Category: Trials

Posted in Family, food, Grace, gratitude, life, prayer, priorities, Scripture, thankful, Trials

Three Days, Day 3

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

Catch the foxes for us—the little foxes that ruin the vineyards—for our vineyards are in bloom.” Song of Solomon 2:15

It seems that God has a sense of humor after all.  Day two was a bust.  As bad as I wanted and needed everything to go right…it went wrong.  Mornings are my most productive time and it quickly became obvious that Monday morning and afternoon were not going to be productive…except to fuel and feed my frustration.  Before it was all over the circumstances, of which none were life threatening, none were going to matter in eternity, none were going to change the world, had left me wondering what God was up to.  I just missed the part that He had enrolled me in the school of faith.

Tuesday, day three of “Three Days” began better—not because anything had changed but maybe, just maybe I had.  I got up and prepared the usual way.  Coffee, check. God time, check. Breakfast, check. Before I knew it, it was time to head to the office and see what God had in mind.  Something told me it might be different. When I arrived at the office, made a cup of coffee—first priority—and restarted my Apple computer for what seemed like the twentieth time.  Hmmm. It seemed to be happier so naturally I was happier but happier doesn’t mean the problem was gone.  I still had to do the one thing that started this fiasco—updating the church digital sign. I decided to try something different.

About two months ago, I had installed the software that was supposed to talk to the sign on another computer but no matter what I did, it simply wouldn’t talk to the sign. I called the expert and no matter what he did it still wouldn’t talk to the sign.  We gave up and I turned it off…until that morning…the morning of day three.  Well, figuring I had nothing to lose, I turned the PC on, opened the sign talking software and guess what? They started talking.  Like two old friends they started chatting like nothing was ever wrong. And just like that the thing that I had worried and fretted over was in the rearview mirror.  Just like that the one thing that I really needed to do was, wait for it, possible.  I really couldn’t believe it.  There was no explanation but one.  God not only heals bodies and creates universes—He works on computers.

I hope you are smiling right now because when all this happened, I was.  I wrote to the computer expert guy and told him the problem was solved and I thought it was a miracle.  He agreed.  So, the bottom line is God proved that He is concerned about the little things that cause frustration and stress. He also proved that even when we are wondering what “He did to us,” He quietly and mysteriously works for us. The rest of the first part of day three I merrily pressed the keys and fed data to the church sign for the next couple of months.  Yay.

I am glad that God granted me these three days…even day two…the less than trophy day.  That frustrating day set me up to appreciate the miracle day.  God used my frustration from day two to fertilize and grow the wonder of day three. In frustration on day two I said, “God why did you do this to me.”  At the end of day three I was saying in gratitude, “God, why did you do this for me” because I am sure I didn’t deserve it. I hope this made sense today because it was very cool.  I learned once again that God is God, and I am not and that He is good all the time and if I am willing to trust and wait, He is willing to see me through.

So, that is the story of the three days…three days that I am sure all of us at one time or another have both enjoyed and endured. It is a story of how it doesn’t aways take a major disaster to derail us on the tracks of life.  Sometimes, too often, it is just the little things gone south.  Sometimes the little things are more difficult to manage than the monsters that ravage us.  It reminds me of one of those good verses in the Old Testament.  It says, remember, it isn’t the elephants but the little foxes that spoil the vines and the harvest. I’m just glad that He is a patient loving Father who doesn’t grow weary with my groans or my whines.  No, instead the Whisperer whispers, “It’s ok child, don’t worry, big or small, “I’ve got this.”  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, fear, forgiveness, life, prayer, priorities, Scripture, sovereignty of God, thankful, Trials

Three Days, Day 2

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; for the Lord upholds him with His hand.” Psalm 37:23-24

 I never saw it coming. Day one of “Three Days” was so awesome you would think that the day following a trophy day would be at least somewhat awesome, right?  Let me tell you that is not always the case.  If you read, “Three Days, Day One” you know that my day job is being a pastor and one day recently, I and the church, had a “trophy Sunday.”  Now I need to be honest and let you know that not every Sunday qualifies as a “trophy Sunday.”  In fact, some of them can be pretty difficult but that’s not a deal because it is just the way life goes.  “Less than days” have nothing to do with where you work or what you do—it has to do with life.  Like I said in day one, when you have a really good day, put it on your trophy shelf so you can easily find it when you need a reminder that you are blessed.

