Category: Trials

Posted in Christmas, communication, Family, friends, Grace, gratitude, Holidays, life, Military memories, prayer, Scripture, thankful, Thanksgiving, travel, Trials, wisdom

Black Friday Sale

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

Rest in God alone, my soul, for my hope comes from Him.” Psalm 62:5

We stumbled into Black Friday.  It was 1980.  We had just returned from a three-year tour in Germany while serving in the United States Air Force.  It is amazing how things can change in three short years.  We enjoyed our time in Germany immensely, but it was so good to get back to the greatest country in the world…the USA. We were assigned to Whiteman Air Force Base in Knob Noster, Missouri.  No, I am not kidding.  We quickly settled into this new chapter of our life excited to see what was next!

We arrived back in the USA in August and before we knew it, Thanksgiving was just around the corner.  I don’t remember anything about Thanksgiving Day, but I do remember the day after.  I was off on Friday and since Kansas City was only about 45 minutes away, we decided to drive into the city and go shopping.  It sounded like a great idea.  It probably was a great idea before we left for Germany in 1977, but things had changed.  There was a new normal that we were totally unaware of.

We got up on Friday, ate, and headed into the city.  Visions of good deals and the excitement of the Christmas season were dancing in our heads.  We picked our mall—there were several to choose from—and off we went.  As we drove down the highway and neared the exit and the mall, much to our surprise there was heavy traffic…everywhere.  The exit was jam-packed and once we got into the parking lot, we realized it was stuffed to the gills.  We kept saying over and over again, “What in the world is going on?”

Well, I can’t remember if we gave up on that mall or not.  I don’t remember finding a parking spot, but I may have blocked it from my memory.  We tend to do that with nightmares!  Anyway, we headed to mall number two.  It was much larger, with a large parking lot and by now the initial rush was slowing down some.  After circling the area several times, we did manage to find a parking spot.  Hey, what if it was ten miles from the mall?  Smile.

We hiked to the mall and joined a sea of people as they weaved through the stores.  About that time, we finally asked someone, “So what is the deal (no pun intended) with all the people?  Why is everyone here?”  It sounds almost humorous now, but we were sincerely in the dark.  The clerk looked at us like we had just returned from the moon or something and I guess in that instance, we had.  While we were in Germany this thing called “Black Friday” was either born or exploded.  We had walked into a feeding frenzy of holiday madness. Since that time, it has taken on a life of its own.  Stores open at crazy hours and people storm the doors and fight for the right to get a good deal.

But now it is a bit different. One of the good things (and there are only a few) that came from the COVID era was a new approach to Thanksgiving shopping. You see, many stores that were open on Thanksgiving in the past are now closed.  Employees who in years past had to work will now have time with their families.  Now, in the days and weeks leading up to Black Friday, stores are promising and offering their Black Friday pricing. Perhaps todays Black Friday morning will look more humane and not so much like the Allied troops storming the beaches at Normandy.

I know it is hard to find good things in bad days but maybe just maybe, if we look hard enough, we might find good in the bad. I know that whole COVID thing was kinda like a forced Sabbath. God tells us in His Word to rest in Him alone because all our hope should come from Him. It was like He said, “Enough is enough of this madness we call life. Slow down, already.”  And, we did…and to some degree…we have.  Maybe now we will rediscover the blessings all around us. Maybe, we will rediscover the wonder of a Baby born in a feeding trough to save the world from the madness of sin.  Maybe we will rediscover the value of family, of others, of generosity, of love.  I hope so.

After my initial baptism into the fires of Black Friday, I have not been much of a fan.  I’ve never stood in line at the door, I’ve never fought someone for a deal, and I’ve never gotten up at 2:00 am to go shopping. But I have rushed through the holidays like a bull running the streets of Spain.  Maybe it is time for all of us just to slow down and enjoy the holidays. Sound challenging?  It is.  But pressing the pause button is not a bad idea…especially if it causes us to rest next to our Dearest Daddy.  And especially if it causes us to realize…He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in communication, Family, friends, Grace, gratitude, Holidays, life, loving others, priorities, sovereignty of God, thankful, Thanksgiving, Trials

Looking Beyond the Obvious

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into His presence with singing! Know that the Lord, He is God! It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise! Give thanks to Him; bless His name! For the Lord is good; His steadfast love endures forever, and His faithfulness to all generations.” Psalm 100

It should have been obvious. One of the latest additions to my home office is a digital picture frame. It shows pictures, which is pretty obvious, but there is more. You see, I can invite people to share their pictures with me. So, when they want to share, they click a few keys on their phone, and Shazam, they show up on my frame. A quiet ding lets me know that something new has shown up.

