Category: sovereignty of God

Posted in life, missions, Scripture, sovereignty of God, spiritual battles, travel, wisdom

Big Rivers, Hungry Crocs and Fat Hippos

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “But if you don’t do this, you will certainly sin against the Lord; be sure your sin will catch up with you.”  Numbers 32:23

How do things like this happen?  If you are older than three, you have probably already bumped into something that got bigger than you intended.  Whether you are a toddler reaching for the cookie jar or a teenager thinking no one will ever know or in a marriage pushing the limits…well, you’ve probably had that emptiness in your stomach when the cookie jar crashes, or dad says, “Son, we need to talk” or you come home to an empty house because word got around.  How does it happen?

Really the answer to that question is older than time and bigger than a short story with a big truth or, for that matter, a thick book full of truths but maybe we can at least cast a little light in the arena.  Judy and I have been to East Africa and the country of Uganda more than a few times.  We launch our trips to the islands of Lake Victoria from the small town of Jinga.  We enter town, with the lake on our right, and cross a small channel that leads to a decent size dam.  On the other side of the dam, and no more than fifty yards wide, is the origin of the mighty Nile River.

Now trust me, if you saw the Mighty Nile at this point you wouldn’t be too impressed.  It wanders through the Ugandan countryside on its way north before eventually emptying into the Mediterranean Sea.  The journey is somewhere over 4,100 miles and slowly the river grows and grows until it is almost two miles wide at some points.  Judy and I had the opportunity to take a ride on the Nile and besides being impressed by its size, I was more than impressed with the very large and very hungry, crocodiles that call the Nile home.  Oh, and did I mention the animal that causes more deaths in Africa than any other animal? It is the hippopotamus and there are lots of them in the Nile. Lots.

So, we begin with something that is relatively small that becomes large and we have something relatively benign that is dangerously filled with things that want to eat you or stomp you to death.  Either way—something little becomes big and dangerous.  And that, dear friend, is how things get out of control in our lives too.  It starts as something we think we can handle, something that almost, almost, seems safe and before long—we have a monster on our hands.  Let’s revisit the Nile.

If you were to start floating down the Nile in your little boat the first chunk of your journey would be easy.  But somewhere upstream (since the Nile flows north) there is something that will kill you—Murchison Falls.  The entire Nile River is funneled down into a rock channel that is only 23 feet wide before the water violently plummets 141 feet.  Go there and you are dead—no exceptions.  It’s the same results when we don’t pay attention to the tension that sometimes occurs in our lives.  When that tension is there…it is there for a reason.  Andy Stanley gives two good pieces of advice.  First, pay attention to the tension; and two, if something bothers you, let it bother you.  That’s good stuff.

So, the big truth today is we sometimes need to hit the pause button.  We also need to understand that we are not the exception to the rule…we can get hurt, we can create a disaster, and yes, someone will find out. Oh, by the way, do you really think it is a secret from God? The Old Testament gives us a sound warning—be sure your sins will find you out and often, when it does, well, its gonna leave a mark—a bruise—or worse.

As you journey today or tomorrow, you might want to listen for the Whisperer whispering His gentle words of warning.  Don’t ignore them…He knows truth and He knows consequences.  Our sin cost His Son His life.  However, if we ask, He will be there to help and to guide. No matter how big the crocs, or how fat the hippos, or how violent the falls—you can trust the fact that, “He’s got this.”    Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Grace, life, Scripture, sovereignty of God, Trials

Like a Thief in the Night

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.” Romans 8:18

It came like a thief in the night. I believe it was Jesus who said something like that in the New Testament part of the Bible. It seems that He was talking about the time when He would come back to take His family home to be with Him. He was telling His followers that they should always be ready because there probably wouldn’t be any warning.  Well, as it turns out that doesn’t just apply to things like Jesus’ return. While we were in Florida experiencing a respite from the Southern Illinois winter, it turned out that something was coming my way without much warning.