Well, you know that Mondays always follow Sundays.  It is no accident that Mondays get a bad rap.  It just seems that if you are going to have a challenging day, Mondays get the call and in my case, that is exactly what happened.  So after the trophy day at church that Sunday, I bounded (slight overstatement there) out of bed about 4:10 am, ready to embrace the day.  Because it was Thanksgiving Week and because my wife Judy and I were taking a trip down south to see family, I only had two days in the office that week.  I expected and needed some productive time.  There were several things that just had to get done before I left but I was confident that I could get it done.  So, like a horse in the starting gate, I raced to the office…early.

When I got to the office, for fortification, I made a cup of coffee and then hit the spacebar on my computer and immediately noticed that it was a little slow to wake up. “Hmmm,” I said, wondering what was up with that. It did eventually start responding but things were just not right.  One of the things I had to get done was to update the electronic sign for our church.  To do that my Apple computer needed to talk to the sign which— speaks Windows—think EngIish and German. I have a program on my computer that is supposed to act like a translator but it was on strike. From there things just went downhill.  Not only was the Apple computer not speaking to the Windows sign, everything, and I mean everything,  just came to a standstill.  No matter what I did, no matter how many times I restarted the computer, nothing helped. I watched the clock as my precious day slipped away through my idle hands.

Now, I believe in God.  I believe that God directs my day and my path.  One of my favorite verses in the Bible says, “The steps of a good man (good as in God’s goodness) are directed by the Lord and it is He who directs His path.”  I know it and I believe it though my faith that particular day was sagging.  In fact, I left the office that day feeling just a little put off with God.  I mean didn’t He know I had to get this stuff done?  Didn’t He know I only had a little time to get a lot done?  Well, I finally just blurted out to Him, “God why are you doing this to me.” I was frustrated and maybe, just maybe a little angry…if not at God at least the circumstances.  Looking back, I realized that I was having a little case of “spiritual amnesia.”

Spiritual Amnesia?  Yup…it’s a real deal and I really had it.  You see, I had forgotten the “trophy Sunday” and even forgot to revisit it to remind me of God being a good God.  I had forgotten that I believe that God directs and plans my day…meaning He had planned that day as an exercise of faith and trust…in Him.  I forgot it all and that was not fair to Him, my wife, Judy, who bore some of the brunt of my frustration and anybody else who happened to be close enough to feel and hear my frustration that day.  Are you getting the picture that Monday was not a “trophy day?” Ever had a day like that?  Trust me, I get it and I understand and so does our Dearest Daddy.

Well, that night, I sat down at my home computer and worked and watched how that same God that I had grumbled about multiplied my time and efforts and much of what I needed to get done, got done in just a couple of hours.  It was then that my “spiritual amnesia” fog began to clear.  It was then that I remembered that God doesn’t do things to people…He does things for people.  You see that non-trophy day was about learning—-I was in “God school” and He was teaching me things like faith, trust and patience.  I also remembered the rest of that favorite verse.  It says that even if I should stumble and fall, I will not, can not, be completely cast down because He, God, will pick me up.  I may fall in a mud puddle of frustration but He loves me too much to leave me there.

So the day ended better than it started.  I went to bed that night with a feeling that no matter what tomorrow held, I would do what I could do and just leave the rest to Him.  I got out of bed, had my coffee and had a little talk with Him and He whispered to me that He would be with me that day and that no matter what He would not abandon me.  I knew that somehow the third day of “Three Days” was going to be ok and that what I write each day is indeed true, “He’s got this.” Brother Dewayne

Posted in Family, friends, gratitude, life, loving others, prayer, priorities, Scripture, sovereignty of God, thankful, travel, Trials, wisdom

Trust -The View from Above

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; in all your ways know Him, and He will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6

 “Do you want to take a ride in an airplane?” We spent a week down in North Georgia visiting my sister Agnes and her husband, JW.  It was so special to visit with family and just relax.  It is one of those things that you don’t realize how much you miss it until you start doing it again.  We stayed at an Airbnb that they own and woke up to good coffee and a beautiful lake scene that no artist could ever capture.

