career – Grits with Grace

Family, fear, friends, Grace, gratitude, life, marriage, Southern born, sovereignty of God

Freefall

Posted on May 28, 2025May 26, 2025 by Dewayne Taylor

“I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous abandoned or his children begging for bread.” Psalm 37:25

It seemed like a really, bad idea. Right after high school graduation I jumped into the Air Force, and it turned out to be a really good idea. Back in those days, or so it seemed, college wasn’t pushed for everyone, and I was pretty uncertain about what I wanted to do. So, through a strange set of circumstances, I found myself in the military. I loved it. Raised as a good southern boy, the discipline required for a life in the service came naturally. I was taught to respect others and especially those appointed over me. “Yes sir” and “Yes ma’am” were part of my vocabulary long before the Air Force taught me to say it.

By 1980, I had been stationed in Minot, North Dakota, Valdosta, Georgia (where I met and married the best wife a guy could ask for), spent three years in Germany and finally landed in Knob Noster, Missouri. Like I said, I liked the Air Force, and it seemed the Air Force liked me. I was picked for several key assignments and was on track promotion wise. With a young family, the security the Air Force provided was an added benefit and while I wasn’t going to get rich in the Air Force, the pay provided a good life. Yup…life was good.

Then God spoke. No, it wasn’t an audible voice, but it was one clear enough that I knew He had a change of plans in mind. I felt, I knew that He was calling me to become a pastor but that wasn’t all. I also knew for me that meant leaving the Air Force. I think that was probably for a couple of reasons. First, I knew that as long as I was in the Air Force, I would be tempted to lean on that for security and not God. Second, I also knew that the Air Force would be calling the shots about my future. Well, that led up to me making one of the biggest changes in my life…after 12 years…leaving the lifestyle and security of the Air Force and jumping into the secure arms of faith and the life of a pastor.

When I went public with this it seemed that everyone had an opinion and a lot of those opinions followed one school thought—you are nuts. Certainly, the military thought it was a bad idea. After all, they liked me, and I liked them. I was on track for a good career and great retirement. You see, with the military, you can retire with 20 years and draw a pension equal to half of your base pay. You also get other benefits for the rest of your life. All that led to the “you are nuts” thing and this is really not good idea. But then…there was God.

You see, I was, oh, somewhere beyond probably and just shy of absolutely certain that God was asking me, telling me to do this. And somehow, some way, Judy and I with two toddlers under three were able to believe and jump. And now, looking back on a forty-two year career, I am able to say that God took that “really not a good idea” and turned it into a really good idea. He faithfully and completely cared for us over those four decades. I’m sure if I had stayed in the Air Force, I would have had a nice, secure life. I’m sure things would have turned out just fine. But God’s idea went somewhere beyond nice and secure and somewhere beyond just fine.

If I’ve learned anything from all of this, it is that God’s ideas are always, and I do mean always, better than mine. I have learned and I am learning that faith beats fine every time. The adventure, the challenges, the “mysterious ways of God” that we have experienced together trumps a nice retirement and manmade security. There’s a verse, and I’m really not sure all that it means, but it sure seems to ring true with me. The author says that he had never seen the righteous forsaken or his family begging for bread. Like I said, I’m not sure what that means entirely but looking back from where I sit, it says, “God is good, God is faithful, and God can be trusted.”

God is good, God is faithful, and God can be trusted. Period. Your story is probably a lot different than mine but if you are a God follower let’s all agree on that part. He really is good, He really is faithful, and yes, He can be trusted. So, in these days of uncertainty and in these days when up is down and down is up—listen carefully for the still small voice of your Dearest Daddy. Let Him whisper His better idea…and then trust. Don’t worry, you are not nuts—you’re a man, a woman and child of faith. And that is always best because, “He’s got this.” Bro. Dewayne

forgiveness, friends, Grace, life, loving others, Scripture, sovereignty of God, thankful

The Heartmaker

Posted on February 27, 2025February 16, 2025 by Dewayne Taylor

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take.” Proverbs 3:5-6

I watched and liked what I saw. I just finished a pastoral career of 42 years. It was a great ride and I have to admit it still surprises me when I realize just how quickly time and has come…and gone. I was privileged to stay at my last church for 24 years and if the first number was surprising to me…the second is even more so. To be at one place that long…to say hello to so many people and sadly goodbye to others…was eye-opening. It also has been fun watching the kids grow up. The guy who led worship for us was five years old when I came. Amazing. I even had hair back then…or at least more.