I’ve invited my wife Judy, and my three daughters to be a part of my digital frame world. This is a special way that I can be a part of their world even though I might not be there physically.  It is also a great way to remember all the wonderful things that God has brought into our lives. And the best part? That list of things continues to get longer and longer. God is so incredibly generous…sometimes it is super obvious but sometimes we must look a little closer.

One picture on my frame had me a little puzzled…until I looked a little closer. The picture was a nice shot of a tree line. Now I love trees, and I love nature, but I had to wonder why someone shared this picture with me…and then I saw it. Near the top of the photograph, which was taken during the day, was a full moon. At nighttime, it would have been obvious but in daylight, it was barely visible. Someone knew and remembered that I am a big fan of full moons and shared it with me. What was not so obvious became obvious when I looked a little closer. I.Looked.A.Little.Closer.

It is amazing what we can see if we look closer and what we can miss if we don’t. The story is told about a minister who was speaking to a group of men. To make a point about not missing the obvious, he took a big sheet of paper and drew a small black dot in the middle with a marker. He held it up and asked the group, “What do you see?” One guy quickly said, “I see a black dot” and the pastor told him he was exactly right. But he wasn’t done.

He then asked, “Do you see anything else?” With squinted eyes, they finally had to shake their heads answering, no. The minister smiled and said, “Are you sure? You all completely missed the most important thing—the entire sheet of paper.” What is true in the story is true in life.  You see, in life, we often get caught up in the small, dot-like disappointments and struggles we experience. Meanwhile, we forget to focus on the bigger picture—the many blessings we receive from God every day. When we do that, we quickly discover two things. First, our world abounds with blessings and two, the good in our lives far outweighs the bad.

The truth is that it’s easy to get fixated on life’s trials and challenges, isn’t it? The key, though, is to keep your focus on God’s blessings. As we celebrate this Thanksgiving Day, let’s take a moment and thank Him for all the good in our lives and let His joy fill our hearts! After all, one of God’s greatest blessings is the assurance that, “He’s got this.” Bro. Dewayne

Posted in communication, Family, food, friends, gratitude, Holidays, life, love, loving others, priorities, Scripture, Southern born, sovereignty of God, thankful, Thanksgiving, travel, Trials

Worth Every Mile

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

Giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Ephesians 5:20

It was crazy but worth every mile.  For years my side of our Taylor tribe held a family reunion. It all started after the death of both of our parents and just seemed like the right thing to do.  Fortunately for all of us, we had some very committed and caring siblings that made sure it happened.  While the date bounced around, for a while we held it on Thanksgiving weekend.  I know for us that was a good time.  Being a pastor, each year was a more of a maybe than a definite yes or no, so we didn’t make every one…but every one we did make was, well, special.

I remember one year someone in the church family had died and I needed to stay and officiate at their service.  To me honoring life after death is not an obligation but an honor so if I can I try to be there, both for the one who has slipped into eternity and especially for those left behind. That meant on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving that year, we had a service and rather than leave town on Tuesday, we stayed and held the service and left as soon as it was over…about noon.

Now everyone knows that the Wednesday before Thanksgiving is the biggest, the busiest, the craziest travel day of the year and that year—the Taylor tribe from Illinois discovered that truth firsthand.  We had no more gotten on the interstate highway—less than an hour from our home— and we ran into heavy traffic.  That song about “over the river and through the woods” was more than a song.  It seemed that everyone in the world, or at least the Midwest, was going to grandmother’s house and apparently, she lived down by Atlanta.

There was not a time that there wasn’t traffic and a couple of times there was just one of those standstills.  That is when, for no apparent reason, in the middle of nowhere traffic just stops. There was not an intersection, there was not an accident or a broken-down vehicle—it was like people just decided to press pause.  Now if you know anything about me, you know I don’t do traffic well but this time, well, I did better than average.  As the day pressed on, as the traffic got heavier, as day turned to night, as the clock ticked off the minutes and hours, as we got more and more tired…well, average disappeared.

