Bible – Page 10 – Grits with Grace

Family, fear, gratitude, life, Scripture, thankful, Trials

Spiders and Snakes

Posted on November 15, 2021November 14, 2021 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 well remember 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 would have 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 worse. 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—the 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

Family, food, Grace, gratitude, life, priorities, Scripture, thankful

Just Like That

Posted on November 10, 2021November 9, 2021 by Dewayne Taylor

How sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” Psalm 119:103

It happened just like that. Oh, it must have been 30 or more years ago. I was a young buck in my middle thirties. Just like now…I liked ice cream…a lot. So, one day I was reading the latest Reader’s Digest. In it was an article about food and it happened to mention something. It said that if you would put your ice cream in the microwave for about ten seconds, it would taste better and creamier. Well, I said to myself, “If that will make my ice cream taste even better…sign me up.” So I tried it and guess what? It worked. The idea is that the microwave, which kinda works from the inside out, would melt the ice crystals in the ice cream thus making it more creamy. Boom. I was a new devotee. Just like that the way I enjoyed ice cream changed. It is kinda odd when you are at someone’s house and you ask them to “nuke” your ice cream but, trust me, it is worth it.

Not quite as far back, I was having lunch with a friend of mine. I explained to him when I woke up it seemed to take forever for me to really be awake. Now, granted, I wake up early…really early. It is not uncommon for me to crawl out of bed at 4.30 am so you might say, “Of course you’re still sleepy…go back to bed for goodness sake.” Well, that just wasn’t going to work. My body was sending me conflicting messages…it was done sleeping but I was still sleepy. Well, he made a suggestion. He said, “When you wake up and go to your man cave place, turn on every light in the room.” He said that would send a clear message to my brain…it is time to open those peepers and start living. Well, I tried it and boom…just like that…it worked. So, now, every morning I wake up, head to my man cave place, turn on all the lights, and start my day…with a cup of coffee, of course. Amazing…just like that.

Not quite as far back, but still, oh, six or seven years ago, I was watching television and it was a food program. I think it was the guy with spiky, blonde hair and the cool car. He goes around and finds all these awesome places to eat. Now that is a job I could get into. So this guy ended up in a hotdog place. The discussion soon turned to what do you put on a hotdog when you eat one. Well, this place thought putting ketchup on a hotdog was the same as the unpardonable sin and a class ten felony. The hotdog guy said, “The only thing you can put on your dog is mustard. You may put ketchup on your hotdog but we won’t.” Well, I had been a ketchup and mustard guy forever but I said “I need to try that…who knows?” So that very day I stopped putting ketchup on my hotdog and guess what? They were right and just like that I changed and put only mustard on my dogs. Period. None of that red stuff or that chopped up pickle stuff for that matter. Just like that my dog life changed.

Looking back I am amazed how three bits of information changed three areas of my life—just like that. And, for whatever reason, there was no going back. I was all in. Well, you know me, sometimes I like to think. I wondered, “How many other areas of my life could or would be changed if I had some information that would influence me? I think there might be a lot. And I have a feeling I know just the source of that needed information—the Bible. God’s Word is filled…from front to back…with truth and it covers so many important areas of life—much more important than hotdogs and ice cream. So I wonder what would happen if we took His Word at His Word and read it and applied it. What would happen? I think we would be impressed and amazed. And the best part, the writer of Psalms said, “How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!”

So, the word for today is “nuke” your ice cream and drop the ketchup on your hotdog. No, not really, it is bigger than that. Why not spend some time in the Book of all Books and take what you read and let it change your life. Who knows it might even make your ice cream taste better. One thing for sure is that you will quickly figure out that life just goes better when you learn and believe that “He’s got this.” Bro. Dewayne

Family, forgiveness, Grace, gratitude, life, love, prayer, Scripture, sovereignty of God, thankful, Trials, Uncategorized

Where’s Brett?

Posted on October 29, 2021October 28, 2021 by Dewayne Taylor

Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through Me.” John 14:6

It was a long time ago and, in a galaxy, far, far away or at least it seemed that way. It was so long ago that the semi-local mall was still a mall with stores that were open. Anyway, we were at Target to get a dining set for my daughter Jen and my almost son-in-law Matt as a shower gift. When we found it, the box clearly said it was a “team lift” item. Now what that means is that unless you are just dying to have a hernia, you need to have a person help you load the box. I wasn’t…so I did.

