darkness – Grits with Grace

communication, friends, life, Scripture, Southern born, travel

This Little Light

Posted on July 8, 2025July 7, 2025 by Dewayne Taylor

“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” Matthew 5:14-16

Here they come…ready or not. There are so many special memories that I cherish from my trips to Africa. At the top of the list are the friendships we developed and the wonderful people we met. However, there are few things that were not special and at least one really bugs me (pun fully intended). While ministering in Uganda, we would stay and work on the islands of Lake Victoria. While there was no plumbing or electricity…there was an abundant supply of bugs…insects.

This became very clear at night when nature called and you had to walk to the outhouse. Obviously it was very dark so you really needed a flashlight especially since the many barnyard animals left us gifts all around. The problem was as soon as you turned on the light, all those bugs and insects instantly were drawn to the light. Turn on the light and you became the most popular guy to a zillion bugs. They literally swarmed you. That forced you to either choose being friends with those zillion bugs or turning out the light and taking your chances. Most often I took my chances. I don’t like bugs.

You see, bugs are always attracted to light. Down south where I was raised if you left the porch light on…you had bugs. That’s just the way it was. But guess what? If you turned the light out the bugs quickly left and went wherever bugs go in the dark. The bottom line is bugs are not attracted to the dark…period. And guess what again? What is true in the bug world is true in the spiritual world. You see, if we want to win people to Jesus we have to attract them. And guess what (for the third time) attracts them–the light of Jesus. There’s just something about “authentic Jesus” light that calls and draws people. No light and they will just choose to wander in the dark.

If we want to draw people to the light–we have to turn it on–we have to be like Jesus and shine like Jesus. If we live darkly–well, we won’t get many, if any, followers. So, what do you say, let’s turn on the light in this dark work and share the light of Jesus. While people can easily resist our churchy religious stuff they will find Jesus irresistible. Like the kid’s song says, “This little light of mine…I’m gonna let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.” Afraid to flip the switch? Just ask your Dearest Daddy for a little help. I promise you…He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

fear, forgiveness, Grace, gratitude, life, loving others, prayer, priorities, Scripture, spiritual battles, travel, Trials

Light at the End of the Tunnel

Posted on November 4, 2024November 3, 2024 by Dewayne Taylor

I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in Me will no longer remain in the dark.” John 12:46

There’s light at the end of the tunnel. I have heard that saying all my life (well, at least a chunk of it). But the truth is the light at the end of the tunnel just might not be enough. You see, about 20 miles from where we live, there is a bike trail with a tunnel that is 543 feet long. It’s located in beautiful Southern Illinois. Oh, I know, I say beautiful and Illinois in the same sentence and all people can think of is flat corn fields and Chicago. But tucked away in what we call the “real” Southern Illinois are many trails with beautiful hills and rock bluffs in the Shawnee National Forest.

Tunnel Hill Trail is a gem in our area and perhaps the highpoint of the trail is its tunnel. For several years, our church had an annual bike ride that began at the tunnel. At its peak we would have over a hundred riders—big and little, young, and old. What makes it even better, the small town of Vienna (where we had our picnic) was only ten miles or so from the tunnel and that part of the trail is either flat or slightly downhill. I told the church riders that, but I’m sure after riding it they thought I might have stretched the truth. Well, maybe a little. But the truth is—ten miles on a bike seat is still ten miles on a bike seat.

I have learned over the years to respect every foot of the tunnel there. As you enter the tunnel, two things are apparent. One, there is plenty of light so it is easy to assume that there will be plenty of light all the way through. That would be a mistake. Second, you might assume that since you can see the “light at the end of tunnel” that would be enough to get you through. Uh, that would be a mistake too. Let me describe it…though words really can’t do the job. You must experience it.

Whether you are riding your bike or walking, as you enter the tunnel you really do think, “Oh, this isn’t too bad.” There is plenty of light and of course, you can clearly see the light at the end of the tunnel. Slowly, very slowly, almost without noticing, the light fades away and suddenly, just shy of halfway, you find yourself in a total, eerie, darkness. What seemed so easy now seems increasingly difficult. Even with the light at the end of the tunnel, you can’t tell where you are going. You think you are in the middle of the trail when in fact you can easily be heading straight for the walls. Over the years, everyone who has ridden with our group has made it through the tunnel. It’s just that some of them came out with a few bruises and scrapes…courtesy of “the walls.”