One day in paradise, I woke up with a bit of a cough—the kind that you write off as caused by drainage down your throat.  So, with a hack-hack here and a hack-hack there, I wrote it off—until I couldn’t. After the “hacky” thing continued for a couple of days, I woke up one morning pretty sure that a tractor-truck had detoured through our bedroom during the night. While I have never actually experienced a hangover I am pretty sure that morning I felt like I had one. The hack-hack cough was in full swing, my head was filled with misery, I had a headache, and my body definitely felt it’s full 71 years.

As the day progressed I actually felt a little better so, as planned, my wife Judy and I began our journey home via my sister’s house in Alabama. That night I wasn’t very hungry and turned in a little early. And then, like a thief in the night, whatever it was returned with a vengeance. After getting up, I stayed at the house all day while my sister and Judy did some shopping. When they got home everyone decided I needed to go to the doctor—and I did. The diagnosis was “Type A” flu. I don’t know what the “A” stands for but it seems to me it has to do something with AWEFUL because that is exactly how I felt.

Now, a few days later, As I sit at home at my desk trying to make this story make sense, I realized that I had no idea where this storm came from. As far as I know, I had not been around anyone with the flu. What I do know is that I got it.  Gratefully, this is about day five and I am beginning to feel some better. I do know this, while this caught me totally off guard, and it indeed did strike like a thief in the night—my Father was on duty the whole time and gratefully it did not catch Him off guard. You know I’m not sure why God allows things like this to pop into our lives (nor why He created mosquitoes) but I do know He doesn’t waste anything—not even a case of the flu.

So, what is going on in your life right now? There is a good chance it is some much bigger than my case of the flu.  But here is something I love about our Father—no matter how big or no matter how small, He can give every situation His full and loving attention. Be sure and rest in that. Oh and rest in this—He loves you more than you can imagine. So no matter what is trying to sneak into your life—know it can’t sneak up on Him. You can rest assured that, “He’s got this.” Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, food, gratitude, life, Scripture, Southern born, sovereignty of God, thankful

Biscuits, God and You

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “Then Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother wouldn’t have died. Yet even now I know that whatever You ask from God, God will give You.”  “Your brother will rise again,” Jesus told her.” John 11:21-23

Biscuits…hot, with butter and syrup.  There are certain foods that almost act like a time machine and one of them is a good, southern biscuit.  My Momma was a good cook but her biscuits were like they own food group.  She would clear off the counter, get out the lard, flour and milk (and I guess a couple of other things), mix them together in a bowl, plop out the mixture on the counter and roll it out with her ancient rolling pin.

If I remember right she would grab a ball of the dough, flatten and shape it in her hand and then put it on the pan. Then, for whatever reason, she would take a finger or her thumb and put a little dimple in the top.  After a few minutes in the oven, out they came, heaven in a pan.  While still hot, we would add butter and just like that—a timeless, priceless southern delicacy. Need dessert? No problem, just add butter and syrup and you have southern dining at its best.

When we recently traveled south, we visited with my three sisters and two of them made…biscuits.  I’m not sure if it was Momma’s recipe or not but what I can tell you is that they were delicious. While both served real butter, not that fake stuff, one served them with orange marmalade. My, my they were good.  But wait…there is more.  We also visited with Judy’s brother and his wife Sandra also made biscuits.  I am sure somewhere down the line we must be related because the biscuit DNA was a perfect match. Awesome…pure awesome.

My oldest biscuit making sister sent me an article about prayer that just happened to mention biscuits and I knew I needed to share it here with all my grits and biscuit loving friends.  The story goes like this. “One Sunday morning at a small southern church, the new pastor called on one of his older deacons to lead in the opening prayer. The deacon stood up, bowed his head and said, ”Lord, I hate buttermilk.”


The pastor opened one eye and wondered where this was going. The deacon continued, “Lord, I hate lard.” Now the pastor was totally perplexed. The deacon continued, “Lord, I ain’t too crazy about plain flour. But after you mix ’em all together and bake ’em in a hot oven, I just love biscuits.”


