options.  First, you can just buy a bunch of the little pieces and then put them together however you see fit.  Second, you can buy a Legos kit where they provide all the pieces you will need to build something with some instructions to boot. Trust me there are some amazing kits out there…sometimes consisting of thousands of pieces.

I recently celebrated my birthday and my friend and fellow staff member at the church where I serve bought me a Mustang (smile) made from Legos.  It was a kit and fortunately for me he had already assembled it.  It had 544 pieces of frustration—I mean Legos—in the box.  First, I thought it was so cool that he gave it to me, and I thought it was very cool that he put it together.  How incredible.

Well, recently, my wife Judy and I were down in Murray at the home of another part of our tribe. Before we left, I happened to notice that there was a Legos kit box on the dining room table.  This one was a spacecraft from one of the Star Wars movies. Their son, another of my grandsons, is into Star Wars and really into Legos so they were putting this kit together as a father and son thing.  I guess that was so they could go crazy together.  Anyway, I asked my son-in-law if it was hard to put this thing together and he assured me it wasn’t.  He said, “They give you instructions.” At this point I wanted to say, “And your point is?”  I mean all the instructions in the world wouldn’t help me complete this mammoth project.  You see, from where I sit, I know instructions can make something easier, but it can still be hard. I told him that too.

I shared with him how God gives me a great set of instructions, but I still manage to struggle in figuring them out. Sometimes I get it right and sometimes I get it wrong.  I’ve been on this Jesus journey now for 53 years and I try to read the instructions real regularly but, well, it can still be a challenge.  But here is the good news, the big news.  No matter how I struggle with it…He never gives up on me, never gets mad and never get inpatient.  Like the great Father that He is, He just patiently leads me along…sometimes clarifying, somethings explaining and sometimes even stepping into the mess I’ve made.

Does your life sometimes seem like an overwhelming Legos kit?  Do you sometimes seem overwhelmed, confused, or lost?  Don’t worry, your Dearest Daddy is a Legos Master, and nothing is too big or confusing for Him. Go ahead and ask and you two can sit down together and figure it all out.  After all, He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne

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

This is the Day

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

If we are unfaithful, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny who He is.” 2 Timothy 2:13

It was Saturday morning.  I like Saturdays…especially early in the morning.  I usually get up somewhere between 4.30am and 5.00am.  There is no alarm and no reason…it is just something that I do and have done for years.  I immediately head to my trusty Keurig for a cup of inspiration and then watch a few minutes of the Weather Channel before heading over to the farm show.  I know, I am not a farmer but for some reason it is part of my Saturday routine.  They do have a weather report that is like the old fashion days…you know, not a lot of fancy stuff just some weather maps and a few graphics. After that comes some time with God. I read, we talk and well, it’s just a great way to start any day but especially…Saturday.

So, this past Saturday, after the normal routines were done, I decided to make another cup of coffee and take it outside. It was still early…you know that time when night is still lingering but it is on the run. It’s a mixture of grays with just a hint of promise starting to peek in the East.  As I walked out onto our driveway, I looked to my left, to the east, and saw a bit of that promise.  From where I was standing, I could see the Christian Church that sits over on the next block.  They have those frosted, glass block windows that were all the rage in the 1940’s. One of those windows was capturing the first rays of that day’s sun…and it was beautiful.

Reflecting on the window and filling the whole window, was a radiant color that can only be described as brilliant orange.  It was that morning’s sun, just rising above the horizon, saying, “Good Morning.”  As I looked, a verse from the Old Testament part of the Jewish and Christian Bibles, came to my mind.  It says, “This is the day that the Lord has made…I will…that is, I choose…to rejoice and be glad in it.  And, honestly, given the reflection in the glass, that might not be too difficult.