I’ve done several special things this week and one of them happened Tuesday.  JW still works at the airport as an mechanic and still flies private aircraft.  I went with him out to the airport because they had two World War II aircraft there—a C-47 cargo plane that participated in the D-Day invasion (how cool is that) and a B-25 light bomber that also flew in World War II. Both were amazing to see and both are still flyable. Well, JW asked me, “Would you like to go flying?”  No, not in the C-47 and not in the B-25, but in a small plane own by the company he works for.  Well, the answer was YES.

So a few minutes later, after fueling up and a pre-flight, we were heading down the runway and into the wild blue yonder! Our little plane was not a speedster but it was all we needed. We cruised at about 3,000 feet and 125 mph and I was just enamored with the view from above.  I love flying but this kind of flying was extra special. It was like you were immersed in it all—kinda like when you lean over a banister and look down. It was a totally different perspective of the world that I had lived in for the past few days.  We even flew over their house.  We were both surprised how difficult it was to spot what was so familiar from the view above.

As we were flying the thought occurred to me that my Dearest Daddy always has a better view from His perspective. Sometimes I am tempted to question His decisions and the things He does or doesn’t do. But flying around reminded me that if I could see things from His perspective, I would probably doubt less and trust more. Doubt less—and trust more—those are big and powerful words.

So let me encourage you today, whether it is one of those wow everything is perfect days or one that has you questioning, just trust.  God loves you too much to abandon you and He is too wise to ever make a mistake.  Just pause and think…if we could see what He sees…we would most certainly understand and even agree with His decision. Just trust. And when that seems almost impossible then at least do this. Remember, that no matter what, no matter how big, no matter how difficult—He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, fear, gratitude, life, prayer, Scripture, thankful, Trials

Spiders and Snakes

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” Psalm 23:4

I don’t like spiders and snakes.  Nope, never did and never will.  That was the title of one of those crazy songs from the seventies. Of course, back then there were several crazy songs but after all—it was the seventies.  Crazy or not, it was one of those songs that I could sure identify with. We lived on two acres of land and a lot of it was, well, weedy.  And sometimes Daddy or Momma would decide that it would have to be mowed…by push mower.  I can remember well slowly, ever so slowly, working my way through the tall weeds.  I was sure, really sure, that somewhere out there were giant anacondas just waiting to grab my leg and wrap me in their death grip.  Nope, I don’t like snakes.

Oh, and I sure don’t like spiders either.  While I never saw the giant anacondas that lurked in the forbidden zone of our two acres, I saw plenty of spiders.  Our house had wooden siding and at each corner where the siding went a different direction, there would be the perfect spot for these flesh-eating black spiders to hide.  And while I never saw one of them eating anything, my young mind had no problem imagining what went on in their web covered holes.  If the hole had been big enough, I am sure their dens would have been filled with little boys’ remains.  Nope, I don’t like spiders.

But of all the spiders that called 6008 Carlton Road home, the dreaded banana spider was the worst.  The banana spider (I’m sure that is not the correct name, but it was what I called them) would spin their webs out in the low hanging branches and in between two or more bushes.  They were about the size of a small house dog (well, it seemed they were) and they had long legs and a long and narrow thingy in the back.  Their webs were extremely tough and usually had a zigzag pattern. While I managed to avoid them most of the time, sometimes, well, I didn’t, and it seemed that is always when I was mowing the yard.

It would go like this.  I was one of those “can’t hold still” and big imagination kids.  So, I would be pushing the lawn mower fast (to get done…that was just my nature) with my mind somewhere either in the woods or the kitchen—dreaming of a peanut butter and mayonnaise sandwich.  Zipping along, ducking occasionally for a lower limb, I would almost always manage to walk right into one of these spider webs.  To this day I can still remember just how much I hated it.  The web would get wrapped around my face and unlike the black flesh-eating spiders who lived in the cracks on my house, these guys didn’t hide—they were always there. Boy, do I hate spiders.

Well, looking back and being a little wiser, I know now that those big black spiders didn’t eat little boys after all.  No, they were fond of small insects.  And those massive banana spiders really weren’t trying to wrap me in their web so they could save me for a midnight snack.  They too were insect eaters—howbeit bigger insects than their cousins.  So, while I know the threat was not real—the fear was.  In fact, it was very real.  And that is the way it works, isn’t it? So often the threats that we feel, we sense around us are not real.  Most of the things we fear never, ever happen, but the truth is— fear does.  We find ourselves wrapped in its tight web, paralyzed, wanting to break free but bound.