Well, after about a hundred feet, light slowly starts appearing around you and before long the light pouring in from the end of the tunnel envelopes you…and you are glad. I’ve even ridden in the tunnel with a flashlight, and it still seems difficult. You see, light at the end of the tunnel or not, darkness is difficult. You simply lose all sense of where you are. That is true in tunnels…and it is true in life. Too often we are faced with choices and decide that we can handle what our common sense tells us is a bad idea. We enter the tunnel with plenty of light and assume we have escaped the blight of our choice. Only later do we see what we couldn’t see—the consequences of our decision. Only when we “hit the wall” do we understand the pain of our decision. It is only after we emerge back into the light that we can see the wounds from the walls and realize the scars that we will bear.

Life will have its valleys and not all tunnels in life are caused by our misguided choices, but the good news is regardless—we can find help. Imagine what it would be like to take sunlight with us into the valleys—into the tunnels of life. What if the deepest valley and the darkest tunnel could be lit as noon is on a sunny day? Well, it can. You see, there is a light that defies darkness and is brighter than the sun—in fact, it is the Son. Two thousand years ago a Man was born that claimed…and proved…that He was the Son of God and His name is Jesus. Have you ever wondered why this simple carpenter from an obscure village in the Middle East commands center stage on the stage of history? The reason why? He is the real deal. The Bible describes Him as the Light of the world…and He is. And when a person follows Him, he walks in His light.

Jesus said, “I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in Me will no longer remain in the dark.” That is a claim, a promise, worth checking out. When we were kids a lot of us were afraid of the dark. As adults most of us have outgrown that fear, but we still have reason to fear the phantoms of the dark…things that are bigger than us. Jesus drives the darkness and phantoms away when we chose to follow Him. He’s waiting right now to bring light into your life…your tunnels. When we find ourselves in our darkest moment, you will hear the Whisperer whisper, “Fear not…I’ve got this. And He does. Bro. Dewayne

Family, fear, friends, Grace, gratitude, life, school days, Scripture, Southern born, sovereignty of God, spiritual battles, thankful, Trials

Proximity Promise

Posted on September 24, 2024September 22, 2024 by Dewayne Taylor

For I am the Lord your God, who holds your right hand, who says to you, “Do not fear, I will help you.” Isaiah 41:13

I just needed to know. This may cost me my man-card, but it is the truth. When I was a kid—I was afraid—a lot. I was afraid of what might happen, I was afraid of what did happen—or at least the consequences. I was afraid sometimes in broad daylight and many times in the dark—especially in the dark. It was not uncommon for me to lie in bed on a hot Florida night (with no air conditioning), covered up to my nose, listening and waiting for the monsters of the night to come and devour me. Every sound outside my window, every creak on the floor was certainly a sign that they—whoever they were—were coming to get me.

I probably knew in my young mind that monsters weren’t real. I probably even knew that there were no chainsaw murders lurking in my neighborhood. I knew that we had probably remembered to lock our doors and that would probably keep us safe. Probably. And I guess it was all the probable’s that caused the problem.

Because of all that, and a whole bunch more, sometimes, many times, I would sneak in my parents’ bedroom and quietly lay down on the floor where I would fall asleep. You see, just knowing that daddy was close by made everything better. I somehow managed to believe that no matter how big the monster, the threat, my daddy could and would keep me safe. There was never any doubt that he would do his best to protect us—me. Why? Well, in my limited world, that was just what daddies did. Even if I was bad—he was still there for me.

That all seemed so logical because I believe it. Now for the question that really matters. If I believed that, why do I wrestle with trusting my Dearest Daddy with my present—and future. Why is it that somehow, I struggle to believe that if I fail Him—He will fail me. Why do I believe that my performance determines His proximity? Now there is the root of the problem. Too often we believe that God only sticks around because we get it right and should we not get it right—He is gone.

Well, the truth is that is a lie. You see, God loves us with absolute perfection. He is constant and steady in His affection for us. There is nothing we can do to make God love us more or less, and furthermore there is nothing that we can do to cause Him to abandon us. Once again—His proximity to us is not determined by our performance. It is based solely on His character as a loving Father.