By the time we were outside of Atlanta on Interstate 20 heading west, it was about 1:30 am.  1:30 am…think about that. I can still remember the fact that the interstate, every lane, was packed with traffic…bumper to bumper…at 70 miles per hour.  I didn’t believe it then and as my fingers press the keys…I can’t believe it now.  Where in the world were all these people going at that time of the night…uh, make that morning?  Of course…they were going to grandmother’s house.

Well, we finally arrived at John Tanner State Park at about 2:30 am.  We were tired.  We were exhausted but all that didn’t matter.  We were there.  We opened the car doors and stumbled out of the car and into the lodge. Waiting for us was a was a beautiful moment of clarity.  There in the “living room” of the lodge was a big chunk of the Taylor tribe.  Instead of going to bed, they had waited up to greet us and it was at that moment it was worth it all.  Just then I had an epiphany…this, this was family. While they couldn’t drive the miles for us they could be there and greet us and simply say “we are glad you made the drive.”

Well, we all quickly went to bed and woke up a little later the next day.  The morning was spent preparing the feast and what a feast it was.  We told stories, we laughed, we shared and we ate…a lot.  And I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt it was worth every minute in the car and every mile in traffic.  Well, that was many years ago and the family reunions don’t occur that way anymore.  And, too many—and even one is too many—of our family have changed their address from this world to the next. And while I wish I had more of those memories, I am so grateful for each and every one that I have.

While this Thanksgiving will be different than those and for many, different even from last year, let’s strive to make this one worth remembering too.  Let’s remember the key word in the holiday—thanks.  Paul, the guy in the Bible, said, “Give thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”  As always, he was spot on.  Like Bing Crosby sings in the movie, “Holiday Inn,” let’s remember we have plenty to be thankful for…because we do.  And, if you are struggling in the gratitude department, just take a look around and count your blessings, and then remember that no matter what, “He’s got this.” Bro. Dewayne

Posted in communication, friends, gratitude, life, love, prayer, priorities, Scripture, spiritual battles, thankful, Trials

Riding With Jesus

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

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

How about that? One of the newest rages in communities everywhere is electric bikes. Long before we took the plunge and started our next chapter, we talked about buying a pair of these bikes so we could ride and ride together. Well, we finally took that plunge too. These bikes are not cheap, so we decided to use the individual love gifts you gave us to purchase them. Now…every time we ride, we will think of you all.

So, what’s up with an electric bike? Since my early days in Harrisburg, I have ridden bikes on and off. My first thought when Judy mentioned this was, “what is the purpose of an electric bike”? I thought riding meant exercise and exercise meant pedaling and sweating. Well, it turns out that there can be some of that…or none of that.  Let me explain. Our bikes have several settings.  First, it can be like a good old-fashioned bike. You simply turn the battery part off and pedal your heart out. Now, you need to know that is a challenge because these dudes weigh a hefty 65 pounds. Compare that with a regular bike that weighs about 25 pounds, and you can see—and feel the difference.  So pedal if you want—but be prepared to sweat—a lot.

The second setting is something called pedal assist. With this setting you still pedal but the electric motor does a chunk of the work for you. Now this is where I was surprised. I found out that even though pedal assist helps you, your legs and heart still get a pretty good workout. So, you tell the bike how much help you need or want and away you go. But wait—we aren’t done.  The third and final setting is when the bike does all the work. All you do is twist a throttle on the handlebar and the electric motor takes you wherever you want to go. In some ways, it is similar to riding a motorcycle, but not.  It turns out, the bike will do as much or as little as you desire.  And that, Grits readers, is just like our Father.

You see, God is ready and willing to go with us.  And how much we are willing to rely on Him is how much easier the journey will be.  The truth is, just like the bike, we can tell God, “no thanks” and try to do life on your own.  That is simply a poor choice. We weren’t made to live like that. A much better choice is what we will call, “God assist.” We do our part, which often is simply trusting and believing, and leave the rest to Him. In other words, we do life doing what we can and should do, and leave the rest to Him.