There might be several answers to fear and knowledge is one of those.  Often if we can gain a clearer understanding of what is driving the fear, it will scamper back into its dark den.  But another thing that sends fear on the run is a strong faith in our God—our Dearest Daddy.  When we realize that He is greater than anything we might fear, when we believe that He will always be there, fear retreats into the dark places it came from.  The light of faith shows us that we have nothing to fear.  When David, the shepherd turned king of Bible days, was writing about death, he said, “Even if I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.  You are with me.”  Did you see all of that great truth?  Death is but a shadow and God is with us.  Now that will put fear on the run.

So today, if you accidentally wander into a web of fear, just remember that the thing we are fearing has no more grip than we give it.  If you can call God Father, well, He is greater than even death.  He loves you and wants to walk with you. My earthly Daddy never walked with me when I mowed but if he had it would have sure helped.  My spider stomping Daddy would have given me the confidence I needed.  I’m glad to let you know that your heavenly spider stomping, fear killing Daddy is beside you and if you listen, over the din of noise, you can hear Him saying, “I’ve got this.”  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, friends, gratitude, life, loving others, prayer, priorities, Scripture, Southern born, sovereignty of God, thankful, travel, Trials

The Lone Ranger

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion.” Luke 10:33

Who was that masked man?  Well, back in the old days…no wait…I mean the old days when the first two numbers of the year weren’t 20 but 19, there was a television show called “The Lone Ranger.”  He was a good guy, and he had an Indian (maybe that should be Native American) sidekick named Tonto.  The Lone Ranger also had a horse named Silver. In my eight- or nine-year-old mind, it was a great show—even in black and white.  The show had two famous lines.  The first was when the Lone Ranger was about to take off on his trusty horse Silver.  He would command, “Hi-Yō Silver, away.”  Invariably, the horse would rear up and off they would go.  The second famous line occurred when the Lone Ranger did his job and did away with a bad guy.  Invariably the bad guy would say, “Who was that masked man?”  It was of course…the Lone Ranger.

Well, during the great COVID shutdown history repeated itself only we didn’t have one masked man…we had millions.  Oh, but wait, we not only had masked men we have masked women…and boys…and girls…and babies.  Thanks to the pandemic, we all became Lone Rangers and we found ourselves asking, “Who was the masked man?”  I am certain I unintentionally ignored several church members at the store simply because I didn’t recognize them.  Equally as bad I carried on 15 minutes conversations with complete strangers thinking they were someone I knew.

A few years ago the Lone Ranger—the ultimate good guy—took on a new meaning. It wasn’t the Lone Ranger—it was the Road Ranger! We were traveling down to Gainesville, Florida to officiate at my Aunt Maryjo’s service.  She was my Daddy’s baby sister and the last of that generation.  As we crossed into Florida, we eventually hit Interstate 10 heading East.  We stopped at a rest stop because we needed to rest.  It is a long way to Gainesville, Florida.  My wife and I were stretching our legs and we walked by this cool truck.  It was some kind of official vehicle and had caution lights, big bumpers, a special receptacle on the front of the truck for jumping cars and all kinds of stuff in the back. It was a man truck only a man wasn’t driving it.

You see, on the side of the truck were the words, FDOT Road Ranger.  Beneath that it said, “A free (did you get that FREE) service sponsored by State Farm.  Standing next to the truck was a lady in a uniform.  From the signage I kinda thought I knew what it was, but I decided to ask.  “Ma’am, so do you go and help people that are broken down on the road?”  She replied they did.  If someone has a flat tire, they will help them change it.  If they have a dead battery…they will jump them.  And I suppose if you run out of gas, they have some on board to get you to the next station. Well, I told her I thought that was awesome and thanked her for her kindness.  She once again told me it was sponsored by State Farm, but I thanked her for her service to others.

I think that it is awesome that a company would sponsor a program like this.  When a traveler was at great need and when a company could take advantage of that—they offer free help.  Can you even imagine the comfort when “The Lone Ranger” showed up to help?  Can you imagine when the driver asked, “How much?” and the answer was “no charge?”  I’m telling you that is a breath of fresh air in what can be considered a stale world.