I followed the rules and called in the cavalry. A young man with bigger muscles than me loaded the box while I watched—now that’s what I call teamwork. So, with the box in the cart, off we went to the checkout area. When we got there, I wisely asked for some help loading the box into my car. The young man checking us out called for help and his supervisor came and took over the register while he loaded the box. I think it must have been his lucky day.

In the process, Sarah, a co-worker, helped and teased how she was used to “helping” Brett out. That seemed odd to me. “Why?” you ask? Well, the reason is simple—his name tag said David. So, I had to ask the obvious question. Speaking to the young man with muscles bigger than mine, I said, “So, why did Sarah call you Brett if your name is David?” “Well,” he said, “my name is Brett, but I left my name tag at home so I’m wearing this one.” Obviously, Target has a policy: you must wear a name tag at work—even if it isn’t yours. That made me smile then and even now.

I thought it ironic that any name tag would do…as long as you wore one. It seems that Target and the world have one more thing in common. You see, Target said that any name tag will do, and the world says, “It doesn’t matter what you believe—as long as you believe.” You know, it’s the old “all roads lead to Rome” theology. That saying comes from a time when there were very few roads, and at least in that part of the world, since Rome built them…they did indeed lead to Rome. That worked then but it won’t work for heaven.

You see, unlike Rome, God is the only One who made the road that leads to heaven. And that road leads right through faith in His Son Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life and no one can come to my Father except by Me.” God, the Heaven road builder, laid the rules and the way. Now you might not think that is fair except for this. He invites everyone and anyone to travel the road. No restrictions, no exceptions, no toll.

Remember this. I suppose you can wear a name tag with the wrong name on it if you want—after all, the only consequence will probably be some confused people. After all Brett wasn’t really David. But, when it comes to what you believe, the consequences are much, much greater. You see, it really does matter what you believe—believe the wrong thing and you can end up eternally separated from God and that is a bad deal all the way around. God loves each of us and longs for us to be able to call Him Dearest Father.

In a confused, upside-down world, in a world where yes is no, and no is yes or right is wrong and wrong is right…well it is good to have a certainty we can lean on. Not certain about the whole God thing? Why not get a copy of the Bible and read it for yourself? Even today it remains a best seller…for a reason. In its pages you will find many great promises and among them is this. No matter what…He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

Family, forgiveness, Grace, gratitude, life, Scripture, thankful, travel, Trials, wisdom

Locks

Posted on October 20, 2021October 19, 2021 by Dewayne Taylor

Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” Proverbs 4:23

Well, that didn’t do a lot of good. My wife Judy and I recently attended a pastor’s conference at the Billy Graham Training Center in North Carolina. It was so refreshing to get away and as always, we were treated like royalty. The teaching, the facilities and the food were all top notch. In these crazy days we are living it was like an oasis where we could pause and refill—to drink deeply from His well of living water.

So, too soon, it was time to head back home and because the conference was over in the middle of the day, it just made sense to stop about halfway and spend the night. Cookeville, Tennessee is just about the midway point, so we booked an Airbnb. It was a nice place and we unloaded and then went to get a bite to eat. In the meantime, it decided to rain. Now let me explain this was one of those rains that could drown a fish. It rained, rained hard and it rained a long time. I was about to check the price on gopher wood. Anyway, when we got back to our home for the evening, I jumped out of the car and unlocked the door and Judy followed.

Well, it continued to rain and several times I went outside to see what was happening. You could hear the rain from inside the apartment and you could just tell it was coming down in buckets. Of course, there was the occasional lighting followed by a good, ole thunderclap. Each time I went out I was careful to lock the door back. You know, the neighborhood looked safe, but you can never tell. Finally, it was time to head to bed and I checked the door and it was locked. We were safe and sound.

Well, sometime in the night, I woke up to rollover and I thought I heard something. Now don’t panic…it was nothing, but I thought it might be something. And then, something occurred to me, a question really. I asked myself, “Did you leave the key in the lock on the door?” Well, that made me wonder…and for good reason. So, in the middle of the night I got up and turned on the lights. I looked on the counter and guess what? The key was nowhere to be seen. I had a sneaking suspicion I knew just where to find it.