The final part is the best. You see, we are constantly assured that we can totally and completely trust in Him. He is more than willing to carry us every day and in every way.  Again, all we must do is trust. The only option that should never be an option is thinking that we don’t need God’s help. Like I said—bad choice. But the other two, God assist, and God dependence teach us an important lesson that no matter what—He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Christmas, Easter, forgiveness, Grace, gratitude, life, Scripture, spiritual battles, spring, thankful, Trials

Paradise Lost and Found

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.” John 3:17

It was paradise lost. I’m not sure why it happened.  I’m not even sure how it happened…but it did.  Several years ago, we had accumulated a great collection of large tropical plants to accent our patio during the summer.  Our guests love our garden, and I suppose they love our plants too.  But then something happened.  You see; to keep them alive through the winter, we had to move them into our garage and nurse them during the cold weather.  We would install special lights, water them, and learn to squeeze our car in between them.  It was a hassle, but we did it…until we didn’t

One year, well, we didn’t. It all started when we had a light frost early in the season and since Judy was gone…I didn’t mess with it.  That’s the bad news.  The good news is that somehow, they survived. Since it happened on my watch, I breathed a sigh of relief.  That opened a pandora’s box because when the next frost came, and I believe it was on my watch again, I found a reason to throw caution to the wind.  Once again, they survived and so did I.

Then, fast forward a little while later, we were deeper into fall and nudging winter.  With Judy back, the plants were in safer hands.  When the temperatures threatened to move from frost to freeze, we braved the cold wind and moved them inside displacing the car to the fate of the cold.  Sure enough, it warmed up again, and out they came.  Well, that year we decided to go on a cruise.  We knew the forecast called for a couple of cold mornings, but we were pressed for time and couldn’t think of anyone to gather the plants for us…so we left them to their fate.

Sure enough, it froze and so did they…all of them.  At first, it wasn’t too bad but then it was.  Some quickly, some slowly began to show the damage of a freeze on something that was never meant to see or feel the extreme cold.  Some leaves wilted and some turned dark brown.  The result was a paradise lost.  What was once beautiful looked like a tropical war zone.  It also meant a lot of whacking and cleaning up to do.  It was sad in one way but wait there is a silver lining.

You see, first, there was more room in my garage this winter.  Yay.  It also meant that there was a fresh start…a new beginning when spring came.  Yes, there was a cost involved…there usually is for a new beginning…when something is reborn. But it was worth it. Several plants showed their age, and the new ones will be stronger than the old ones. It.Was.Worth.It.

You know God said the same thing about us, don’t you?  You know that God knew we needed a lot more than a time in the “garage,” we needed a fresh start, a new birth and yes, it came at a great price.  It meant there had to be a Christmas and there had to be an Easter.  It meant His Son leaving heaven for a stable and a feeding trough and it meant a rugged Roman cross, a horrible death but gratefully…also a resurrection.  It meant we could go from eternal death to eternal life—that we could go from war to peace—that we could call Him…wait for it…Father. But all that was possible only after the price was paid. Like the song says, “Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe.  Sin had left a crimson stain, but He made it white as snow.”

White as snow. From death to life. How amazing is that?  Each fall, I scour the yard and remove the death…preparing for spring and new life.  I chose to look past the present and forward to the new…to spring.  And, if your world looks a little like my backyard with more dead than alive, remember that God waits to bring new life into your life.  He said in John 3:17 that His Father didn’t send Him to condemn the world but rather through Him we, you, could be saved…rescued…redeemed.”  That is good…that is really good.  So, no matter the mess, write it down…He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in communication, Family, Grace, prayer, priorities, Scripture, spiritual battles, Trials

Be Still

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

Be still, and know that I am God!” Psalm 46:10

It was a gentle reminder.  One Sunday before we chose to step back from the busy world of full-time ministry, we were driving to church and heard a soft “ding.” A quick look at the dash told us why.  Our car has a built-in thermometer and when the temperature dips to 39 degrees, it sounds a soft chime to let us know that the temperature outside has reached a point where the roads might be slippery because of ice or snow. It is a great idea because sometimes we get too busy to notice and then, well, it can lead to a mess.  I wish life sometimes had a little “ding” too. Let me explain.

A while back I had one of those crazy schedules that was just jam-packed.  I knew it was going to be busy. I knew it was going to be crazy but for some reason that didn’t make me hit the brakes and slow down.  It all started on Monday…well, make that Sunday.  Sunday for me was preaching twice Sunday morning but that particular week we also had an evening service to prepare for a special event happening at our church…which was part of the crazy.  I spent the afternoon getting Grits ready for that week and the next…so, add in a little more crazy.  Now back to Monday.  Monday, I had the privilege of officiating at the funeral service for a church member who happened to be a good friend too.  Because of that it was especially emotionally draining for me.  I felt the loss…we all did.