Well, Judy said, “You know, I think that would make a good story.”  I think she was right.  I mean we live in a world where so many folks are broken down beside the road of life.  They are hot, bothered, discouraged, battered, and beaten.  What if we were to become the Road Rangers along life’s road and began helping people…loving people.  Imagine the look on their faces when they realize we helped not to get paid, but rather just to help.  And, what if we were careful to make sure that they knew it was all because of what God had done for us.  Can you imagine?

I think I would like to be a Road Ranger…I mean really.  I don’t have the skill set but I do like to help people.  But what I can do and should do is be a Road Ranger on the road of life.  We all should.  You know that story in the Bible where the least likely guy helps the guy who had been beat up and robbed.  Remember how he went over the top to help?  Well, he was being a Road Ranger—do the unlikely for the unlikely.

So, keep this little fact tucked away in your travel log.  Should you breakdown on any major road in Florida, somewhere, not too far away, will be a Road Ranger to help you.  It is a real comfort to know that they are close by…ready and willing to help.  It’s even better knowing that Jesus is always there waiting and wanting to help all those broken down on the road of life.  Go ahead and place the call—or pray the prayer.  Let Him know you need Him, and He will be right there.  Until He arrives, just sit back and rest in the assurance that help is on the way.  Remember, He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne

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

Fleas…Another Story of Favor

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Can God use fleas? A few days ago, I ran a story about Corrie ten Boom and fleas. Corrie was a holocaust survivor and she told how she learned to thank God for the fleas that infested her barracks.  The fleas were so bad that the German officers refused to enter which allowed the women to be at least partially free from their harassment. Well, turns out that the Chappell part of the Taylor tribe has a small flea story of our own.

So, really, through nobody’s fault, the Chappell house had a flea problem.  Gratefully these unwanted guests stayed in the basement.  Well, they tried everything from sprays to bombs and of course collars and pills for their pets.  Nothing seemed to work. Finally, someone had the idea to call an exterminator to see what they could do.  So Terminix was called for an estimate, and they got the job.

As the story goes, my grandson Taylor has been taking up riding skateboards.  It’s only been a few weeks but during that time he has gotten pretty good.  For his birthday, his mom and dad wanted to get him a better board. So, when the guy came by from Terminix to give the estimate, somehow the conversation turned to skateboarding and it turns out this guy used to be a semi-pro rider.  It also turned out that he really likes to help kids learn and become more involved in boarding.

So, guess what? He offered to give Taylor a used but in great condition board. How cool is that?  A few days later, when it came time for Taylor’s birthday, he had a cool board with all the good accessories—including, thankfully, some great protective gear.  He was one happy camper. Not only did we recognize this was God working through circumstances to give him a special blessing, but Taylor also recognized God’s hand of blessing in his life. It was special to hear him pray thanking God for his skateboard and the man.

So, what about fleas? Well, without the fleas we wouldn’t have called Terminix and without Terminix we wouldn’t have had the semi-pro board dude and without the semi-pro board dude there wouldn’t have been a free, cool board for Taylor’s birthday.  How about that. If you wait and follow the trail so often it goes back to a Dearest Daddy who is always working for our good and His glory. So, once again, thank you God for your incredible favor and thank you once again for proving that “You got this.”  Bro. Dewayne

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

The Estate Sale

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

If anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or straw, each one’s work will become obvious.” 1 Corinthians 3:12-13

It appeared in my next-door neighbor’s yard.  It wasn’t unexpected…in fact it was quite the opposite. My wife Judy and I have lived here at 217 for just over 23 years.  In our immediate area we are the “old-timers” in the neighborhood.  When we moved in, we were surrounded with older—significantly older—neighbors.  We enjoyed each one but slowly over time, time took its toll and they moved or passed away.  Well, the neighborhood has changed some over the years and I’m sure more change is coming.

The neighbor who owned the house next door to us is now gone too and they had to do what families often must do and that is clean out the house and prepare it to be sold.  They lived in this house forever—decades and decades. And as is always the case, they accumulated a lot of stuff.  Having visited their home several times, they had gathered many beautiful treasures along their journey.  Beautiful antiques of all sorts were scattered throughout the home. Some were saved by family members, and some were sold at the estate sale.