“Lord, help us to realize when life gets hard, when things come up that we don’t like, whenever we don’t understand what You are doing, that we need to wait and see what You are making. After You get through mixing and baking, it’ll probably be something even better than biscuits. Amen.”

I just love that story and isn’t it so true? If we took the ingredients for biscuits, or most any other thing and tasted them individually, we probably wouldn’t eat much. But when mixed together…well good things happen.  We have a loving Heavenly Father, our Dearest Daddy, who can and will masterfully mix circumstances and events in our life.  Sometimes, perhaps often, by themselves they make no sense and leave us wondering what God is up to.  But, if we are willing to wait, if we are willing to trust, we will usually find that God had a surprise for us…better even than hot biscuits.  Now, I need to be fair and say that some of those surprises might be on the other side of the last heart beat but regardless…He can be trusted.

So the next time, you are enjoying a good homemade hot biscuit smothered in melted butter and perhaps a big baptism of syrup, remember that biscuit only happened when the biscuit maker put everything together.  And, when the circumstances of life don’t make sense, well, just hang on.  When the heavenly “Biscuit Maker” gets done, well, it will be worth it all, worth the wait.  Don’t you worry…He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

Posted in birthday, Family, friends, gratitude, life, Scripture, sovereignty of God, travel

Worlds Apart

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “And don’t forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God.” Hebrews 13:16

We were worlds apart. Something that I always thought would be incredible was to be able to go south, a long way south, for part of the winter. Each year I would watch as friends would pack up and head south to escape all or part of the Southern Illinois winters. Well, following my tenure as a full-time pastor, what seemed impossible became a possibility. It went like this. In the fall, Judy and I booked a six day cruise that sailed from Port Canaveral. It left on my birthday so that made it extra special. That was part one. We then were able to rent an Airbnb for a couple of weeks in way south Florida. Finally, as we headed back north, we would stop in Valdosta to visit with family. Put all that together and we would be gone for most if not all of January. It was our opportunity to experience the southern migration.

So, the cruise was booked, the Airbnb was reserved and family said they would love to have us. We left town on January 4th and as it turned out it was a good time to be gone. You see, old man winter decided to pay a visit to Southern Illinois just about the time we left. We left Saturday morning and he arrived Sunday afternoon. And when he came—he not only brought the cold but he also brought ice and snow. It was a very difficult time for the family and  friends we left behind. It turned out while they were freezing —we were basking in the warm Caribbean and Floridian weather. What a difference—what different worlds.

At first it was a ha-ha glad we aren’t there kinda thing but that soon changed as the news came of families losing power and trees falling. It wasn’t funny—it was serious—very serious. But what amazed me was the two worlds that touched our world. On the one hand, Judy and I were enjoying the amazing southern weather and on the other hand people we loved were living in very challenging circumstances.  We were worlds apart. Worlds.Apart

Fortunately for our family and friends, power was finally restored and the ice and snow did began to melt. But winter is still winter—even as I write this they are on the verge of another outbreak of very cold weather. But here’s the deal. I learned that it is very important even when our world is pretty awesome—we don’t forget, we can’t stop having compassion for those whose worlds are very different. It is often to easy to settle in our comfortable world and not have empathy for those who are struggling in their day to day existence.

Remember, a lot of people live in a world that that might be more difficult than ours. So what are we too do? First, we should be grateful for the world that God has given us—even when it is less than perfect. Gratitude is one of the secret sauces that makes life sweeter. Secondly, we need to always have compassion for those around us. Even when our worlds are worlds apart, or especially when we live worlds apart, we should make every effort to span the gap…to bring Jesus into their world.

So whether it is the weather or just life, thank God for your world and always look for a way to reach into someone else’s world. Without judgement, extend a hand of love and compassion because that is what Jesus would do. It’s not as hard as you think because we know, “He’s got this.” Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, Grace, life, pride, Scripture, sovereignty of God

It Wasn’t Pretty

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his foolishness.” Proverbs 26:11

It just wasn’t pretty.  When we arrived in Cobden, Illinois in 1986 they provided a home for us.  The only problem was the church was “L” shaped and the house sat right in the middle of the “L.”  The reason that was a problem was whenever someone needed something, they knew right where to come.  We might as well have had a billboard in our front yard advertising where the preacher lived. Every person needing some gas or baby diapers knew right where to look. That was all fine except I do believe they watched to see when we were eating supper before they rang the doorbell.