I walked over to the door, unlocked the deadbolt, and opened the door and there for everyone and anyone to see and find…was the key. Well, I obviously took it out of the lock and gratefully locked the door back, put the key on the counter and went back to bed. After a short prayer thanking God for keeping us safe, I drifted back off to sleep…no harm and no foul. But it did make me think.

You see the door had two locks…one on the doorknob and one a deadbolt. Those together would certainly keep out any bad guys. But with the key right there…well, those locks weren’t going to keep anyone out. With the key in the lock, it was like hanging out a “Y’all come on in!” sign. As I mentioned, no one tried to come in, but I had rendered the locks useless by leaving the key there.

It made me wonder how often do we leave the keys in the locks that guard our heart, our mind, our character, our marriage, our anythings? You see, God watched out for Judy and me that night and gratefully, He also watches out for us in life. But as sure as an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, so it is better to remove the key and lock the lock. Wouldn’t it have been crazy, though, for me to leave the key in the lock because, after all, no one tried to come in…yet? And just because nothing has gone amiss in our lives yet doesn’t mean that it can’t and it won’t.

The Bible tells us in the Book of Smart Living, aka Proverbs, to guard our hearts because out of it comes the wellspring of our lives. In other words, we need to lock the door of our hearts and put the key safely away. If you are wondering the best way to guard your heart, to lock the door to your heart, I believe the Bible is the answer. It is just jam-packed with help from the One who made us. And remember, the Bible isn’t just a book of rules…it is a book for living well. Like guardrails on a curvy road, it keeps us from big regrets and consequences. Written on the pages and in between the lines is His calm assurance that we don’t have to worry because He is with us and yes, He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

Family, fear, Grace, gratitude, life, love, loving others, missions, prayer, Scripture, sovereignty of God, thankful, travel, Trials

Waverly

Posted on September 1, 2021August 31, 2021 by Dewayne Taylor

When you go through deep waters, I will be with you.” Isaiah 43:2

It was only three hours away, but it was another world. A short while ago a horrible and intensely powerful flash flood ravaged a small town in Western Tennessee. A small, benign creek traced its way through the center of town. It is appropriately named, “Trace Creek.” Normally only a couple of feet deep, it gently winds for several miles surrounded by hills. On a Saturday, a storm system set up shop right over that region and seventeen inches of rain fell in a short period of time. Disaster was coming.

As the rainwater funneled from the hills to the valley, Trace Creek became the collecting point and soon what was a benign creek became a killing flood. The water rose not in hours but minutes—not in inches, but feet. A railroad bed that was holding some of the torrent back gave way and a twenty-foot wall of water came down on the town. As it did, death and destruction struck on what can be only described as “biblical proportions.” As the kid’s song from Sunday school says, the flood was deep, and the flood was wide.

In that short period of time cars became boats and houses were swept off their foundations. Fences were laid over and trees and power poles were simply bowled over by the force of the water. Sadly, over twenty people lost their lives and many, many more, were injured. I’m sure no one went to bed the night before dreaming of a flood, at least not of this proportion. It was a nightmare from nowhere. In a couple or three hours it was over leaving behind a disaster zone that will take years to recover and rebuild. Some, like the loss of life, will never be the same.

Our church had a personal touch with this small West Tennessee town as a couple of our families moved there last year. While they were safe, many of their friends were not. They quickly became important cogs in the wheels of rescue and recovery and that’s where we had an opportunity to help. We had recently hosted our “Back to School” community event and because of COVID, the crowd had been smaller than in previous years and we had many school supply bags left over and several hundred pair of shoes. We were disappointed, but suddenly something began to make sense. It was an opportunity.

At the invitation of one of churches there, we loaded up the supplies and shoes and headed to West Tennessee. When we arrived, the destruction was beyond description. Our small Southern Illinois city had suffered an F-4 tornado in 2012 so we knew about disasters but this, this was beyond even what we had experienced. Soon we were setup and giving away the supplies and shoes. There were stories, there were tears, and there were thanks. At the end of a hot day, we were the ones who were blessed.