I returned to the office that afternoon and finished out the day and woke up early on Tuesday to speak on “The Baptist Hour,” a radio program that we sponsor on the first of every month.  Then it was off to the office to prepare for the rest of the week.  In the late afternoon, we packed our bags to attend a state meeting two and a half hours away.  We arrived that night, slept and woke up to a twelve-hour day of conferences and meetings. It was just about then I should have been listening for the little warning chime because certainly it was going off.

Thursday morning began with more meetings before leaving for home. After driving for two and a half hours, we got back in time to serve at our outreach event.  I was one of the speakers and we got to the church at about 5:00 pm and got home about 10:30 pm.  Friday, the day I usually call my day off, was filled with more study and a return trip to the church for the event. Was that a “ding” I heard?   Then Sunday…well, it was Sunday, and our first service began at 8 am.

Now all of that wasn’t written to whine about a crazy week…it was to warn you that, chime or no chime, when things get crazy…be careful you don’t. So, like the chime in my car, I needed something to let me know it was time to restock, to replenish.  While God doesn’t give out chimes, He does give us His Spirit. I love a verse tucked away in Psalm 46:10. It says, “Be still and know I am God.” Be still…literally, “stop striving” and know that He is God. He wants to be our warning chime but to hear Him we must slow down and listen.

I shared a quote a couple of weeks ago, but didn’t personally apply it. It said, “Sometimes the most spiritual thing we can do is take a nap,” or maybe just get away. So, after church that Sunday, we did a little more crazy. We packed our bags and headed to New Orleans for a five-day cruise. We were grateful for a time to physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually recover. This quiet time was a gift from God to us…a time to be still and know that He really is God.  I hope this story will help you stop before you reach the tipping point. But if you do, if we do, at least we know, no matter what, “He’s got this.”  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, friends, Grace, gratitude, love, loving others, prayer, priorities, Scripture, sovereignty of God, spiritual battles, thankful, Trials

Dancing With THE Star

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.” Psalm 24:1

It wasn’t my strong suit.  I never could dance worth a hoot.  I was born in the fifties and raised in the sixties and seventies and while everyone else was doing the boogie woogie, I was kinda left on the sideline.  My best efforts somewhat resembled someone using one of those old-time vibrating, belt exercise machines—every part of your body going somewhere besides where it was supposed to.  That’s the bad news.  The good news is that I could pull off a slow dance.  It wasn’t perfect but at least I didn’t look like I was totally clueless.

Another piece of good news is that I married someone who is very understanding about this dance thing.  My wife Judy can put some moves on but since she knows I would embarrass myself if I tried, she rarely asks.  But occasionally, ok, maybe rarely, we do slow dance and honestly…I like it.  I mean what is there not to like about holding the person you love most in this whole world close and swaying together in time to the music?  Not bad…no sir…not bad.

Now there are rules with slow dancing and one of the most important is that someone must lead.  If you get a couple on the floor and they both want to lead you end up stomped on toes and a hefty dose of frustration.  But when there is surrender and cooperation even the most inexperienced couples are worth admiring.  Surrender and cooperation—that’s a good combination for sure. And do you know what? It not only works on the dance floor with your sweetie…it works as we dance through life with the One who made us.

Imagine, if you can, if you will, that God invites you to dance with Him on the dance floor of life.  Imagine, if you can, if you will, that you move onto the floor but there seems to be a problem…both of you want to lead. You soon find yourself tugging and pulling with the One you said you would follow and it ain’t pretty.  You see, for the dance to work, One leads, and one follows.  That’s just the way it is.  And when we allow the Leader to lead…it is a beautiful thing.  It reminds me of two words that we need to remember in our relationship with our Father.  Those two words are owner and steward.

You see, as God, He not only wants to lead…He owns.  You might say it is His dance floor. The Bible makes it clear that He doesn’t own part of it…He owns all of it. Psalm 24:1 says, “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.” So, you can see that He not only wants to lead—He has the right to lead.  But being the gracious dance partner that He is, He allows us the honor of dancing with Him.  He is owner of the dance…we are the steward of the dance.  And trust me with this one—this is better than “Dancing with the Stars” because here you are “Dancing with THE Star” and it doesn’t get any better than that.

