Acts 3:6 – Grits with Grace

Family, friends, Grace, gratitude, life, love, loving others, prayer, priorities, Scripture, Southern born, thankful, Trials

Backyard Cars

Posted on February 2, 2024January 30, 2024 by Dewayne Taylor

But Peter said, “I don’t have silver or gold, but what I do have, I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!” Acts 3:6

Sometimes it seemed like a parking lot. We have all seen it, but I experienced it. As I have often said, there were certain benefits to growing up in an urban county. We weren’t country like horses and cows, but we were country like room to run, places to play and cars in the backyard. What? Yup. I know we have all seen yards where there are old cars hanging around the yard. I know each time I drive to Paducah down Route 145 in Southern Illinois I pass a house with an old Capri parked in the yard…permanently. Over the years that I have seen it, weeds and green algae have slowly grown over it. I’m not sure about the story behind the old Capri, but it is there year after year.

Over the years I lived at 6008 Carlton Road, we had several cars parked in our backyard. When my granddaddy Taylor died, we inherited his old Pontiac Sedan. I’m not sure what year it was but it was old…probably the late forties if I were to guess. I knew at least for a while it was a runner, but later on it became a sitter. Regardless, it was a great place to play and hide in a good game of hide and seek. This past week I was converting some old family movies to digital so we could watch them again. There is one simply titled, Alston and Leslie Taylor and their children – 1960’s. In the middle of the video there was my daddy, and he was working on the old Pontiac. It was good to see him again. It reminded me what a good man he was.

I have a feeling that there was a reason that he was working on granddaddy’s Pontiac. You see I remember that our main driver, a 1957 Plymouth, blew an engine so it was parked under the tree in the backyard. So, I think Daddy may have been working on the Pontiac so we would have something that would get us from here to there. The Plymouth sat there for quite a while. Motors were expensive and it would be a while before Momma and Daddy could scrape the money together to buy a rebuilt one. I know they eventually did, but until then it was the old Pontiac.

And then there was the Sunbeam. My brother Lee bought a car from somebody, and it was quite unusual. It was a British made car and it almost had that James Bond allure about it. I was trying to think how to describe it and simply put, it was cool. Well, it was cool until it quit running. You see, certain cars, and especially British ones, are hard to work on and expensive to repair. Well, somewhere along the road (no pun intended) it died. Rather than bury it, we just parked it in the backyard where it became one of the original storage sheds. We slowly stuffed it to the gills with—stuff.

Well, eventually the Plymouth got fixed, the Pontiac got hauled off and the Sunbeam went somewhere, and our backyard looked a little less like a small junkyard and more like a garden. Daddy had a love for growing roses, and I have to admit they looked a lot better than the old cars that adorned our yard for a season. Thinking back, I wonder what people thought about the old-World War II barracks turned house with a car or two parked in the backyard. I wonder if they, like me, like you, were tempted to judge the people that lived there?

I wonder if they ever pondered why the house needed painting most of the time or why there were old junk cars sitting in the yard? I wonder if they thought the people who lived there were lazy or unkept? Well, in the case of 6008 Carlton Road they would have been wrong in both cases. My Daddy was a hard worker making sure the folks under his care had food and clothes. He worked until his heart said no, and even then, he found a job as a security guard. Momma worked hard taking care of us. She poured her life into our lives and made sure there was supper on the table and clean clothes to wear. I would suppose they both were too busy pulling it all together to worry what people thought.

I know this. When I drive south to Paducah and pass that old house with the overgrown Capri in the front yard, it won’t be thoughts of judgement that pass through my mind. Instead, I will remember two people who worked hard to make life possible for me, and my brothers and sisters. And then I will remember that until I have walked in someone’s shoes, I have no business looking down on anyone. Most folks don’t wake up some morning and just decide to have their world go south. Sometimes it just happens. But what I do know is that Jesus, the Man a lot of us have committed to follow, wouldn’t cast a rock, rather He would lend a hand.

One day a couple of Jesus followers were going to church, and they passed by a man who couldn’t walk. The guy was begging and that was the honorable thing to do given there was no security net for help in those days. He looked up and the two Jesus guys looked down. They said, “You know, we don’t have any money, but we do have an answer. And right there, right then, they reached down and in the name of Jesus they healed the guy. He got up, did a little dance and they all went to church together. How about that? So, who can you help today? What house have you driven by so many times before but perhaps today you need to stop? I know in a world of risks, that can be hard but hey, I know Someone who will help make it happen. His name is Jesus and He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

Read more stories on the blog: http://www.gritswithgrace.com

Family, friends, gratitude, life, loving others, prayer, priorities, Scripture, Southern born, thankful, Trials

Backyard Cars

Posted on March 28, 2023March 27, 2023 by Dewayne Taylor

But Peter said, “I don’t have silver or gold, but what I do have, I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!” Acts 3:6

Sometimes it seemed like a parking lot. We have all seen it, but I experienced it. As I have often said, there were certain benefits to growing up urban county. We weren’t country like horses and cows, but we were country like with room to run, places to play and cars in the backyard. What? Yup. I know we have all seen yards where there are old cars hanging around the yard. I know each time I drive to Paducah down Route 145 in Southern Illinois I pass a house with an old Capri parked in the yard…permanently. Over the years that I have seen it, weeds and green algae have slowly grown over it. I’m not sure about the story behind the old Capri, but it is there year after year.