In my 42 years serving as a pastor, I have bumped into a lot of people. Some of them were nice by nature. You know, always smiling, always optimistic, and always holding the door so someone could enter first. They never forgot a birthday and were always looking for ways to lend a helping hand. When these folks met Jesus, there didn’t seem to be a lot to change…at least on the outside. That’s one kind of people but there is another. Take the opposite of everything I just wrote and meet the other side of the fence. And this is what is really exciting because it so shows the power of the gospel.

I love to hear everyone’s Jesus story but I especially love the ones where the change Jesus brings is like night and day. It’s kinda like when you mow your grass and it really needs it…you stand back and say, “Wow…that looks better.” Now to be sure, every Jesus story is a “wow” story but to see a rough old sinner become a saint by God’s grace is simply amazing. And here’s the deal. Whether it is someone who oozes kindness or someone as rough as a corncob, the truth is they are who they are because of the “Heartmaker.”

I was officiating at a funeral one day for one of those really good people and I told the audience that we should remember that the person we were honoring that day was who they were because of Jesus. When they met Him, the Heartmaker gave them a new heart…a heart just like His. Tucked away in the Old Testament part of the Bible is a word picture of this. It says, “And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.” That’s what the Heartmaker does for every person who chooses to follow Him.

I’ve said before, “I wish I had that person’s heart.” Oh, I’m generally a pretty nice guy but when I see someone who seems to do Jesus really well, it creates a longing in me to be more like them which is more like Jesus. The good news is that we don’t have to wish…all we must do is ask and the Heartmaker will come to the rescue. But you need to know this…a heart like Jesus doesn’t come cheap…it will mean seeking, surrendering, and maybe suffering…just like Jesus. It means loving the unlovable and forgiving those who hurt us the worse…just like He would.

There is a story about a young pastor who was visiting with an old, respected pastor. The young pastor said he wished he could have the maturity and respect he saw in the older pastor’s life. The elderly statesman said, “Son, those things came into my life through great toil and suffering. Are you ready to pay that price?” Not surprising, his answer was no. We can all admire a man or woman with a great heart but how many of us would be willing to pay the price that comes with it?

The truth is all of us who are Jesus followers can and should have a heart like Jesus…the Heartmaker. I think the path that leads to a Jesus heart is found in Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take.” If you’re interested in having a heart like Jesus, it starts with asking the HeartMaker. Trust me—He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

Family, friends, Grace, gratitude, life, love, loving others, priorities, Scripture, sovereignty of God, thankful

Thank You

Posted on May 30, 2024May 29, 2024 by Dewayne Taylor

I always thank my God for you.” 1 Corinthians 1:4

It was a day to remember. The time finally came. After a whole bunch of praying and pondering Judy and I came to the decision that it was time for us to start writing a new chapter. So, to start something new we had to regretfully leave the current chapter. It was one of the hardest things we have ever done…and over 42 years we had to do it four times. God allowed me to pastor four churches over the past forty-two years and and each one was a wonderful blessing and each one was easy to love and hard to say goodbye by to.

We joyfully served at Dorrisville Baptist for the past twenty-four years and what a bouquet of blessings it has been. They were a graceful church family which was good because I am one of those pastors who needed a lot of grace. We learned to laugh together, cry together, succeed together and, yes, fail together. It was a pretty good snapshot of life. Well, in typical Dorrisville style they planned a wonderful day of celebration. And believe me…it was both wonderful and a celebration.