Well, I wondered if I walked north to my front yard, could I see more of the impending sunrise. So, I started walking, carefully avoiding all the small rocks on the sidewalk that could hurt my bare feet and spoil the moment.  When I got to the front yard, there was indeed a small glimpse and this time it was the Methodist Church’s turn to be a part of the show.  This church sits just down the street from our house.  It is a majestic, old building made of brick with large columns. It could easily be a church planted on a city square somewhere down south.

And there it was…the early morning sun.  Sandwiched between two massive columns, that same brilliant orange, pierced the gray…and it was beautiful. It was so beautiful; I spoke out loud the words that had earlier come to my mind.  “This is the day that the Lord has made…I will…that is, I choose…to rejoice and be glad in it.”  It was a declaration, but it also was a celebration.  I was celebrating the faithfulness of my Dearest Daddy who had blessed me with a brilliant taste of the new day.  It.Was.Good.

It was about then that I made a connection.  It was good and so is He.  I mean, I had no idea what the day was going to hold, but if He is good then I just believed that regardless of what came, He was going to bring good from it. There is another verse that says that in the Bible, but that morning, I owned it…I believed it…by faith.  I was deciding that, regardless of that day’s circumstances, they were not going to dictate my opinion of God.  Instead, my faith in the God Who caused the sun to rise would.

Another verse popped up on my radar and it was one that I had decided to use when I shared at church on Sunday.  It was written by Paul, a guy God used to write a chunk of the New Testament and he said, “If we are unfaithful, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny who He is.” Even when I am not faithful, even when I blow it—He will be faithful.  Why? It’s just who He is, and He cannot deny Who He is.

So, today, regardless of what comes, I hope you will remember that no matter what, God is going to be faithful.  You have His word on it.  It doesn’t mean the day is guaranteed to be perfect.  It doesn’t mean that there won’t be a bump or a tragedy.  It just means that no matter what…no.matter.what…He will be there, He will be faithful and, oh yes, He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

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

Divine Appointments

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

Brothers, if you have any word of encouragement for the people, come and give it.” Acts 13:15b

It was a divine appointment.  I love when things happen—things that you can spot a mile away as a Divine appointment.  Yesterday I had one and it literally changed the trajectory of my day.  So, I got out of bed, had some coffee and Jesus time and then headed downstairs.  It was a pretty good Jesus time and I could tell. It helped me decide to do the right thing and exercise and make my wife’s day by playing pickle ball. By the way, in case you are wondering, that part was fun even though my body thought otherwise.  Now, back to the God appointment.

I chatted with my wife Judy for a while and told her that I was going walking. She thought that was a good idea.  So, I put on my walking clothes and prepared to head out the door.  I was going to walk to the park, make a lap around the lake and come back. It’s one of my standard and favorite treks. But then it happened. I paused and told Judy, “I think I will walk out on the bike trail and check out the repairs they did on the bridge.” Trust me, the repairs were a good thing—some of the holes were big enough for a small elephant to fall through.  Anyway…so I did. I walked out to the bridge (great job repair guys) and then headed back toward the car and that is where the God moment happened.

As I neared my car, a guy in a truck stopped and rolled down his window. I walked over to the truck, and he began to tell me that he was a regular reader of Grits and how much he appreciated them.  That made my day…but then it got better.  He talked about how he and his girlfriend did devotions together and she would read a devotional and then they would read Grits together.  He was amazed at how often the devotion and Grits would work together to help them through the day.  How cool is that?  But wait…the story went on.  He shared how that he was on a journey to get closer to God and how he often wanted to fix life himself and how hard that was.  I was just nodding my head because that is something I know personally to be true.

You see, I am a fixer too and often, despite my best intentions—I fail, and I was able to share that with my friend. Getting it right can be hard—but then, there is my Dearest Daddy, my Best Friend and the Holy Spirit and they are all helping me, helping us and nudging me and us in the right direction.  I love that.  God (Father, Son Spirit—the Three in One) is working on my behalf.  So quickly, the Divine appointment was over and I’m pretty sure I can say two things.  First, my friend the Grits reader left a little more encouraged. Check.  Second, this Grits writer felt the same.  It made my day…not just that he was a reader, but that Grits was helping him on his journey.  That was incredible.