Sometimes it was a church member needing in the building.  Early, oh, about 6:30 am, one Saturday morning my wife Judy and I were still snuggled down in our bed. About that time, we heard someone first pulling on the front door of the church and then hollering, “Where’s that preacher and why is the door locked?” Well, the preacher was still in bed, after all it was Saturday, it was just after daybreak, and the door was locked for that reason. It was just about that time when Judy said, “Dewayne, we need to move.” So, the church said OK, and we found an older Victorian home, made a ridiculously low offer (because that is all we could afford) and to everyone’s surprise they said yes. Holy moly.

We moved and began life as homeowners.  Homeowners meant that we were responsible for everything.  Things like yard stuff. Things like trimming trees.  Things like getting stuck in a tree while trimming it.  Yup, that’s right.  In our backyard was a large and old Redbud tree.  While it was still alive, it had seen better days.  In fact, there were several dead limbs up in the tree.  Mr. Homeowner, that’s me, decided to trim it up.  I didn’t have a ladder, so I found a bucket, or a stool, or something to stand on and managed to get up in the tree.  I sawed away with my handy pruning saw and soon I was ready to get back down. It was then that I discovered the laws of climbing a tree using a bucket or something.  It wasn’t pretty.

I decided it would be best to go down backwards facing the tree. It sounded like a sound idea.  It wasn’t.  With one foot in a crook of the tree, I gingerly lowered my other leg to the stool or bucket or whatever it was. And, as fate would have it, my foot landed not in the middle but on the edge of whatever it was and yes, it tipped over.  And what happened next still causes me to groan.  As the bucket or stool or whatever it was tipped over, I found myself with one leg caught in the tree and my other leg on the ground. In other words,…I was in trouble.  My foot with my leg attached was over my head and I was in pain.  For a gymnast…no problem.  For a ballerina, no problem.  For a slightly out of shape preacher, homeowner…big problem.

It was so bad I have managed to block out the details of the rescue.  I think it involved me hollering, Judy hearing and coming, and her somehow freeing my leg from the crook of the tree. I was grateful…boy, was I grateful. Like Jacob who left an encounter with God with a limp, I left the tree with a hip that still holds grudges. To this day, whenever I raise my leg to do something, I am not so gently reminded of that day.  I did something to something, and it was a lifetime reminder to not use a bucket, or a stool, or some other something other than a ladder to climb into a tree.  I.Learned.

One thing that most living animals have is the ability to learn.  Bucks get to be big bucks by learning when and where to go and not go.  All the family dogs know who to beg for food from.  His name is Papa.  You get the idea.  So, assuming you don’t die from climbing a tree without the proper tools, at least you learn how not to do it…and that is valuable.  As we journey through life, God usually gives us a chance to learn.  The important thing is to…wait for it…learn.  Everyone makes mistakes but it is simply foolish to keep making the same ones over and over again. The author of Proverbs says it this way, “As a dog returns to its vomit, 

so a fool repeats his foolishness.” Sometimes the Bible just lays it out there, doesn’t it?

Well, that was a one-time experience.  I can’t say that is true for everything I’ve done, but it was true about that one thing.  There are some things in life that once is enough.  But what do you do if you find your leg hung in a tree above your head?  Well, you holler and pray.  If you are lucky someone might hear you.  The good news is that God will hear you and while I don’t know how the rescue might come, I do know He won’t laugh at you.  He will just whisper, “I’ve got this.” Bro. Dewayne

Posted in fear, Holidays, life, New Year, prayer, sovereignty of God, travel, Trials

The Captain

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of Man is this? Even the winds and the sea obey Him!” Matthew 8:27

It was a long, long time ago.  There are many historical events that are almost timeless.  They carry with them a mystical allurement that keeps them alive in the minds of people.  No matter how much is written, when that event is mentioned, immediately interest is peeked, eyes focus and ears open. Such is the story of the Titanic.  It was on May 31, 1911, that the Titanic was launched.  Now launched didn’t mean open for business…ready to sail.  No, it meant that Titanic had what it needed to be called a ship but not what it took to make money.  The hull, the keel, the engines all were in placed but people don’t pay for that…they pay for the good stuff, the nice stuff, the luxurious stuff.