We worshipped and I preached and then for the next thirty minutes or so the church honored Judy and me in a way that lodged in our hearts for the rest of our days. A special friend sang a special song, several gifts were presented and then Judy and I had the opportunity to try and say thank you thank you. I rediscovered two things. First, yes, there are times when words escape me. Tried as I may there weren’t words to say thank you to all the wonderful people who attended that day. There were even a bunch of folks from Cobden First where I was pastoring when we came to Dorrisville. Second, I am convinced sometimes 26 letters in our alphabet are just not enough to make the words we sometimes need.

Well, despite some terrible weather, despite it being Memorial Day weekend with more than a few families on vacation, we were so blessed and so grateful. In the movie, “Mr. Holland’s Opus,” at his retirement from a fruitful teaching career he was honored with a grand celebration. Well, move over Mr. Holland, because this is one preacher who felt so honored, loved and appreciated, well, he just can’t get over it.

To the four churches who trusted me to be their pastor, to the hundreds and maybe thousands of people I was honored to serve with, to the families we laughed with and sometimes cried with, thank-you. While this chapter is closing, the memories will always be alive and well. And while this chapter is closing, those who walked with us over the last four decades will never fade from our memories. We love you. Oh, and don’t ever forget…no matter what…He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

Family, gratitude, life, love, Scripture, sovereignty of God, thankful, Trials

Faithful and Steady

Posted on January 16, 2024January 15, 2024 by Dewayne Taylor

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”
Hebrews 13:8

What in the world happened? It is amazing how crazy the weather can be. All this winter, well, most of this winter, in my neck of the woods, which is in the real Southern Illinois, I and a whole bunch of other folks were amazed at the mild winter we were experiencing. Our low temperatures were just about what our normal high would normally be and day after day we had blue skies to boot. A subtle change occurred when there were slowly more cloudy days than clear.

Now, for whatever reason, I watch the Farm Show every Saturday morning. They have a weather segment, and the guy always tells us what to expect even a few weeks into the future. Well, the truth is his longer-range forecast is not always accurate. So, anyway, my wife Judy and I drove down to Georgia last week to visit my sister and one day Judy mentioned something about some really cold weather. My first thought was, “What? The farm guy didn’t mention that.” Well, the bottom line is our balmy winter went to Florida and this morning it is a bone chilling two degrees. Just like that, we went from, “this is a winter I can live with” to “I am counting the days to Spring”.

Seasons come and seasons go and like they say, “If you don’t like the weather, just wait a few minutes and it will change.” That is not only true concerning the seasonal weather, but also true with the seasons of our lives. It seems that one minute we are zipping along and the next minute we run full tilt into a major storm. Sometimes it is a major health deal, sometimes it is a major career deal, sometimes it is a major deal involving our emotions and the list goes on and on. The only thing that is certain is that change can come quickly. Someone said that the only constant in life is change and they were right, almost.

You see, there is one more constant and it is a big one. The other constant in life is our Creator God. Steadier than a steady rain and more tender than a mother with her newborn, He is always there and always loving and caring. There are so many wonderful attributes of God that the list is endless but one of the ones that I love most is that He is always there and always just what is needed. With Him, His character is never one thing one day and another the next. With Him there are no arctic blasts. He’s never cold towards us—always like a warm Spring Day with just the right gentle breeze blowing.

Seasons do come and go, and weather is as fickle as a cat—but not so Jesus. The Bible says of Him, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” I like that…a lot. So, in your life if a few weeks ago the weather was unusually pleasant and today it just isn’t, just know this. The One who makes the weather is always for you and no matter what, He’s got this. I like that…a lot too. Bro. Dewayne

Family, friends, Grace, gratitude, life, loving others, priorities, Scripture, Southern born, thankful, wisdom

Money Tip

Posted on September 2, 2022September 1, 2022 by Dewayne Taylor

For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil.” 1 Timothy 6:10

I never considered myself an entrepreneur but looking back…maybe I am. Fortunately, I was raised by a Momma and Daddy who believed in a strong work ethic. While they weren’t overbearing about it, I grew up knowing that I should get a job and go to work. It must have worked because over my 53 working years I have always managed to have a job and go to work. I consider that quite a blessing. Looking back, I think my working career really started when I was about ten years old.