So, there you go.  A simple decision to walk, to choose the repaired bridge over the park and to walk at the exact time my friend was driving by, they all led to God doing His sweet work.  All of that just confirms what you and I probably know—that no matter what—no matter when—He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, food, forgiveness, friends, Grace, gratitude, life, loving others, prayer, school days, Scripture, sovereignty of God, thankful, wisdom

Dinner on the Grounds

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

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

There’s lunch and then there is dinner on the grounds.  Church and I were a good fit from the get-go.  The schools I attended were always large and it was easy for someone to get lost in the crowd.  The bottom line seemed to be you had to be either really good or really bad to get recognized.  If you were really good at sports, for example, then a lot of people knew your name.  If you were really bad at life, well people knew your name, but it was the wrong people.  You might remember the categories in your yearbook that named people to be the most likely to do something.  Some were just destined not to be remembered. That was probably me.

I was one of those guys who just wandered around in the gray social midst at school but not so at church.  The churches I attended were like the three bears and their beds. One was too big; one was too small, and one was just right.  They were big enough to have fun, and I suppose learn a little about Jesus, and yet not too big.  I managed to be accepted by my peers and even the adults thought I was cool. So church was a good fit but that isn’t the main reason why I liked it.  I was grateful for the social acceptability, and I even appreciated the Bible stories and learning about Jesus, but in those days, I was in it for…the food.

You see, several times a year we would have meals at church. There were two things that you could count on.  First, they were always potlucks.  Now, in case you don’t know what a potluck dinner is, first, where have you been?  No seriously, a potluck is when everyone brings something for dinner.  It is one of the greatest inventions in the food world.  Imagine the world’s best buffet—meats, casseroles, vegetables, breads, starches, and the motherlode of all motherlodes—dessert. I can still remember there being tables—as in more than one—of nothing but desserts.  It was like food heaven. We still do this every once in a while, at our church so if you ever hear of this happening, even if you don’t like God, you need to come to church that Sunday.  One word says it all—cowabunga! If you need more than one word—here’s three “shoot that thing.”

The second thing that was just cool was in the old days’ churches would build permanent tables outside to hold all this food.  Often, they would have a tin roof over them.  You could line up on both sides and let her rip.  We always had those big plates, and you were obligated to fill them up.  Then, you would just go find yourself a place in the grass and sit down and eat…and eat…and eat.  It truly was one of my favorite times at church.  The food and the fellowship (being with all the people) was just amazing.  We have a ministry at our church where if a member of a family dies, we provide lunch for them on the day of the funeral. It is like a mini potluck and our ladies do such a wonderful job.  I’ve already asked them if I can have my dinner before I go so I can enjoy the meal.  I’m still working on that one.

You see, there are lots of reasons to attend church and like I said in my early years’ food was a good reason.  I have another reason now too. I’m the pastor.  It’s kinda expected that I will attend. But here’s the truth.  I don’t go now for the food…I go because I want to go. Yup…I don’t have to go to church, I get to go to church.  It is so good because some of the people I love the most are there.  And guess what? Some of the people that are a little harder to love are there too but that doesn’t matter because we have one thing in common—we all are pretty fond of God.

But wait, it gets better.  Guess what?  He is really fond of us.  He loved and loves everyone so much that He sent His Son to earth—we call that Christmas.  He also loved and loves everyone so much that He allowed Him to die on a Roman cross—we call that Good Friday.  It was bad for Him that day, but it was good for us because that day He paid the price for all the things all of us have done that offend His Father.  But wait…that isn’t the end.  After three days, He came back to life—we call that Easter, and it is a documented fact that it happened.  Pretty amazing.