As was the case for us in 2012, their town actually experienced another kind of flood…a flood of kindness, generosity, and love. Hundreds, if not thousands, of people poured in to offer any help they could give. Restaurants and stands were set up offering free food and supplies. Life necessities were given to anyone with a need. It was amazing especially in a world of “me first”. It was obvious that is not always the case. Love and generosity ruled the day.

Across the street from where we were working was a house that had been flooded with about four feet of water. As cleanup started, the owners had emptied all of their contents and piled them by the road. I looked and in one of the discarded chairs was a large, white Bible. It didn’t seem right to see it discarded, so I went and asked the owners if I could get it and take it home. They were grateful. You see, it had been wet in the flood and couldn’t stay, but it’s present place, in the trash, was not a statement of their faith. They just didn’t know what to do. So, it is with me…a reminder of my day in that small West Tennessee town…a town called Waverly.

The story of the Bible, and that it was not discarded because of a lack of faith, was a blessing to me. People in that disaster didn’t give up on God or each other for that matter. They chose to still believe…in God, in their town, and in each other. As I said it will take years, but Waverly will come back, and they will be stronger than before. Their situation reminds me of a verse in the Old Testament that says, “When you go through deep waters, I will be with you.”

You see, even in the midst of disaster, even when our circumstances don’t make a lick of sense, and these days that is often every day, well, He is still there. Even when we go through the darkest valley we don’t have to fear because He is with us. No matter how high the water or how hard the circumstances, listen, and you will hear the Whisperer whispering, “Rest in Me. I’ve got this.” Bro. Dewayne

Family, life, loving others, missions, Scripture, wisdom

Can You Say That Again?

Posted on July 27, 2021July 26, 2021 by Dewayne Taylor

All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

Strange things happen in Africa. For the past 12 or 13 years, our church has made regular trips to Africa. We began in Niger and later moved down to Mali. The last six years or so we have been working in Uganda. Regardless of what country, you can always count on Africa to give you plenty of unusual and strange sights. So, in some ways I wasn’t surprised.

We were on an island in Lake Victoria, Uganda. On any given trip we visit at least three or four different islands offering free medical care, children’s ministries, ladies ministries and visiting the people in their huts to tell them the stories of Jesus. The point of it all is to let them hear the Good News that there is a God who loves them—a lot. It was later in the afternoon, and we were winding down for the day. The medical clinic was finishing and four or five of us men were sitting in the shade under the “front porch” of one of the buildings.

So, we were talking and like I said you see some different things in Africa, so I wasn’t surprised when my friend said, “Look, there goes a woman with a peg leg.” Well, I turned around to look and didn’t see what he was talking about. I did see a lady some distance away but couldn’t see her peg leg. I mean, the only peg legs I knew about were in Peter Pan, so my curiosity was peaked.

I turned back around but didn’t say anything. But it stuck in my mind. After ten minutes or so, I just had to ask my friend about this strange sight. I said, “Tim, did you say something about a lady with a peg leg?” His expression told me I must have missed something. He gave me a perplexing look. All he could manage was a “uh?” I said, “You know, a few minutes ago you said you saw a lady with a peg leg.” He responded with, “No. I said I saw a man carrying a stringer of fish.” Silence. Snickers. Laughter.

Yup. Somewhere in the process of the conversation what was said and what I heard were two totally, and I mean totally, different things. There was no lady with a peg leg only a guy with a stringer of fish. You are probably wondering how I got “peg leg” out of “stringer of fish.” All I can say is strange things happen in Africa. I’m glad there wasn’t a crippled lady but the idea of a peg leg like Captain Cook’s sure did intrigue me.

And do you know what? Sometimes I think this happens with God and me. I think He is saying something, and I totally miss it. Does that happen to you? I think it’s more common than we think. We think we hear Him say, “You have the right to be mad” and in fact He’s saying, “Forgive.” We think we hear Him say, “Take” and actually He was saying, “Give.” Oh, and then we thought He said, “Quit” and He was saying, “Serve.” And it just goes on and on. We hear “Leave” and He is saying, “Stay.” We hear “Go ahead” and He is saying “Stop, wait, don’t.” Seems strange things don’t happen only in Africa. Smile.