Over the years I lived at 6008 Carlton Road, we had several cars parked in our backyard. When my granddaddy Taylor died, we inherited his old Pontiac Sedan. I’m not sure what year it was but it was old…probably the late forties if I were to guess. I know at least for a while it was a runner, but later it became a sitter. Regardless, it was a great place to play and hide in a good game of hide and seek. A while back I was converting some old family movies to digital so we could watch them again. There is one simply titled, Alston and Leslie Taylor and their children – 1960’s. In the middle of the video there was my daddy, and he was working on the old Pontiac. It was good to see him again. It reminded me what a good man he was.

And then there was the Sunbeam. My brother Lee bought a car from somebody, and it was quite unusual. It was a British made car and it almost had that James Bond allure about it. I was trying to think how to describe it and simply put, it was cool. Well, it was cool until it quit running. You see, certain cars, and especially British ones, are hard to work on and expensive to repair. Well, somewhere along the road (no pun intended) it died. Rather than bury it, we just parked it the backyard where it became one of the original storage sheds. We slowly stuffed it to the gills with—stuff.

Well, eventually the Plymouth got fixed, the Pontiac got hauled off and the Sunbeam went somewhere, and our backyard looked a little less like a small junkyard and more like a garden. Daddy had a love for growing roses and I have to admit they looked a lot better than the old cars that adorned our yard for a season. Thinking back, I wonder what people thought about the old World War II barracks turned house with a car or two parked in the backyard. I wonder if they, like me, like you, were tempted to judge the people that lived there?

I wonder if they ever pondered why the house needed painting most of the time or why there were old junk cars sitting in the yard? I wonder if they thought the people who lived there were lazy or unkept. Well, in the case of 6008 Carlton Road they would have been wrong on both cases. My Daddy was a hard worker making sure the folks under his care had food and clothes. He worked until his heart said no, and even then he found a job as a security guard. Momma worked hard taking care of us. She poured her life into our lives and made sure there was supper on the table and clean clothes to wear. I would suppose they both were too busy pulling it all together to worry what people thought.

friends, Grace, gratitude, life, love, loving others, missions, prayer, priorities, Scripture, thankful, travel, Trials

I Can’t Hear You

Posted on February 16, 2023February 15, 2023 by Dewayne Taylor

But Peter said, “I don’t have silver or gold, but what I do have, I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!” Acts 3:6 (CSB)

I can’t hear you. A friend and I were standing on the shores of an island in Lake Victoria, Uganda, East Africa. He was telling a Jesus story to a man and trying to determine if he knew Jesus. While he was sharing another man walked up and began to listen. At the end of the story, we asked a couple of questions. The first man indicated that he knew this Jesus. The other did not. And he couldn’t hear.

Let me explain. It wasn’t that he had a hearing problem. His ears were working quite well. It wasn’t that he couldn’t understand. Our friend understood English and when we hit a bump our translator would jump in and help. But he couldn’t hear. Then he explained the problem. He said something like, “I can’t hear about this Jesus because my stomach is so hungry.”

Now hunger is not usually a big issue in Uganda. While the food may not be the best nutritionally it is usually sufficient in quantity. Our friend was one of the exceptions. For whatever reason he hadn’t eaten that day or maybe the day before. The growling of his stomach was blocking his heart from hearing the message. We tried to explain that while we may hunger here, God had a place in heaven where no one would be hungry. I decided to tell him another story from the Bible.

I told him the story of Peter and John entering the temple. You can read it in Acts 3:1-10. It goes something like this. There was a crippled man there who made a living begging. When he saw Peter and John, he thought they could help. He looked up expectedly and perhaps even lifted his hand to receive a coin or two. While his hand remained empty, he got something more than a coin. Peter said, “We don’t have silver or gold but what we do have we will give you. In the name of Jesus of Nazareth rise up and walk.”

As Peter reached his hand down and the man reached up, his ankles received healing strength and he stood and walked into the temple. I smugly smiled my preacher smile. The perfect story. The perfect truth. Eternal is better than temporary. Surely my friends would see it, and everyone would go their way happy. Only it didn’t happen.

I asked him “So what is better a few coins now or something that can change your life forever?” I, of course, expected him to agree that the gift of eternal life is certainly more and better than a few coins or a quick meal. His answer caught me totally off guard. He replied, “A few coins or some food.” What? I couldn’t believe what he was saying. Surely, he understood. Surely, I had made the story clear.