In the early sixties, we had an old lawn mower or two that had seen better days but my Daddy, ever the mechanic, managed to keep them running. And then, he was willing to let me borrow the mower and go around the neighborhood offering to mow people’s yards. Today, that is big business but back then…not so much. I would grab the lawn mower, the gas can and start going door to door. My business plan was simple.

I would go to the door, knock, or ring the bell and wait for someone to answer. When they did, I would simply say, “Hello. Would you like your grass mowed for $2.00? Now, most of these yards were a pretty good size so even back then that seemed like a fair price to me…but guess what? That $2.00 then is equal to $27.40 today. What? Ok, I must admit I was surprised to learn that. That might explain why more often than not, the answer to my question was a polite, “No.” You see, it turns out that $2.00 was a sizable investment back in ’64.

But there were plenty of folks that said yes, and there were a few repeat customers. The bottom line is it was enough to give me some spending money and, of course, keep the gas can filled. At the end of the day there was always a trip to Jackson’s Minute Market that was down the street from my house. There I would pull out one of the wadded-up dollar bills and trade part of it for a RC cola or Icee and a honey bun. That would set me back a quarter. The rest of my earnings stayed in my pocket or in a safe place back home just waiting for a trip to the Pic-N-Save or some other store.

Speaking of Pic-N-Save, that is one thing I wrestled with—saving. If memory serves me right, I did a whole lot more spending than saving. It seems I remember my Daddy saying something about that money, “burning a hole in my pocket.” Well, he was right. While money didn’t come easy for me in ’64 it sure went easy. Me and my dollars were all about me. I never thought about giving or sharing…only spending.

Well, I am glad to let you know I have learned a little more about money since those days. First, I learned (well, actually I’m still learning) that Jesus was right…it is more blessed to give than to receive. Me and Jesus (and my wife Judy) came to terms a long time ago about giving back a part of what He gives to me. I’m even learning that everything belongs to Him anyway, so it only seems right to give some back. And that isn’t all.

I’m also learning about saving. I’ve always said that I was a spender and not a saver but now I can honestly say that I’m a pretty good saver. In fact, sometimes it is hard for me to let go of those hard earned dollars. That might explain why I don’t go to the grocery store too often. Judy will send me looking for a can of beans. When I get there, I find out that there are all kinds of beans, and some are cheaper than others. So, it might take me a couple of days to decide which one to buy. Hmmm…how about that?

Another thing that I have learned is that money isn’t good or bad…it is just money…a tool that we can use either wisely or foolishly. One of those verses in the Bible that is often misquoted says that money is the root of all evil. Turns out that isn’t what the Bible says at all. It says that the love of money is the root of all evil. In other words, when we start worshiping money or when greed becomes a monster in our lives…we are in deep weeds, and the answer to all of that is—generosity.

So, it turns out what to do with money is one of those lifelong lessons. I’m grateful the ten-year-old Dewayne was taught to work but I wish he had learned a lot earlier about giving, sharing, and saving. But the good news is that it is never too late to change. One of the greatest joys in life is sharing with others. I think it must be a Jesus thing because He always shared with those around Him. If you need some help, why not ask the One who owns it all…and chooses to share with you. Take it to the bank (pun intended) He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

Family, Grace, gratitude, life, prayer, priorities, Scripture, Southern born, sovereignty of God, thankful, Trials

A Bad Idea–But God

Posted on May 18, 2022May 17, 2022 by Dewayne Taylor

I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous abandoned or his children begging for bread.” Psalm 37:25

You see, I was, oh, somewhere beyond probably and just shy of absolutely certain that God was asking me, telling me to do this. And somehow, some way, Judy and I with two toddlers under three were able to believe and jump. And now, forty years later, I am able to say that God took that “really not a good idea” and turned it into a really good idea. He has faithfully and completely cared for us over these four decades. I’m sure if I had stayed in the Air Force, I would have had a nice, secure life. I’m sure things would have turned out just fine. But God’s idea went somewhere beyond nice and secure and somewhere beyond just fine.