Well, I am grateful for all the good food and other things that happen at church.  But I am so grateful for God, my Dearest Daddy, loving me that much and remember, He loves you that much too.  If you want to know more, I hope you will get a copy of His Book the Bible—it’s been a best seller for centuries—really.  Something I have learned is that it is a great idea to have God on your side.  It’s just good to know that He is there and will be there no matter what.  No, He isn’t Santa Claus just waiting to give you everything on your list.  No, He isn’t a Genie just waiting for you to rub His lamp.  He is God, He is real, and He wants to make a difference in your world.  Why not give Him a try?  You’ll find that no matter what you face, He will face it with you. I’ve learned that every day, no matter what, “He’s got this.” Bro. Dewayne

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

Remodel or Rebuild

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17

It happens frequently and I still don’t understand it.  It is a common practice today for a company to purchase a piece of land with a rather nice building on it.  Then, to my surprise and dismay, they promptly tear down the building just to build a new one.  The reason this always surprises me is because I don’t see the big picture.  I remember a time when a friend of mine bought a piece of land and it had a nice two-story house on it.  I was a little surprised when they tore the house down—until I saw what they built instead.  It was then that I realized the old didn’t line up with the new.

The story is told of a businessman selling a warehouse property. The building, left vacant for months, suffered damage from vandals – doors broken, windows smashed, and the interior strewn with trash. It was a mess.

After it was put up for sale, a potential buyer came by to see the property.  During a tour of the property, the businessman reassured the potential buyer repeatedly that he would clean up the property and do any repairs that were needed.  It was then that it happened. The buyer dismissed the repairs, saying, “When I buy this place, I’m tearing down the building and constructing something completely new. I don’t want the building; I want the site.” Once again, that might not make sense until the new was built for the new far outweighed the old.

In the same way, before we come to Christ, we resemble that lot with an old warehouse. With all our sin and all its scars, we find ourselves in a dire spiritual state and our first thought is to get better—to get religion, to get church, to stop this and start that before we let God in. The truth is we don’t need a remodel…we need a resurrection. Our temptation is often to try and fix everything before surrendering to God through faith in Christ.

Well get this. God isn’t interested in our repairs; He desires our site, our lives, our heart. He wants to take us as we are and create something entirely new. Paul, one of the writers in the New Testament said it this way, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” Get that—He makes it all new. There’s no need to clean ourselves up before approaching God. Instead, we just need to come and let Him do a total rebuild.  Just place your trust in Jesus and allow Him to transform you into something new. Trust me, His rebuild is always much better than our remodel.  Let Him have His way—He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne

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

One Long Day

Posted on 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, one of those days that seem to stretch into eternity. My wife, Judy, often asks me about my day when I come home from work, and sometimes I respond, “It was one long day.” On Fridays or Saturdays, when I’m busy with household chores, the day feels endless, and I tell Judy, “What a great long day today.” The perception of the day often depends on its circumstances.

June 6th, 1944 is a date many recognize as the Allied invasion of Normandy during World War II, the beginning of the end of that conflict. It was a massive undertaking with an uncertain outcome, and someone referred to it as “the longest day.”

We all have our “longest days,” and 2020 might have felt like 366 of them. Some days make us mourn, while others are worth celebrating. January 24th holds a special place for my wife and me as our first daughter was born on that day, exactly forty-three years ago today.

The labor started late Thursday evening, and as Judy opted for minimal medical intervention, it became a challenging process. The hours turned into a marathon, and I, the faithful husband, stayed by her side throughout. Well, almost. There was that one time when a friend brought me a massive burger and fries, and I obliviously enjoyed them while Judy glared. I was thinking about food, not labor pains.

As the clock ticked, we progressed into the evening, and Rebecca decided to delay her grand entrance. Finally, around midnight, Dr. Dickerson announced it was time, and, coincidentally, the cheesy Japanese monster movie we were watching ended. In the delivery room, Rebecca made her grand appearance, and the longest day ended. Judy endured 23 hours of labor, and our precious daughter weighed 8 lbs. 15.5 ounces.