So, I’m not sure what caused the totally humorous miscommunication in Uganda. It may have been my hearing, could have been the village noise…who knows. There may not have been a fix for that, however, when it comes to hearing God clearly there is something that will really help. It is His Word. In so many situations (though I’m not sure peg legs are one of them) the Bible gives us clear guidance.

Here is one thing you can count on. The voice of God (what we think we hear God saying) will not, ever, never, contradict the Word of God. If you think you hear Him saying, “Revenge” when someone has hurt you, you probably have “Peg Leg Syndrome.” If you think you hear Him saying, “Be afraid” when circumstances are frightful, you probably have “Peg Leg Syndrome.” You get the idea.

So, if you are talking with your friends and someone mentions a lady with a peg leg, you might want to ask for some clarification. And if you think you heard God say something that sounds a little not like Him, check the Book, and go to the source. Peg leg stories can be funny, but withholding forgiveness when it is ours to give, hating instead of loving, leaving too soon instead of staying…well, that can cause a lot of pain. And if you find yourself singing and living that 1974 hit “Wasted Days and Wasted Nights” it might just be a bad case of Peg Leg Syndrome. Just pull out the Book, read a little and rest in Him. He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

Family, life, Scripture

Some Assembly Required

Posted on June 4, 2020 by Dewayne Taylor

The instructions of the Lord are perfect, reviving the soul. The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The commandments of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are clear, giving insight for living. (Psalm 19:7-8)

I came so close but missed it by a mile. Last year I was checking out the WalMart clearance aisle and came upon a bike carrier thing for your car. Well, I happen to own two bikes and even occasionally ride them, so I bought it. I brought it home and put it on a shelf where it happily lived. And then, I decided to be cool.

Judy and I are regular exercisers but it normally is limited to her doing walking and Refit (something that involves dancing and rhythm so I’m out) and me walking. We both do some hiking. Well, we decided it was time to expand our horizons so we found a bike trail down at Fort Massac and decided to load up the bikes and give it a try. So I went and found the bike thing and proceeded to try assemble it. Note the word try.

I dumped the parts on the kitchen counter (first hint that I am not a mechanic) and then it happened. Because it involved attaching this thing to my car and the fact that it involved two bikes being attached to this thing and the fact that I didn’t want to get sued if they fell off the thing—I read the directions. That is the miracle. Everyone knows that men don’t stop and ask for directions when driving and we don’t read the directions when we are putting something together. That is not manly. Ask for directions or read the directions and it is almost an automatic surrender of your man-card.

I decided to risk being disbarred and read the directions anyway. Now let me say it proved that we men are justified in not reading them in the first place. Whoever wrote these directions obviously didn’t have a clue about the bike thing or the English language. But I gave it due diligence and proceeded to assemble it. It only had about six major parts, so hey, it couldn’t be that hard. Right? Wrong.

After about an hour, yes, I said an hour, the six parts where assembled. Judy and I take this thing out and try to strap it to the back of our car. I have used one of these before and this one just didn’t make sense. There was one part of the rack that had some sharp parts and I could see this thing doing some serious damage to the car. Well, after an hour, we had it sorta mounted and even put the bikes on it. Something just didn’t seem right. My final thought was, “What did you expect for $15 bucks. So I took the bikes off, threw the thing in the garage and called it a day. I didn’t want to ride the bike anyway.

I go back in the work room (aka the kitchen) and began picking up the mess. When I grabbed the box this thing came in I looked inside. And there, wedged neatly inside, was a part, a really big part, a really important part. Oops. As I thought about it I did remember reading something about this middle brace thing but I thought the guy in China was probably on a rant or something. I pulled out the part and had an epiphany…my ah-ha moment. I brought the thing back in, disassembled too much of it, and attached the new found part. Ta-da—it all made sense. Amazing. Miraculous.

Now the crazy ending to this crazy story is that we put the thing back on my car, put the bikes back on the thing and I still didn’t feel like it looked safe. I could hear the lawyer calling. “Yes, we are calling to sue you for everything you have because your bike fell off of this thing attached to your car. Will you be paying with cash, credit card, or your left arm?” So, the bottom line the thing is still in the garage and the bikes are still parked. Stupid directions. They must be related to the watermelon.

Here is what I learned. Man-card or not, it is beneficial to read the directions. I know it goes against everything we men hold dear but we just need to be over-comers and read them. But, and it is a big but, you really need to read them carefully and then do what they say. I halfway read them and ended up leaving a big, important part in the box. That cost me time, frustration and a chunk of my pride. Bummer.