Well, almost a year later, on April 10, 1912, all that stuff was in place and the great Titanic was ready to set sail.  The appointments of luxury were amazing.  For that time and that place there simply was nothing like the Titanic.  Of course, there were different classes of people who bought tickets—from the very rich to the improvised poor looking for a fresh start in America. But the Titanic was really…or was she?

Four days after her maiden voyage began, she struck an iceberg and, in a few hours, sank in the icy North Atlantic taking with her well over a thousand souls.  While all the details are a matter of debate, most agree that the basic design of the ship was flawed.  The watertight compartments instead of being totally sealed allowed water to overflow from one compartment to the next.  Like a cascading river, the water flowed from one compartment to the next sealing the fate of the “unsinkable” ship.  Not one detail for the comfort of the Uber rich was overlooked and yet the one thing that could have kept her afloat was.  Amazing…and disconcerting…worrying.

I think what prompted me to write this story was the New Year.  We all, well those who were awake, watched the ball fall, the peach drop, the fireworks explode.  We celebrated; we partied launching into the seas of another New Year.  But as we launched, did anyone, did someone, did I, did you stop and examine the “ship” that was going to carry us into 2025?  Have we carefully crafted the “luxurious” while ignoring the crucial…the vital?  Did we plan diets and dream of vacations while being strangely silent about the most important? Did we launch into 2025 without the one thing that would ensure our safety…our survival?

What is the one thing?  Better yet, who is that Someone?  Well, the answer is Creator God. These days I still feel compelled to make sure we understand that I am not talking about church (though that is profitable) or religion (though that can be good) but I am talking about making sure He is the Captain of our ship.  Try this on for size.  When the Captain of your ship is the Master (and dare I say Maker) of the storm, there is great comfort.  The passengers have the calming assurance that no matter what, He is there, He is ready, He is in charge.

One time the disciples of Jesus found themselves in the midst of a terrible storm, in what could only be described as an oversized rowboat.  They were frightened to the point that they thought death was imminent. Just about then they remembered that Jesus was asleep at the back of the boat.  They woke Him with a shout of “Don’t you care we are about to drown?”  Well, Jesus got up, spoke to the wind and waves, demanding calm…and it happened.  He then asked the guys about their faith.  Where.Was.Their.Faith.  Looking around at the now calm sea and their frail oversized rowboat they asked a question, “What kind of Man is this? Even the winds and the sea obey Him!” Hmmm…good question.

The answer, of course, is that He is and was a one-of-a-kind Man, a Man like no other, God in human form. He was the Captain and Master of the storm and what was true then is true now…with Jesus in your boat you don’t have to fear. So, as we launch into 2025, shouldn’t we make sure that our Captain is Jesus, and shouldn’t we invite Him to lead and guide us?  Any unknown, any new horizon can be frightening…unless the Creator and Master of it all is on board.  If He is…we don’t have to worry because we have the confident assurance that, “He’s got this.” Bro. Dewayne

Posted in fear, friends, life, prayer, pride, Scripture, sovereignty of God, spiritual battles

Happy New Year

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “God causes all things to work together for the good of those who love Him and who are called according to His purpose.”Romans 8:28

I slowly walked to the edge, paused, and…”. Well, it was a long time ago but most of the picture remains intact.  I was about nine years old, and our church Sunday School decided to have a picnic.  We loaded up on a bus or two and drove to the lake.  It was a natural freshwater lake with a beach and a dock.  And speaking of docks…this was a big one.  It left the shore and went out about a mile…well, it seemed like a mile…remember I was only nine.  In fact, it probably went out about fifty yards or so.  Then it made a 90 degree right turn and went on for another fifty yards.  By any standard it was a long dock.