Then he said it. “Heaven is good, but I am hungry now. I need food now.” Well, sadly, he wandered off. Still hungry. Still lost. My friend continued to share with the first man but my heart was heavy and my mind on the other man. Suddenly, I saw him again standing a few yards away. It was then I heard the Whisperer whisper. It was short and simple. “Give him food” the Whisperer said. I had totally forgotten that in my backpack I had some tuna, chips, crackers for my own lunch. I dug several items from my bag, as did my friend.

I walked over to the man and said, “This isn’t much but I hope it will quieten your stomach so you can hear Jesus.” He quickly took the food and left. There’s no bow on the package, no happily ever after ending, no prayer to receive Jesus. But I know two things. I know he knew we cared, and I know he heard the truth and this time that had to be enough. Maybe the seed would sprout later…only eternity will tell.

I learned a couple of things that day. I learned that sometimes before we can share the Good News of the Gospel with a person, we need to touch them in a real tangible way. A casual God bless you and a pat on the back doesn’t do much for an anxious soul or a hungry stomach. We must talk Jesus, we must share Jesus, but we must be Jesus. Someone said, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”

In these crazy, troubling times people need more than a sermon—they need to know we care. How do we do that? That’s the second thing I learned. We must listen for the Whisperer. We need to be sensitive to His gentle nudges. We must still our own souls and hearts if we are to hear His gentle voice. These days call for new ways…different ways.

So, as you walk about life, keep your eyes open, your heart still and watch in wonder at what God can do through you. You don’t have to be in Africa to be on mission. That can happen, must happen right here, right now. And in these days of fear and frustration people are more ready to hear about God than ever before. What a privilege to be entrusted with God’s work. Up for the challenge? God believes so. Remember, He’s really big on you. So, rest in Him. He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

missions, Uncategorized

I Can’t Hear You

Posted on May 8, 2020May 8, 2020 by Dewayne Taylor

“But Peter said, “I don’t have silver or gold, but what I do have, I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!” Acts 3:6 (CSB)

Let me explain. It wasn’t that he had a hearing problem. His ears were working quite well. It wasn’t that he couldn’t understand. Our friend understood English and when we hit a bump our translator would jump in and help out. But he couldn’t hear. Then he explained the problem. He said something like, “I can’t hear about this Jesus because my stomach is so hungry.”

I told him the story of Peter and John entering the temple. You can read it in Acts 3:1-10. It goes something like this. There was a crippled man there who made a living begging. When he saw Peter and John he thought they could help. He looked up expectedly and perhaps even lifted his hand to receive a coin or two. While his hand remained empty he got something more than a coin. Peter said, “We don’t have silver or gold but what we do have we will give you. In the name of Jesus of Nazareth rise up and walk.”

As Peter reached his hand down and the man reached up, his ankles received healing strength and he stood and walked into the temple. I smugly smiled my preacher smile. The perfect story. The perfect truth. Eternal is better than temporary. Surely my friends would see it and everyone would go their way happy. Only it didn’t happen.

Then he said it. “Heaven is good but I am hungry now. I need food now.” Well, sadly, he wandered off. Still hungry. Still lost. My friend continued to share with the first man but my heart was heavy and my mind on the other man. Suddenly, I saw him again standing a few yards away. It was then I heard the Whisperer whisper. It was short and simple. “Give him food” the Whisperer said. I had totally forgotten that in my backpack I had some tuna, chips, crackers for my own lunch. I dug several items from my bag, as did my friend.

I walked over to the man and said, “This isn’t much but I hope it will quieten your stomach so you can hear Jesus.” He quickly took the food and left. There’s no bow on the package, no happily ever after ending, no prayer to receive Jesus. But I know two things. I know he knew we cared and I know he heard the truth and this time that had to be enough. Maybe the seed would sprout later…only eternity will tell.

I learned a couple of things that day. I learned that sometimes before we can share the Good News of the Gospel with a person we need to touch them in a real tangible way. A casual God bless you and a pat on the back doesn’t do much for an anxious soul or a hungry stomach. We must talk Jesus, we must share Jesus but we must be Jesus. Someone said, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”

In these crazy, troubling times people need more than a sermon—they need to know we care. How do we do that? That’s the second thing I learned. We have to listen for the Whisperer. We need to be sensitive to His gentle nudges. We have to still our own souls and hearts if we are to hear His gentle voice. These days call for new ways…different ways. So as you walk about life, keep your eyes open, your heart still and watch in wonder at what God can do through you. You don’t have to be in Africa to be on mission. That can happen, must happen right here, right now. And in these days of fear and frustration people are more ready to hear about God than ever before. What a privilege to be entrusted with God’s work. Up for the challenge? God believes so. Remember, He’s really big on you. So rest in Him. He’s got this.