I asked myself, “If reading the instructions on putting a bike thing together are important, I’m wondering if it is important to read “the Instructions,” you know, the Bible.” I mean the Bible is like the most important instruction manual of all time. And the answer was a clear yes. I should, we should, read it carefully and apply it fully. There is probably a paragraph on the instructions for the bike thing that tells me how important they are…to ready them carefully. I didn’t read that part.

Well, the Bible has a lot to say about, “Hey, read this…it is really important.” It goes like this, “The instructions of the Lord are perfect, reviving the soul. The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The commandments of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are clear, giving insight for living.” And somewhere it should say you will have fewer calls from lawyers if you read it. Fewer regrets, fewer consequences, fewer disasters. Yup. Read them and apply them. So I’m gonna give the bike thing another shot and I’ll tell you now I’m not going to follow the directions. It might not turn out well but I have to redeem my man-card. I’ll let you know. But one thing is for sure. If you choose to read, follow, and apply “the Instruction manual” you won’t regret it. It says in there that if we follow the instructions we can rest in Him. Oh and it also says, “I’ve got this.” He does.

missions, Scripture, travel

Peg Leg Sally

Posted on May 22, 2020May 22, 2020 by Dewayne Taylor

“All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

Strange things happen in Africa. For the past 12 or 13 years, our church has made regular trips to Africa. We began in Niger and later moved down to Mali. The last six years or so we have been working in Uganda. Regardless of what country, you can count on Africa to give you plenty of unusual and strange sights. So in some ways I wasn’t surprised.

We were on an island in Lake Victoria, Uganda. On any given trip we visit at least three or four different islands offering free medical care, children’s ministries, ladies ministries and visiting the people in their huts to tell them the stories of Jesus. The point of it all is to let them hear the Good News that there is a God who loves them—a lot. So we were winding down the day. The medical clinic was finishing and four or five of us men were sitting in the shade under the “front porch” of one of the buildings.

So, we were talking and like I said you see some strange things in Africa so I wasn’t surprised when my friend said, “Look, there goes a woman with a peg leg.” Well, I turned around to look and didn’t see what he was talking about. I did see a lady some distance away but couldn’t see her peg leg. I mean, the only peg legs I knew about were in Peter Pan, so my curiosity was peaked.

I turned back around but didn’t say anything. But, it stuck in my mind. After ten minutes or so, I just had to ask my friend about this strange sight. I said, “Tim, did you say something about a lady with a peg leg?” His expression told me I must have missed something. He gave me a perplexing look. All he could manage was a “uh?” I said, “You know, a few minutes ago you said you saw a lady with a peg leg.” He responded with, “No. I said I saw a man carrying a stringer of fish.” Silence. Snickers. Laughter.

And do you know what? Sometimes I think this happens with God and me. I think He is saying something and I totally miss it. Does that happen to you? I think it’s more common than we think. We think we hear Him say, “You have the right to be mad” and in fact He’s saying, “Forgive.” We think we hear Him say, “Take” and really He was saying, “Give.” Oh, and then we thought He said, “Quit” and He was saying, “Serve.” And it just goes on and on. We hear “Leave” and He is saying, “Stay.” We hear “Go ahead” and He is saying “Stop, wait, don’t.” Seems strange things don’t happen only in Africa. Smile.

Talking about the Word of God, Paul said that it is good for learning, good for insight about what is wrong in our lives, good for correcting us when we are wrong and good for teaching us about how to live right. The Bible is an amazing Book. It has stood the test of time and, while there are different translations, there is not a version 4.3 because God got it right the first time. So if you are talking with your friends and someone mentions a lady with a peg leg, you might want to ask for some clarification. And if you think you heard God say something that sounds a little not like Him, check the Book, go to the source. Peg leg stories can be funny but withholding forgiveness when it is ours to give, hating instead of loving, leaving too soon instead of staying…well, that can cause a lot of pain. And if find yourself singing and living that 1974 hit “Wasted Days and Wasted Nights” it might just be a bad case of Peg Leg Syndrome. Just pull out the Book, read a little and rest in Him. He’s got this.