However, it was what was at the end of the dock that caused me to pause.  There, built into the dock was the “Tower of Terror.”  Now for those of you who are familiar with Disney World you know that is the name for one of their attractions.  You are taken inside a building and end up in the dark (mostly) and then without warning…the floor gives way and you are falling for what seems like forever.  Now all this is speculation and hearsay for me because trust me I would never, will never find out personally. No. Not. Nada.  But that day when I was nine, I faced my own “Tower of Terror.”

The tower at the lake that day was probably thirty or forty feet in the air.  You climbed a ladder attached to the tower and at the top was a pretty good-sized platform.  This was where you could stand, look, and gather courage to walk to the edge and jump off.  Well, pushed by peer pressure and goaded by friends, I somehow found myself on the top and they were all saying one thing, “Jump!” Trust me, the last thing that I wanted to do was jump off that perfectly good tower.  I walked slowly to the edge and looked down.  The water seemed to be a zillion yards below me. There were only two options.  First, take the plunge or two, go back down the ladder.  With my heart pounding, with my peers all telling me to jump, I….

I honestly don’t remember what I did. I don’t know if I finally overcame my fear, swallowed my pride and jumped or swallowed my pride and slowly, with great humiliation, went back down the ladder.  Either one at the time felt unbearable and I know one thing even today…fear can paralyze you and fear can cause you to make some pretty crazy decisions.  Most of us personally know the truth in those words.

Well, today we find ourselves at the edge of another kind of platform…and for some, it might look like a “tower of terror.”  We are hours away from a New Year and honestly it can seem quite frightening…especially these days and with these circumstances. Considering all this, what should we do? What can we do?  Well, it seems logical to me that when I face something bigger than me, I need to find something or Someone bigger than the mountain, the obstacle that I am facing.  For me, hands down, that is God.  

There are two truths that I have found in God’s Word that really help me.  Maybe it will help you too.  First, is the sovereignty of God.  That simply means that God is in charge. I love the scripture that reminds me that every day is made by God…He is the owner and therefore the planner. It also means that He is in control…He.Is.In.Control. There is something peaceful in knowing that God is and if He is…well, worry shouldn’t rule us. But it gets better.

Not only does He make every day, He also makes us an incredible promise.  If you are a Bible person you probably know this one.  In the book of Romans, Chapter 8, it says, “God causes all things to work together for the good of those who love Him and who are called according to His purpose.”  Wow.  While that doesn’t mean that everything is good…we know that…it does mean that God can bring good from every circumstance.  What that also means is we have a promise from God that no matter how wonky 2025 may be, He can and will bring something good from it.  Now the truth of that should certainly bring some inner peace into the chaos of our lives.  

So, the bottom line is, “Happy New Year!” The God who makes the day makes the year and the God who makes the year manages the outcome.  Hey, sprinkling a little truth into a murky future can change a lot of things.  Now all of that isn’t a promise of easy but it is a promise of His faithfulness and that no matter what, “He’s got this.” Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Christmas, Family, Grace, gratitude, Holidays, life, love, Scripture, sovereignty of God, thankful

A Downtown Christmas

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “I pray that you, being rooted and firmly established in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and width, height and depth of God’s love.” – Ephesians 3:17b-18

Looking back, my childhood Christmases were always special. We didn’t have a lot of extras, but we had enough—and we had each other. Christmas season always felt like a time of magic, starting with the rich traditions that led up to the big day. A few weeks before Christmas, we’d pull the decorations down from the attic and start filling the house with Christmas cheer. I remember a special Santa decoration that hung on our chimney, and the best part? I actually found one exactly like it! These days, he hangs in my office, but during December, you’ll find him glowing proudly in my kitchen, keeping an eye on me all year round to make sure I stay on the nice list.