If you have ever lived in a house for a long time, you know how easy it is to accumulate stuff.  I know Judy and I often look around our home and marvel at the stuff we have—and need to clear out.  If we don’t, someday, someone will.  Well, one day a truck came and dropped off a monster dumpster at our used to be neighbor’s house.  A day later came a crew of several men and women with one mission: to clear the clutter.  Their job was to begin going through the house and discarding the stuff that no one in their right mind would want.  It was a daunting task to say the least.  In a matter of hours that monstrous dumpster was filled and overflowing and there was still more, much more, to go.

When the time of the sale came, I went over to see if there was a small treasure that I can purchase to remember our neighbors by.  They were good folks.  I remember one time when I had just moved in, I was mowing my grass and my new neighbor, and I were chatting, and I mentioned that it was the second time in a week I had to mow the grass.  He said, in all seriousness but not a drop of meanness, “Dewayne, you don’t have grass—you have weeds.”  I still smile today when I think of that exchange.

So, let me ask you a question.  What treasures and what clutter do you have in your life?  Now, I’m not talking about our homes…I am talking about our everyday, journey through life, lives.  I know in my life there are things that I treasure—my faith, my family with all its crazy ups and downs, my character and reputation, my precious memories—well, you get the point.  Just like you, I have so many things that fill my life with joy and purpose.  They may not bring much at an estate sale, but they were extremely valuable to me.

But honestly, there is a lot of clutter too.  Often, they are part of the bumps and bruises that naturally occur in life.  There’s a broken heart here, a scarred memory there and too many unkind words—both spoken by me and received by me.  There are missed opportunities and unwise decisions and well, once again, you get the idea.  These all are things that need to go in a dumpster—not later in preparation for our “estate sale” but now.  You see, the more emotional and hurtful clutter we clear and discard now the more room there will be for the treasures that matter.

One day Paul, the guy that wrote a chunk of the New Testament was talking about treasures and clutter.  He wrote that each life would consist of treasures—gold, silver and precious stones and clutter—wood, hay and stubble. Then he said that only the treasures will last.  I’m gonna go one step further and say that only the treasures should last.  The rest, the clutter, needs to go into the dumpster—today.  In the movie, Frozen, the song encouraged us to, “let it go.” Well, I think today would be a good day, to let the clutter go and begin now to make more room for the things that matter…the treasures.

Our lives go by so quickly, let’s not waste a minute.  Let’s be wise enough to make the most of every day so that when the estate sale of our life is held, we will need only a very small dumpster to hold the regrets.  Need a little help sorting through it all?  Well, I am sure that God would love to help you with that…after all, He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, fear, forgiveness, friends, life, love, prayer, Scripture, Southern born, thankful, Trials

I Heard You

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and discipline.” Proverbs 1:7

Rule number one—it is never a good time to curse God. A while back as I sat out by a fire crackling in our outdoor fireplace, my neighbors were teaching their young son how to ride a bike. He is quite the young man, and he did well. Judy went over to help encourage him. There were cheers and yells as he took off and rode maybe fifty yards or more before he gently crashed into the grass. It all took me back almost sixty years.

I was about seven or eight years old. I’m thinking that I had already mastered the bike riding thing, though I can’t be certain. For one reason or another, I decided I wanted to ride my brother’s 26-inch Schwinn bicycle. Now, if in-fact I had already learned to ride a bike, and this was just a greater challenge—then that’s pretty cool. If I hadn’t mastered riding any bike—well, then this was a recipe for disaster. The bike was way too big for me, but I was stubbornly determined.

We had a road that ran in front of our house and that was where I was going to attempt this daring feat. Unlike my little neighbor next door, Momma and Daddy weren’t home. Neither were any of my brothers and sisters. It was just me—and God. So, the best I could, I straddled the mammoth bicycle and promptly fell over. I got just a little mad. I tried it once again and this time the bike rolled forward a few feet and once again—it fell over—on me. I got just a little madder. By now I am muttering to myself—probably condemning myself for failing.