For years, we’ve fondly recalled that longest day—Judy’s longest day. For me, it involved burgers, fries, and Godzilla. Yet, it marked the day God blessed us with our first daughter, setting the stage for two more daughters and eight grandchildren.

When facing your longest day, remember a couple of things. Every day is a gift from the Creator God, and if you allow Him to guide you, you can not only endure but thrive. The finish line may seem elusive, but it will come if you persist.

Paul, a New Testament writer, knew about enduring long days, although not labor pains. He encouraged not getting tired of doing good, promising a harvest if we don’t give up. Whether or not you follow Jesus, the advice stands—don’t give up. God is there to help you through each day, including your longest one. Rest assured, “He’s got this.” – Bro. Dewayne

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

Just Beneath the Surface

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1

I stood at the window and looked.  It was a cold morning in January…and it was getting colder. Overnight an arctic front had blown through leaving a heavy dusting of snow and falling temperatures all accompanied by a blustery north wind that made the cold seem even more frigid. The morning light was just breaking so it was still dark and as I looked, I saw despair…saw nothing that seemed to offer hope.

Life is like that sometimes, isn’t it?  Everywhere we look there are challenges.  House fires, accidents, perplexing situations with our careers and injustice are all around us. We have several in our families who are struggling with cancer and end-of-life stages. Well-used bodies are beginning to fail. Even though the life journey for them has been long, it is still difficult to face the fact that some goodbyes are not far in the future.

And then there is tomorrow.  Tomorrow I will be officiating at a funeral for a much too young 18-year-old high school junior.  He was struck by an automobile and didn’t survive the encounter. It is going to be hard—there is just no way around it.  See what I mean?  Life can often seem like the view from my winter window.  It would seem so hopeless…except for one thing.  Spring.

You see, all things equal, I know something.  I know that sleeping beneath the cold and perhaps frozen earth are grass and plants from last year and while they are sleeping now, they won’t sleep forever.  In just a couple of months, a few weeks, they are going to burst back into the sun and life will begin again.  It is going to happen because that is the way God made it. He created the seasons for us to…enjoy.  It is hard to understand that on this cold January morning, but it is true. And this cold morning is going to help me appreciate the new life when it happens.  I will have a deeper appreciation of life.

So, if your life seems like a frigid morning in January, know this.  God wants, God desires to bring life in the Spring. Whether it is an encounter with eternity or a dark time with no sign of light, God wants to bring hope into your story.  He gave His Son for that very purpose.  Jesus died on a Roman cross so we could live.  He defeated death by coming back to life that first Easter morning. Just like the first flower brave enough to bloom in early Spring, so He bloomed to offer hope…to each of us…to all of us.  All we must do is believe, to have faith.

All the wishing in the world won’t change the view out my winter window…but time will.  And in His time, He will bring Spring to yours too.  Don’t give up.  Just believe this.  Right below the surface of your life, just like the cold, frozen ground outside my window, there is life, and that life is going to burst out of the ground one day.  There is hope…even where you are now.  Struggling to believe?  Don’t worry…He can help you with that too.  He who requires faith can give faith.  He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, friends, gratitude, life, love, priorities, school days, Scripture, Southern born, sovereignty of God, thankful

Missing a Grade

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

I remember the days of old; I meditate on all You have done; I reflect on the work of Your hands.” Psalm 143:5

I’m not sure why…but there’s a gap. When I started school in Jacksonville, Florida there was no kindergarten.  It was like one day you were at home and then you weren’t.  My first four grades of elementary school were at Wesconnett Elementary School and the last two were at a brand-new school—Jacksonville Heights Elementary School. Unlike Wesconnett, that required a bus ride, the new school was only blocks down the road from my house. 