But one of my absolute favorite Christmas memories? The trips we made downtown to pay our electric bill. Sounds strange, right? What do electric bills and Christmas have to do with each other? Well, with a tight budget, paying the bill on time was a non-negotiable. So, a day or two before it was due, we’d make the trip to downtown Jacksonville to drop off the payment. Nothing glamorous, but it was a part of the season. And here’s the twist—it was actually really special.

You see, back in those days, the department stores in downtown Jacksonville would go all out with their Christmas window displays. We’re talking moving figures, reindeer that looked like they were about to take flight, and kids skating on a magical, frosty lake. It was a full-blown Christmas wonderland—magical in a way that only the holidays can be. Especially as a kid, I could feel the Christmas spirit in those windows.

Now, here’s the kicker: If we hadn’t had that electric bill to pay, we probably wouldn’t have taken that little trip downtown at all. And that, my friends, feels like a perfect example of how God works. Sometimes, He leads us to unexpected places, through things we might not understand at the time, but they turn out to be exactly what we needed. We just don’t always see it in the moment.

God has this way of using even the little bumps in the road to bring something good into our lives. He works in mysterious ways, sometimes out front, sometimes behind the scenes. We don’t always recognize it at first, but when we do, we’re often amazed at how He’s been shaping our lives all along. If we can be patient and trust in His timing, we start to see how those seemingly random things in life were part of His bigger plan all along.

And you know what? I think that’s one of the best things about heaven—it’ll be full of surprises. We’ll finally understand all the things God saved us from, the opportunities He put in our path that we just thought were coincidences, and the many ways He’s been at work, even when we didn’t realize it.

Paul, the guy who wrote so much of the New Testament, said it best when he wrote: “I pray that you, being rooted and firmly established in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and width, height and depth of God’s love.” Honestly, that’s one prayer we may never fully see answered—His love is just that vast.

So, as we celebrate Christmas, let’s take a moment to really look for the ways God is working in our lives. Some things will leave us filled with gratitude, and others may make us just stop and think, “Wow, He’s got this.”—Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, Grace, gratitude, life, Scripture, sovereignty of God, thankful

Amazing Grace

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.” Matthew 10:29-30

 It’s worth telling again. In the early days of Grits, before the Grits Facebook page and before the website, I wrote a story about something that happened on a Friday. And trust me…it was pretty amazing.  You see, I’m one of those people who believe that God is always working.  And on that particular day, I think He looked down from heaven and decided I was going to need a little extra help.  It goes like this.

So, it was Friday and my wife Judy tricked me into some really laborious yard work.  I kinda volunteered to rebuild a flower bed and ended up being drafted to build a sidewalk next to the flower bed.  It involved moving and setting 28 of those 16 by 16 concrete paving things and 15 of those blocks that you use to build a wall.  Well, several hours later we had a sidewalk and a small wall with a new flower bed.  It looks awesome.  She was tired…I was exhausted.

I showered up, sat on the couch for a while and then decided I needed to pick up the garage.  Our nightly vacation rental property is over our garage and due to a lack of storage space there were several containers of winter decorations from there that had taken up residence.  Either the car or the containers had to go.  I voted for the containers.

So, I pulled both cars out of the garages (yes garages…we have two…go figure.) In the smaller garage where my car is parked there is a storage shelf–an obvious new home for the stuff that Judy had put in the other garage.  Well, to make a long story shorter I started rearranging the shelf to make room for the stuff.  Finally, I began to move the heavy containers and I began to mutter.  It went like this, “I’m too tired to be messing with this stuff. I didn’t create the mess so why am I having to fix it.”  Honestly, I got just a little mad.

So, I finally got everything where it would now live but there were three winter doormats still on the floor.  I picked them up and carried them to the basement in our house.  I came out to finish and close up shop.  As I looked in my garage–there it was.  I had a tool rack mounted on the wall.  It held rakes, shovels, brooms, clippers…you name it. It was seven feet long and heavy. I hadn’t touched it but there it was on the garage floor–all of it. It didn’t fall down–it fell out–right where my car would have been if it had been in the garage.  Trust me it would have left more than a few small scratches.  We are talking “lions and tigers and bears–oh my.”