The third or fourth try, by now I had lost count, resulted in another series of crashes and the frustration, the anger, and probably more than just a little shame boiled out. I shook my fist at God and yelled something like, “God, why won’t you help me.” What followed next is blurred in my memory, but I am pretty sure it came out something like, “God, I hate you.” It was spoken—it was shouted—hurled at the God of the universe. As far as I know it was the only time, I ever cursed God. Somehow, in my mind, all of this was God’s fault. It didn’t matter that the bike was way too big for me, or that I lacked the experience to ride such a large bike. All that mattered was in my mind God intentionally let me down—literally—at least four times.

It was about then that I heard a voice. It wasn’t God, but that probably would have been appropriate since I had just offended Him in a big way. It was a female voice. At first, I thought it might have been Mrs. Job. If you remember the story she told her husband, “Why don’t you just curse God and die.” But it wasn’t Mrs. Job. No, it was Mrs. Taylor—Mrs. Alston Taylor to be exact, and I was about to die. From behind the hedge that encircled our front yard came, “Dewayne Taylor, I heard that. Don’t you ever talk to God like that again.” When Momma called you by your first and last name at the same time—you knew you were in trouble. When she was talking about disrespecting God—you knew you were in double trouble—with her, with Daddy and with God. I was in deep weeds.

Well, once again the end of the story fades from memory. I am sure it didn’t involve me winning the war with the bike. But I am sure, pretty sure that there was more than a verbal rebuke from Momma. I am certain that I learned a big lesson about God that day. That lesson is that God demands and deserves our respect—whether we are seven or seventy. The Bible teaches us that “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and discipline.” The fear that the Bible talks about is not the kind of fear when you think God is about to zap you. No, it is talking about respect. God is worthy of our respect—He is deserving of our respect. Period.

The verse goes on to say that a foolish person despises wisdom and discipline. Another verse I’ve grown fond of is Psalm 14:1. It says, “The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” I mean, I think it is foolish to write God off, but there is something more here. The words, “there is” were added by the English translators to make the verse flow a little smoother. The verse in the Hebrew literally says, “The fool says in his heart, No, God.” Whoa. It is a bad idea to tell Momma no, but it is really bad idea to tell God no. We need to write that one down.

When I told Judy what I was going to write about today, she asked, “So what did God have to do with you and the bike?” That’s a great question. But you know and I know we blame God for just about everything we don’t like—including when we fall off a bike, even one we had no business trying to ride. So, let’s learn a big lesson from seven-year-old Dewayne.

One, don’t try something that is clearly a recipe for disaster. I mean trying new and adventurous things is awesome—but keep them in reason. And, never, and I mean never—curse God—especially when your Momma is anywhere around. Just kidding. That is never a good idea. After the bike deal, I’m sure I was worn out and worn down. I hope I had the good sense to take a rest—in Him. And I hope I had the good sense to simply believe that He’s got this—but always in His way and in His time. Bro. Dewayne

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

Thanking God for the Fleas

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

Give thanks in everything; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Dear God…thank you for the fleas. Corrie ten Boom was an amazing lady.  She and her sister were taken prisoner in World War II by the Nazis.  What was their crime?  They were hiding Jews to keep them from the camps and ovens that the Nazis had built to “take care of the Jewish problem.”  If there is a list of sad chapters in human history, the holocaust has to be near the top.  The horror and evil of that time and by those people, well, it is beyond description.

Corrie, by nothing short of the intervention of God, survived the camp while her younger sister Betsie did not. One of the stories that Corrie tells is a beautiful story of seeing God’s mercies in the hardest of places.  As I mentioned, Corrie ten Boom and her sister, Betsie, were prisoners in a Nazi concentration camp during World War II. Her family was caught hiding Jews in their home and were thrown into Ravensbruck Camp prison. During her imprisonment, Corrie tells of a time of thanksgiving in her book, The Hiding Place.

Corrie and Betsie were able to smuggle a tattered bible into the flea infested barracks, which Nazi officers would never enter. When the passage “Be thankful in all circumstances” [1 Thessalonians 5:18] was revealed to Betsie, she insisted they be thankful for everything, and began praying aloud. Betsie thanked God for all things, but when she thanked Him for even the fleas, Corrie disagreed. She hated fleas. They were nasty, pesky little bugs that kept biting her legs, and she would not be thankful for them. However, Betsie persisted, and Corrie succumbed to being thankful IN all circumstances.