So, as you waltz thought this life be sure you have the right partner…some call Him Father, but I like to call Him Dearest Daddy. And as you dance, allow Him to lead you across the floor because when it comes to dancing through life…well, He is the master.  Afraid you might step on His toes?  Don’t you worry, He loves you so much.  Just let Him lead.  He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in communication, Family, fear, forgiveness, friends, Grace, gratitude, life, love, loving others, prayer, priorities, thankful, Trials, wisdom

Don’t Be a Worrywart

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done.” Philippians 4:6

She comes by it naturally. My wife Judy and I have three daughters. One of my great pleasures in life was to watch them grow into beautiful young women—both inside and out. I told them the other day that they should be very grateful to us—and especially their mother Judy—because they are each so attractive. In each one of them, you can see things that they have picked up from either me or Judy.  I have one daughter who is a natural born worrywart. She manages to worry about just about everything.  I wonder who she got that from? Well, let me just say it was not her mother. While I am not a worry wart, I could probably qualify as a worry something.

In a culture that is obsessed with appearance, guess what? I’m certain that a lot of those lines that people get Botox treatments for come from worrying. Wait…that isn’t all. Surely a lot of those gray hairs the ladies (and some men) try to hide also come from worrying. Now that I think about it, that might be why so many pastors have gray or white hair. It isn’t about worrying as much as it is trying to care for all the members that do.

It has been reported that 90% of the things that we worry about never even happen. Think about that. I was reading a devotion the other day and it included this very insightful quote by some unknown author.  It said, “Worry is a conversation you have with yourself about things you cannot change. Prayer is a conversation you have with God about things He can change.” Isn’t that awesome. We worry about things that are usually totally out of our control.  Jesus said in His Sermon on the Mount, “Can any of you add one moment to his life span by worrying?” Now how is that for irony.  Obviously, Jesus knew that the opposite was true.  Worrying never adds—it always subtracts.

 For years I have had plenty of long conversations with myself and they were often about things that I couldn’t change. Let’s read the first part of that quote again—“worry is a conversation you have with yourself about things you cannot change.”  Check—been there—done that. Now let’s focus on part two. It says, “Prayer is a conservation you have with God about things He can change.” Wow—how powerful. It looks like it boils down to four simple words—worry less, pray more.

Paul gave us something better than anxiety pills and Botox.  Here is what he said in Philippians 4:6, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank Him for all He has done.” So, we need to discipline ourselves to worrying less and also pray more. Simple and powerful. There is one more element.  Did you see it? Paul also said for us to adapt an attitude of gratitude—let Him know what is messing with us and then be sure and thank Him for all that He has done. Now there is one more thing we should do.  We need to be sure and believe that our God is a “I’ve got this” kind of God. Do you know why?  Because He is.  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in communication, Family, friends, gratitude, life, loving others, priorities, school days, Scripture, Southern born, sovereignty of God, thankful, Trials, Uncategorized, USA

Mama and Politics

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

“Everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.” 1 John 5:4-5

His name was Bill, and he was running for county commissioner.  A long time ago when I was about ten years old, I had my first and only encounter with political campaigns.  Somehow, and I have no idea how, my Momma got involved with the campaign to elect a guy named Bill Basford as county commissioner.  And, when Mom jumped in—she jumped in all the way.  That meant a couple of things.

First, and totally embarrassing, was this thing they put on our car.  We were pretty much not rich, in fact, I’m sure we weren’t even middle class.  We drove a 1957 Plymouth and let’s just say 1957 was a long way in the rearview mirror.  Anyway, back in those days if a person was running for office, they had these triangle shaped signs that people strapped to the top of their cars.  Now if it had been a little triangle that wouldn’t have been nearly as embarrassing, but this thing belonged on the sands of Egypt with the rest of the Pyramids.  It was HUGE.  It loudly proclaimed, “BILL BASFORD FOR COUNTY COMMISSIONER.” We would drive around and advertise for Bill.

That wasn’t all.  We also had to go door to door asking people to vote for Bill.  We covered our neighborhood like the plague of locusts that cleaned out Egypt.  I am certain people saw us coming and quickly closed their blinds and pretended they weren’t home.  It turns out that was just practice for when I became a preacher.  By the way…I know you are in there.  We also had a big supply of bumper stickers which we would gladly stick on your car.  When you’re ten, you like to stick things on things, so I liked that part—a lot.

Well, election day came, and Momma waited for the big news.  Either by television or by telephone we got the word that Bill had won, and they invited Momma to come downtown to the headquarters to celebrate. Like Ma and Pa Kettle, we (as in Daddy, Momma, my two sisters and I) got in the 1957 Plymouth and off we went.  I only remember a couple of things about the celebration.  There was loud music, and the air was filled with excitement.