Wesconnett was old…really old. It was all brick and hot with no air conditioning. That is one reason why we didn’t start school till after Labor Day.  I remember it having large paned windows, oak floors, and tall ceilings.  Hundreds of footsteps would echo through those halls. And, to a little kid like me, it was big—like huge.  It was at Wesconnett that I met and fell in love for the first time.  She was older than me—my first-grade teacher—Mrs. Jones.  And, like the song from the seventies says, “we had a thing going on” or at least I did.  She was pretty (at least from my seven-year-old perspective) and she was nice.  I became her number one eraser cleaner.  But soon, it was time to move on.  So, I passed first grade, and it was so long Mrs. Jones.

By second grade I was a veteran.  A lot of the insecurities were gone, and I met Mrs. Webb.  She, like Mrs. Jones, was a kind teacher.  I think, though I am not sure, that my sister and I had our tonsils out about then and she had all the kids write me get well cards.  I can still remember how special it was to receive that big envelope from my classmates. Thank you, Mrs. Webb.  Third grade meant yet another teacher…this time Mrs. Wilson.  Now I don’t mean this in a mean way but she kind of reminded me of one of the witches from “The Wizard of Oz.”  She was an older lady and wore her hair in a tight bun and was quite stern.  I didn’t clean Mrs. Wilson’s erasers.  But looking back, she was a good teacher and she helped us learn and that is what mattered.  I managed to pass again, so soon it was so long Mrs. Wilson.

Fifth grade meant a new school (with air conditioning—smile) and yet another new teacher and her name was, get ready for it, Mrs. Slappy.  She was rather short, had bright red hair and was rather snappy.  Today I think I would use the word, “feisty.”  As I remember her class, it was fun, and I had a new responsibility.  She selected me (and a couple of others) to be trained to run the film strip projector and the movie projector.  It was a big deal.  When we were going to see a film strip or movie in class, one of us would go down and check out the equipment, set it up and operate it.  Wow…what responsibility and to think, she trusted me.  That was a big deal. Thank you, Mrs. Slappy.

My final year in elementary school, sixth grade, was a landmark year.  I had my first male teacher; Mr. Perry and I was selected to be a “patrol boy.”  Mr. Perry was, as you can imagine, a little different from Mrs. Jones in first grade but I remember him being imposing but fair.  He was a “rules” guy but if you followed the rules, you did ok.  That served me well then and really for the rest of my life.  I know it started at home but Mr. Perry reenforced it…a lesson well learned. Well, there you go, my parade of teachers. The end. Thanks for reading.

Well, not quite.  You see there was a reason I walked you through all of that.  Did you notice something? Well, if you noticed that there is a gap…you are right.  You see, for some reason, and who knows why, there is a total gap for the fourth grade.  I have absolutely no memories of my teacher, classmates, or surroundings.  I know it was Wesconnett but beyond that…zero…and that intrigues me.  I don’t know or believe it was anything bad…there is just a gap. In fact, it means that there was probably a good teacher who taught me, good friends that I met and played with and a whole year of great memories that, for some reason, I have forgotten. I.Have.Forgotten.

And that made me think.  How many other incredibly good things have I forgotten?  It seems we have no problem remembering all the bad stuff but sometimes we tend to forget the good stuff, the great stuff that comes our way.  I love writing about my days as a kid, but I wonder how many good stories I could write if I remembered all the other adventures that came my way.  How many more adventurous things came my way that …slipped away.  Hmmm.

Remembering the good always feeds gratitude and dwelling on the bad tends to feed the opposite. And, trying to fill unexplained gaps, well, can do the same.  Why don’t we celebrate the good, let the hard stuff stay in the rearview mirror and those gaps…just let them be.  I like what the writer of Psalms 145:3 said, “I remember the days of old; I meditate on all you have done; I reflect on the work of your hands.”  In other words, whether it was good, whether it was difficult or whether there is a gap, we know and celebrate one constant, “He’s got that.”  Bro. Dewayne