While we probably won’t be totally free from fear this side of heaven, we can find peace in knowing that our Dearest Daddy is close by—very close by—and nothing is going to change that. So, when the unknown rattles your world, when darkness closes in around you, lay down and take a nap knowing that your Father is close by. No matter what the threat—no matter what the fear—He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

Family, forgiveness, friends, Grace, life, loving others, prayer, Scripture, Trials

Not a Good Night

Posted on May 20, 2024May 19, 2024 by Dewayne Taylor

Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” Proverbs 12:18

There is pain and then there is pain. We know that some people can be a pain in the neck…or worse. We also know about different levels of pain. There is the pain a woman must bear to bring a new life into the world. There is the pain that a person endures when they have a kidney stone. There is the pain of being hit by a semi-truck going sixty-five miles an hour. And then there is the pain I experienced one night.

My wife Judy and I go to bed at different times, but we are usually within a few minutes of each other. So, it is not uncommon for one or the other to walk into a dark room. It’s not a big deal, really, because we have a light in the hallway that casts a little light into the dark room. And perhaps that is the reason we do it. “It” is we put a small pillow or some other something in the doorway to keep the door from closing all the way. It is more a habit than anything though in the summer it ensures good air circulation. And that night, it was a setup for a painful good night.

Judy was in bed and the room was dark. Uncharacteristically, the door was closed all the way so when I entered the room I couldn’t see very well. I knew she was still awake, so I asked her, “Where’s the pillow?” It was understood I wasn’t talking about the one for our heads but the one for the door. I believe she responded, “I don’t know.” Well, I looked in the dimly lit one side of the room and could see it wasn’t there. So, I began to walk over to the dark side of the room and that, dear friends, is when it happened.

As I walked over, in the dark, to look for the pillow that should have been in the doorway, I hit…no, I sledgehammered, my shin and foot into the end of the bed frame. Let me explain. Our bed frame is designed so you can attach a footboard if you want to. Well, a long time ago we wanted to and then one day we removed it because we didn’t want to. That left the bracket just sitting there waiting to cause pain. Part of the bracket got my foot and part of it got my shin. And when flesh collided with iron…it hurt, and it hurt bad.

I’ve never had a baby, but I have had several kidney stones. I’ve never been slammed by a semi-truck going sixty-five, but I am almost certain that none of that hurt as badly as my shin and foot did. I hollered…maybe even screamed! I hollered, well, I’ve already said that, and then I blamed…not me, not the iron frame but poor Judy. My pain filled logic was it had to be her fault because she didn’t put the pillow in the door. Well, I did find the stinking pillow and I did put it in the stinking door. And I did one more thing.

As my shin and foot throbbed, as Judy apologized for what clearly wasn’t her fault and as she prayed for God to take the pain away…I realized I needed to apologize…and I did. It was all fine in a few minutes as we drifted off to sleep…gratefully not mad. Well, the next morning I looked at the wounds again and there were two gashes and one bruise. Ouch. Did I mention a semi-truck doing sixty-five miles an hour or having a baby? Judy stuck her head in my home office a little later and I showed her the bruise and apologized one more time for good measure…and I meant it.

This unfortunate encounter caused me to realize that we must be careful about pain. You see, whether it is emotional or physical, when we are filled with pain we can say or do things we later regret. Someone said that hurt people hurt people. I know that is mostly speaking of emotional pain and scars, but it is also true when our foot and shin are sledgehammered into the bed frame. In addition to fixing or removing the problem, we need to plan, to practice how we are going to respond when pain walks into the room—or when we walk into pain. We need to plan, or practice hitting the pause button or yanking on the emergency brake of our words. If we do maybe we will stop before we let our hurt—hurt others.

Solomon, one of the wisest men to ever live, wrote in Proverbs, “Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” Those are certainly wise words from a very wise man, but it is encouraging to know that even he didn’t always get it right. And guess what? Despite our best efforts, we won’t either. But the good news is that when we don’t there is a graceful God who’s just waiting to forgive us and help us. So, the next time you run into pain, hang on–He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

Family, fear, forgiveness, friends, Grace, life, loving others, prayer, pride, priorities, Scripture, sovereignty of God, thankful, Trials

Choosing the Light

Posted on March 5, 2024February 29, 2024 by Dewayne Taylor

And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.” John 3:19

I’ve waited and waited. Finally, the sunrise is finally getting to a respectable time. As a “you’ve got to be kidding me” early riser, I am so glad that Mr. Sun has decided to join me…a little. The sunrise is finally down to a respectable 6:30 am which is a whole lot more respectable than 7:20 am or later. Of course, thanks to Daylight Savings Time we will lose that hour in just about ten days. I know, I know it stays light later in the evening but try telling that to my early genes.

Anyway, I noticed the other morning that when I looked toward the west it was still stone cold dark. I knew it was getting to be time for Mr. Sun to say good morning, but he sure seemed to be taking his time. A few minutes later and finally I could see that the darkness had slowly turned to a very dusky gray. It was going to happen again…God was sending us a new day. For whatever reason, I went out of my room to our bedroom which had an east-facing window. Imagine my surprise to discover the eastern sky was much, much lighter than the western sky.

While all that was expected that day it just seemed the difference was amazing. Looking one way, to the west, it seemed daylight was many long minutes away. Turn the other way, to the east, and daylight was happening right then. The bottom line was it all depended on which way you were going to look. At least for a few minutes, I got to choose light vs darkness. Soon it was all over but for that moment—it mattered, and I chose to look east.

I am certain many times we have that same choice to make in our lives. We get to choose whether to look to the darkness or to the light. We get to choose to embrace the light or plunge into the darkness. I know for me that morning, the choice was very easy, but can we be honest? Too often I choose to muddle in the darkness. When I do, it mars my day and sometimes my life, with negativity and grumble bumbles. Usually, on those days, I’m not happy with anything or anyone—including myself.

Jesus said in the New Testament part of the Bible that men naturally love darkness more than light and, as always, He was right. But what I find out is I choose that darkness not out of love but out of habit. Some of us are wired a little weird but that is certainly not an excuse. What if we started a new habit and determined to look through the eyes of Jesus? After all, he always saw things through the lens of His Father. What if we simply made our default view toward the sunrise and not the darkness of the west. I have a feeling it would be a game changer.

So, tomorrow morning if you are an early riser, remember this simple lesson. Remember that in most every situation there is a choice—toward the light or toward the darkness. It is our call. It is our choice. Jesus declared He was the light of the world and, well, it just makes sense we should seek Him…every time. Why? Well, the reason is simple. It helps us remember that “He’s got this.” Bro. Dewayne

Family, fear, friends, life, prayer, Scripture, Trials

Jesus in the Pantry

Posted on April 26, 2023April 25, 2023 by Dewayne Taylor

The king himself saw the hand as it wrote, and his face turned pale with fright. His knees knocked together in fear and his legs gave way beneath him.” Daniel 5:6

“It” came out of nowhere. Well, as you know from a recent Grits adventure, I recently came face to face with a couple of dogs who were out looking for lunch…and I was on the menu. It had been a while since I have been genuinely afraid—genuinely fearful for my well-being but that morning I was. I learned that he-man or not, all of us are susceptible to fear. Just a few minutes ago, I was talking to a friend about something that happened to his wife this past Sunday. She was run over by a mad Momma cow, and it is only by the grace of God that she was not more seriously injured than she was. She was over 100 feet from the calf and the cow but for some reason the Momma cow chose her to attack.

We heard about the attack during our Family Gathering on Sunday afternoon at church. We stopped and prayed then. As he told me the details, I could just feel how frightening this was. Well, God stepped up for me Saturday morning and God stepped up for the both of them on Sunday afternoon. He is a caring and loving God who stands by in the wings just waiting for us to holler for help. Oh, and it gets better. Even when we don’t know to holler—He still responds. That is just the kind of God He is.

I received a devotional email the other day that made me smile and chuckle while at the same time reminding me of just how blessed we are to have a Dearest Daddy like Him. The story goes like this. Little 5-year-old Johnny was in the kitchen as his mother made supper one evening. She asked him to go into the pantry and get her a can of tomato soup. But he didn’t want to go in alone. “It’s dark in there and I’m scared,” he told her. Now before we go any further with this tale, I want you to know that I can identify with Johnny. I can remember being afraid of the dark when I was a kid. In fact, sometimes it’s still just a little scary to walk into a dark building at night—especially a church!

Well, let’s get on with the story. His Momma asked again, and yet he still delayed. Finally, she said, “It’s okay – Jesus will be in there with you.” Johnny walked hesitantly to the door and slowly opened it. He peeked inside, saw it was dark, and started to leave when all at once an idea came. So, he said, “Jesus, if you’re in there, would you hand me that can of tomato soup?” Ok, you gotta love it.

Believe it or not there is a story in the Bible about crazy, overcoming fear. There was a king, an ungodly king at that, and God decided to send him a message. He did so by allowing a human hand to appear out of nowhere and write a message of judgement on the wall. Daniel 5:6 tells us of the king’s response. It says, “The king himself saw the hand as it wrote, and his face turned pale with fright. His knees knocked together in fear and his legs gave way beneath him.” Can you imagine that?

Not all fear is bad. Sometimes fear can keep us from walking dangerous paths that can lead to disaster and regret. The Bible teaches us that the fear of God—the reverence of God—is the beginning of wisdom. Remember fear God and fear nothing else. Whether it be a vicious pair of dogs or a crazed cow, His peace and strength is more than enough for us. In the midst of the chaos, if we can listen, we will probably hear the Whisperer whispering, “Fear not my child—I’ve got this.” Bro. Dewayne

Family, fear, friends, gratitude, life, prayer, Scripture, thankful, travel, Trials

Light at the End of the Tunnel

Posted on November 9, 2022November 1, 2022 by Dewayne Taylor

I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in Me will no longer remain in the dark.” John 12:46

Hi Grits Family! Hey, my wife Judy and I are going to be “out of pocket” aka “not available” to write this week—on another great adventure. We decided to send out some of our past stories. I hope you enjoy the ones we selected and look forward to some “fresh Grits” next week. God bless. Bro. Dewayne

Tunnel Hill Trail is a gem in our area and perhaps the highpoint of the trail is its tunnel. Our church has an annual bike ride that begins at the tunnel. At its peak we would have over a hundred riders—big and little, young, and old. What makes it even better, the small town of Vienna (where we have our picnic) is only ten miles or so from the tunnel and that part of the trail is either flat or slightly downhill. I told the church riders that, but I’m sure after riding it they thought I might have stretched the truth. Well, maybe a little. But the truth is—ten miles on a bike seat is still ten miles on a bike seat.

I have learned over the years to respect every foot of the tunnel there. As you enter the tunnel, two things are apparent. One, there is plenty of light. So, it is easy to assume that there will be plenty of light all the way through. That would be a mistake. Second, you might assume that since you can see the “light at the end of tunnel” that would be enough to get you through. Uh, that would be a mistake too. Let me describe it…though words really can’t do the job. You must experience it.

Whether you are riding your bike or walking, as you enter the tunnel you really do think, “Oh this isn’t too bad.” There is plenty of light and of course, you can clearly see the light at the end of the tunnel. Slowly, very slowly, almost without noticing, the light fades away and suddenly, just shy of halfway, you find yourself in total, eerie, darkness. What seemed so easy now seems increasingly difficult. Even with the light at the end of tunnel, you can’t tell where you are going. You think you are in the middle of the trail when in fact you can easily be heading straight for the walls. Over the years, everyone who has ridden with our group has made it through the tunnel. It’s just that some of them came out with a few bruises and scrapes…courtesy of “the walls.”

Life will have its valleys and not all tunnels in life are caused by our misguided choices, but the good news is regardless—we can find help. Imagine what it would be like to take sunlight with us into the valleys—into the tunnels of life. What if the deepest valley and the darkest tunnel could be lit as noon is on a sunny day. Well, it can. You see, there is a light that defies darkness and is brighter than the sun—in fact, it is the Son. Two thousand years ago a Man was born that claimed…and proved…that He was the Son of God, and His name is Jesus. Have you ever wondered why this simple carpenter from an obscure village in the Middle East commands center stage on the stage of history? The reason why? He is the real deal. The Bible describes Him as the Light of the world…and He is. And when a person follows Him, he walks in His light.

Family, forgiveness, friends, Grace, gratitude, life, love, prayer, Scripture, thankful, Trials

The Owner’s Closet

Posted on July 1, 2022June 30, 2022 by Dewayne Taylor

Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends You and lead me along the path of everlasting life.” Psalm 139:23-24

It’s the one place. My wife Judy is a really smart person and one day she proved that so clearly. The place where we live has a two-bedroom apartment over the garage. Off and on through the years, various members of the tribe have stayed there but finally it was just sitting empty. Not only was it not earning its keep…it was costing us. It has its own utilities so every month we wrote a check. And then Judy had a great idea. She researched and found out there was a pretty new company called Airbnb. It helps owners of properties rent them out as a short-term vacation type rental. She wanted to give it a try…and she did.

On a shoestring budget and by watching several YouTube videos she turned that little apartment into a beautiful short-term rental. I told her it wouldn’t work. A couple of businessmen who attend our church told her it wouldn’t work. After all, who comes to Harrisburg…a small town in Southern Illinois. Well, we were all wrong and she was all right. Since 2016 when she opened for business, hundreds have stayed and instead of draining the check book, it now helps supplement our income. Amazing.

People, book the place for a fee and we give them full access to the property. They get the apartment, and trust me…it is very nice. They also get to enjoy our beautiful garden (another Judy thing), the hot tub, and a nice patio area. It is quite the deal if I say so myself. Like I said…Judy had a really good idea. However, there is one place, one small room that the guests don’t have access to…the owner’s closet.

You see, in the hallway of the apartment, there is a small walk-in closet that we keep locked. No matter how much they pay, they can’t go in there. They can have everything else…but not that. No, nada, period. Why? Well…there are a couple of reasons but the main one is that it is filled with owner stuff. It’s the storage closet where extra linens, cleaning supplies, mops, cleaning rags, decorations, things we don’t need and well, just things. If the guests were to see it, they definitely wouldn’t be impressed. They might even say, “How can the rest of the place look so beautiful, and this look so…boring?” And they would be right and that is why it is locked.

Every short-term rental that I have stayed in has an owner’s closet and I am sure none of them look as nice as the rental itself. It’s just the nature of the beast. But what about this? What about our lives? Do you have an owner’s closet in your life that no one, I mean no one, is welcome to open…to enter? Your spouse? Nope. Your children? Nope. Your friends? Nope. Your parents? Nope. God? Not even God. Maybe especially not God. While the truth is all of us have that secret place, we need to know it can be a dangerous thing. When we are tempted to hide things, well, let’s just say bad things can grow in the dark.

Perhaps it is time we have the courage to unlock the door and let a little light in. I know it can be difficult but as long as the door is locked, we won’t, we can’t change what’s inside. The best place to start is to invite God in. If you are one of His kids, or especially if you aren’t, He won’t be surprised because He already knows everything. In Psalm 139:23-24, a Book in the Jewish and Christian Bible, it says, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends You and lead me along the path of everlasting life.”

Now that is just some great advice. Remember this…if bad things grow in the dark…bad things die in the light. If we will just have the courage to unlock the door, open the door, and even flip on the light switch…well, healing can begin, and help will be on the way. Why not take that giant step today? As you reach out with the key and slip it into the lock and turn the knob on the door, just know this. He is there with you, and He will help you all the way. He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

food, Grace, gratitude, life, prayer, priorities, Scripture, thankful, Trials, wisdom

Sand Through an Hourglass

Posted on September 14, 2021September 13, 2021 by Dewayne Taylor

So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days.” Ephesians 5:15-16

The thief has struck again. Without anyone noticing a thief has been stealing from us all. It happens every day and no one does anything to stop it because they can’t. Slowly and almost without notice the thief takes from us. Who is this thief? It is time itself…the calendar.

The day of the year with the most daylight hours is around June 21st. It is known as the summer equinox. On that day the tilt of the earth allows the northern hemisphere to be closest to the sun allowing the maximum amount of daylight hours. On June 21st sunrise occurs at 5:32 am in our town. Fourteen hours and forty-six minutes later it sets at 8:19 pm. From that time forward, slowly, and surely the amount of daylight hours began to recede.

You ask, “How much?” Well, today the sun will rise at 6:35 am and will set at 7:00 pm. If you do the math, you will discover that will give us 12 hours and 25 minutes of daylight. Amazingly you will find that the thief has taken over two hours of daylight from us. And each passing day he will take another few minutes. Finally, someday in the near future, we will get up and wonder why it is still dark, or why the sun is setting so early. The answer is the daylight thief. Like sand through an hourglass, he steals away the day.

I find all this pretty fascinating. As the days and weeks march by, it reminds us that fall is coming. Before long the leaves will be changing colors and falling to the ground. Soon our thoughts will turn to cooler temperatures, beautiful mums, and Thanksgiving. On December 21 the process will all reverse. We will begin to gain back those precious minutes of daylight and it will remind us of the promise that spring is on its way.

The amazing part of all of this is how subtly it all happens. It is true of the calendar and the hours of daylight we experience, and it is true of so many small things in our lives. We take in a few too many calories and before long we wonder why our clothes are tighter. Humidity? I mean they do call it the air you can wear. We miss a few days of exercise and wonder why our energy level suddenly drops. We miss a few days talking with our Dearest Father and wonder why He feels like a stranger. We miss our time with the Book and find ourselves bumbling our way through life. Sigh. It is all too familiar and all too predictable.

The secret, I believe, is to be aware. I have an Apple watch that tells me more than I need or want to know. One of the things it tells me is the time of the sunrise and sunset. A few days ago, the sun was setting at 7:45 pm and I knew that meant before long it would be setting at 7:00 pm. Sure enough, it is. Whether it is exercise or calories or prayer or reading the Book, if we pay attention, we will have fewer surprises and consequences. I like what Moses said. He wrote, “Teach us to number our days carefully so that we may develop wisdom in our hearts.” You know, wisdom to watch what we eat and how much we exercise. Wisdom to stop and talk to God and read His Book. Yup…good, good advice.

Paul, one of the writers of the New Testament, put it another way. He said we should make the most of everyday, not living as someone who is foolish but as someone who is wise. He goes on to say we should do this because the days are evil—or full of difficulties and challenges.

The fact is we all get 1440 minutes a day—no more, no less. The hours of daylight may change, but time has been set for eternity. 1440 opportunities to make the most of life, to get it right. And, because we are imperfect humans, we can use some of those minutes to talk to our Dearest Father about our warts and failures. We can snuggle up close as He whispers assurances of love and forgiveness. We can just rest and know…that He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

Family, fear, forgiveness, Grace, life, prayer, Scripture, thankful, travel, Trials, wisdom

Light at the End of the Tunnel

Posted on February 4, 2021February 3, 2021 by Dewayne Taylor

I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in Me will no longer remain in the dark.” John 12:46

Well, after about a hundred feet, light slowly starts appearing around you and before long the light pouring in from the end of the tunnel envelopes you…and you are glad. I’ve even ridden in the tunnel with a flashlight and it still seems difficult. You see, light at the end of the tunnel or not, darkness is difficult. You simply lose all sense of where you are. That is true in tunnels…and it is true in life. Too often we are faced with choices and decide that we can handle what our common sense tells us is a bad idea. We enter the tunnel with plenty of light and assume we have escaped the blight of our choice. Only later do we see what we couldn’t see—the consequences of our decision. Only when we “hit the wall” do we understand the pain of our decision. It is only after we emerge back into the light that we can see the wounds from the walls and realize the scars that we will bear.

Life will have its valleys and not all tunnels in life are caused by our misguided choices, but the good news is regardless—we can find help. Imagine what it would be like to take sunlight with us into the valleys—into the tunnels of life. What if the deepest valley and the darkest tunnel could be lit as noon is on a sunny day. Well, it can. You see, there is a light that defies darkness and is brighter than the sun—in fact, it is the Son. Two thousand years ago a Man was born that claimed…and proved…that He was the Son of God and His name is Jesus. Have you ever wondered why this simple carpenter from an obscure village in the Middle East commands center stage on the stage of history? The reason why? He is the real deal. The Bible describes Him as the Light of the world…and He is. And when a person follows Him, he walks in His light.