So that was it.  Momma was excited because her guy won.  She didn’t get a political appointment or anything, but we did have a bunch of bumper stickers leftover to stick on things.  But the best part of all was that our guy won.  Winning is always a good feeling.  Everyone wants to be on the winning side. Every contest has winners and losers.  Like the song says, “Some gotta win, some gotta lose.  Good time Charlie’s got the blues. Well, your name might not be Charlie, but maybe you’ve got the blues.  And I’m not talking about any election results.

If the truth be known, life can be pretty blue, can’t it?  And sometimes, it is because we lose…our health, our job, our family, our house, well, lots of things.  But I want to tell you something that is important.  There is Someone who never loses, and His name is Jesus.  If it was an election…He would win every time. If it was a game…He would win every time.  If it was a war…He would win every time. If it was a debate…yup, He would win every time.  Do you want to know the best part?  Keep reading.

Remember how mama got invited to the big celebration downtown?  Well, if we are willing to place our faith and trust in Jesus and follow Him, two amazing things happen.  First, because He wins, we win.  In a way, when Bill Basford won—Momma won.  And when we choose to follow Jesus, because He wins—we win too.  The Bible says, “Everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.”  Then, the party starts.  Sometimes people think heaven is going to be one long boring church service.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  It is going to a celebration like no other…like a party without end.  And while we won’t be the center of attention—that’s Jesus’ place—we will be guests of honor.  How about that?

I don’t really know how things turned out for Bill Basford, but I suppose he was a good commissioner.  I also know it made my Momma feel pretty special to be a part of his campaign.  She felt included—we felt included.  We may have driven an old 1957 Plymouth but on that night with Bill’s name on the top, it felt like a Cadillac.  Jesus invites you to be a part of His campaign team too.  He’s not running for anything—He is already King of Kings. But there’s one thing for sure, He loves to invite people to come along for the ride.  He hopes, and so do I, that you will join Him.  When this campaign is over, we are going to celebrate Him forever.  Until then, He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in communication, fear, friends, Grace, gratitude, life, loving others, prayer, priorities, Scripture, sovereignty of God, spiritual battles, thankful, Trials, USA

Who’s In and Who’s Out

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

He controls the course of world events; He removes kings and sets up other kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the scholars.” Daniel 2:21 (NLT)

He’s got this. For the past four and a half years, I have been clicking keys and writing stories. My wife Judy loves to say, “When I married Dewayne, I thought I was getting an Air Force Sergeant and instead got a preacher.” Little did we know the wonderful journey and adventure that God would send us on. As most of you know, part of that journey came to an end when I (with God’s approval) left the full-time vocational ministry and began seeking God’s next chapter for us. Occasionally people say, “So how is retirement?” Well, truthfully, we are still figuring it out but as always it is well when we try our best to do what God says do.

This Grits thing started one day when I wrote a paragraph of encouragement and posted it on Facebook. Now, four and a half years later I am still writing, and Judy is still designing graphics. As far as we can tell, God is still using Grits and that is a blessing. These days I don’t step into the pulpit every Sunday, but Judy and I can still share His goodness five days a week through Grits. I have written, it seems, about every topic you can imagine and yet God keeps sending ideas and stories. That too is a blessing.

Rarely do I write about anything controversial and I’m not going to start now! You see…I am a big fan of God and His sovereignty. I just believe that He is God, and we are not and that He is in control of all things. A week ago today, the country elected a new president, and the apprehension was high…as were the stakes. The new president would set the tone of the country for the next four years and I think everybody would agree that the two candidates had very different visions. Well, just like football, only one team can win the game. In every contest some people go home sad…and some go home glad. I know that was true in this election.

But get this. More important than my candidate winning or your candidate winning…more important than this party or that party is the truth that God and God alone was calling the shots. What prompted this Grits was not even the election—it was this incredible verse found in the book of Daniel.  It says, “He controls the course of world events; He removes kings and sets up other kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the scholars.” Wow…how about that? To put it in modern language…God puts people in office and God takes people out. Period.

You see, God is the creator, planner and orchestrater of all things and His plan is the only plan that matters. If you are a Jesus follower, I want to encourage you to believe that and live that. If we can find a way forward in that, not only will our country be stronger and more unified—so will our churches and perhaps even our families. So, let’s move forward and pray for our leaders since the Bible says we are supposed to do that. Oh, and then let’s live and trust as if we truly believe that “He’s got this”…because He does.  Bro. Dewayne