So, my first thought was what in the world happened? Well obviously, the wall anchors holding the rack had failed.  But my second thought–literally–was my car wasn’t in the garage for one reason–I had cleaned up Judy’s mess.  If I hadn’t done that–it would have been, well, never mind.  Now I drive a five-year-old vehicle by choice, but I have always tried to take care of our vehicles.  I figured if I am going to drive an older car it might as well look good.

So, I am amazed–not that I got the garage picked up; not that the thing with the tools fell off the wall, but that my Father carefully orchestrated a series of events to make sure my car wasn’t in the way.  “Dewayne, do you really think that God cares about such things?”  No…I don’t think…I know.  And that’s not all. I am certain that when I finally get to heaven, I am going to be amazed at the things He did that I didn’t even know about.

Now I know we continue to be frustrated and maybe even discouraged about the events that surround us. Just remember what Jesus said in Matthew 10:29-30 “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.”

Fear not.  Hey, crazy world…fear not. Hey, uncertain future…fear not. Watch out new normalcy…fear not. Higher gas prices…fear not.  Remember, if you know Jesus then God knows you.  You can call Him Dearest Father and He calls you His child. Trust me, you are of more value to Him than many sparrows. So, rest in Him.  He can move cars and mountains. He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Christmas, gratitude, loving others, missions, Scripture, sovereignty of God, thankful

When Little Is Much

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “Then a poor widow came and dropped in two small coins. Jesus called His disciples to Him and said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has given more than all the others who are making contributions. For they gave a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she had to live on.” Mark 12:42-44

It was such a little fella. For the last ten years, my wife Judy and I have had the privilege of leading a team of folks to Atlanta, Georgia to work at the Operation Christmas Child (OCC) processing center. This ministry, one of the best I know of, encourages people to take a shoebox and fill it with items such as toys, hygiene items and the like. The boxes are then shipped to children all around the world…mostly to third-world countries. The big picture is with each box goes the Gospel of Jesus Christ and where there are churches OCC always works through the local church and pastor. No church…no problem. Many times a local group of Jesus followers come together to share the boxes and establish a church. Amazing!

In the early days of OCC, the shoeboxes were exactly that and of course came in every size and shape imaginable. Through the years, OCC began providing traditional shoebox size boxes. Along with a couple of other things, this really helped with shipping. So today, about ninety percent of the boxes are those provided by OCC and about ten percent are traditional boxes. Regardless…it all comes together, children are blessed and many meet and trust Jesus as their personal Savior.

When we worked our shift this year, one box caught my eye. It was a traditional shoebox but it was unique in a special way. It was the smallest box I have ever seen. The box, cute and attractive, was just about five by seven inches and maybe five inches deep.  Though compact in size, the person had filled it well but all of that couldn’t change the fact that it was small…very small. We all begin to try and find a way to fix this but because of the rules in place…the integrity of the box had to remain. We are allowed to add to boxes that might be a bit scarce but we can’t remove or remake the boxes.

Well, I was a little sad because I could just imagine all those kids and all those boxes and someone getting this tiny box. Somehow it just didn’t seem fair but then it happened. I reminded myself that time and again we had seen God’s hand on these boxes and somehow and someway He always made it work. I decided that what was true then would be true now. He would make it work. How? I’m not sure but I do know this. When something is placed in the hands of God—miracles happen. You see, little is much when God is in it. Remember the boy with a few fish and loaves? Remember the widow woman who gave all she had—a little over a penny? Remember what God did in both cases? Yup…amazing.

So I hope this will be an encouragement to you today. Don’t be disappointed when you have so little and someone else has so much more. Rather, just trust God to even every thing out. If He can multiply fish and loaves or take a widow’s penny and tell the world what a big gift it was—He can take care of you too. Remember…little is much when God is in it.  Oh, and remember, this too, “He’s got this.”  Bro. Dewayne