Later, they heard the Nazi officers refused to enter the barracks because of the fleas. The fleas kept them safe from being molested and abused. Dozens of desperate women were free to hear the comforting, hope-giving Word of God, and God made sure their deepest needs were met. And it was all because of fleas…and may I add, God sent fleas?

When we can learn to look carefully, we can also learn to thank God fully for the smallest of things and craziest of things.  Had it not been for the fleas, Corrie, Betsie and the rest of the women in their barracks would have known an even greater depravity of men.  So, let me ask you a question.  What is there in your life that you need to thank God for?  What inconvenience or disruption is there that God could be using to teach you, to show you, to love you? Let me encourage you to pause and look carefully each day.  And, if you should see a flea for two, be sure and remember how our gracious God can use everything and anything for our good and His glory.  He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne

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

A Little Misunderstanding

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.” Colossians 4:6

It was just a little misunderstanding.  The story is told of a pastor who visited a man in the hospital.  As he stood by the bed, the man began to be in deep distress.  Unable to speak he quickly wrote the pastor a note, handed it to him and then just died.  In all the confusion of the moment, the pastor slid the note into his pocket and forgot about it. Several days later the pastor was conducting the memorial service for the man.  The pastor was describing the man…his life, his good heart, and his service for others.  Then it happened.

The pastor suddenly remembered that he had the note in his suit pocket.  He told the audience, “I have just remembered the day Joe died I was visiting him in the hospital, and he slipped me a note right before he passed away. I failed to read it and have just now remembered it is in my pocket. How special it would be if we could share his final thoughts together now.  So, the pastor reached into his pocket, pulled out the note and read, “You’re standing on my oxygen hose.” Smile.

As a pastor you can bet, I’ve got some crazy stories and a lot of them revolve around little misunderstandings and lack of communication.  Recently I told the story of how I was visiting one of our members in the hospital and she was quite ill.  When I make a visit, I naturally slip into my “let me make you feel better mode.”  For me there are two great fix-all’s—humor and food. But sometimes, many times, a person just needs compassion and kindness.  This was one of those times.

I walked into the room, and she was lying in the bed softly moaning.  I moved over by the bed and whispered her name.  She opened her eyes, slightly smiled, and said, “Pastor, thank you for coming by.” We shared for just a few minutes, and it was obvious she was very sick.  And then she said, “I just want to go home.”  I softy said, “I know.” And she said it again and then another time. Each time I responded with some simple words of understanding.  After the third time I upped my game.  I said, “I know you want to go home and when God is ready, He will take you.”

Well, imagine my surprise, and embarrassment, when she said, “NOT that home, pastor, my home.”  Oh…oops. I was ready to ship her off to heaven and she was just wanting to go back to her house.  Like I said, sometimes there is just a lack of understanding and communication. When that happens, we need to admit that we missed it and if necessary, ask for a little grace or perhaps give a little grace.  I quickly apologized for the misunderstanding, she did get better and indeed went to her home. We even had the chance to laugh about it later.

In the world we find ourselves these days there are multiple opportunities for misunderstandings.  When we find ourselves in too close of quarters for too long, when we have differing opinions about everything, misunderstandings are bound to happen.  In the regular world the normal response would be to get mad and often get even.  In the regular world the normal response would be more anger and more division.  But for Jesus followers that is just not an option.

The Bible tells us over and again that if we follow Jesus we are to act like Jesus.  We often get that when it comes to moral responses—and rightfully so.  But we too often miss the biggest application—how we respond when we bump into other people…or they bump into us.  Paul, one of the major writers in the Bible says, “Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.”  I like that.  Gracious and attractive.  Mama used to say this, “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything.  I wonder if Mama knew Paul.

Well, the bottom line is there will always be plenty of opportunities to bump into people.  There will always be plenty of opportunities to respond in a “not so Jesus’ way.”  But what if we hit the pause button right before we speak and ask ourselves, “Is this gracious or attractive?  Is this nice?” I wonder how things would change.  In these dark days the world needs “Jesus lights.” It needs us to shine for Him even when we get a little tired and a little weary.  We need to recognize that is just a setup for regretful words.  Let’s choose option “B.”  Let’s just rest in Him and choose to think before we speak.  After all, He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne