familiarity – Grits with Grace

Holidays, life, love, New Year, Scripture, thankful, wisdom

Shrek…Once Too Many

Posted on January 10, 2025December 31, 2024 by Dewayne Taylor

“If you love Me, obey My commandments.” John 15:13

It was just hilarious…till it wasn’t. In May of 2001 a film was released. It was simply titled, “Shrek.” I don’t have time to go into the details but it was an animated film. One of my friends asked me if I had seen it and I told him I had not. He told me it was a must see. So…I did. Well, the bottom line is it turned out to be one of the funniest films I have ever seen. So, when I got to our small group at church, I joined the, “you gotta see it” club. We would sit around the room telling our favorite parts of the movie, all the while laughing till our sides hurt. I watched it again and again and again. And then…it happened.

A while later, I sat down in from of the television to watch it again. As the film started, as the credits rolled, I waited for the first hilarious scene. It came and went but the most I could muster was a slight chuckle. And so it was for the rest of the movie. Somehow I had become so familiar with the movie that it had lost its appeal…its humor. And, to this day, I watch Shrek with only a mild interest. Like I said, it was funny, till it wasn’t.

I’m not sure how that happened but it might be like tuna casserole. You see, when I was in the fifth grade our school served tuna casserole…which, at that time I liked…a lot. That day, I enjoyed the hefty helping they plopped on my plate but later that evening I got food poisoning. It wasn’t pretty. From then till now, I rarely if ever eat tuna casserole. I guess I was scarred for life. Now I didn’t get food poisoning from Shrek but you might say, rather than remembering what made me laugh…I remembered what didn’t. So long Shrek!

Familiarity can be a great thing as long as it doesn’t keep us from loving and enjoying the things that matter. The whole “familiarity breeds contempt thing” can be a dangerous separator. Let’s make sure we guard the things that matter. Whether it is your family, or your faith, or your career, make it a habit to look for the good while choosing to ignore the not so good. Choose to remember why you love someone or something and never allow the dullness of familiarity to creep in. If you do keep it fresh, the result will be a renewing affection for the things that matter and a fleeting attraction for the things that don’t.

Jesus said, “if you love Me keep My commandments.” He wasn’t trying to grow a “let’s keep the rules club” but rather a way to help us keep our love for Him ever before us. He wanted to help us keep our love like a fresh wind blowing through our lives and not like a funny line heard too many times in a movie. So, in 2025, let’s work to keep our love for Him like the first time I saw Shrek—ready to see it again—ready to experience it again. Of course, if you find yourself struggling with all of this, just remember how much He cares and His desire to help you do life. You can rest assured that, “He’s got this.” Bro. Dewayne

Easter, friends, gratitude, Holidays, life, love, loving others, Scripture, thankful

The Empty Egg

Posted on April 5, 2023April 4, 2023 by Dewayne Taylor

And He who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also, He said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” Revelation 21:5

Warning…familiarity ahead. You probably know the old saying that familiarity breeds contempt. You know, you hear something, you read something, you see someone, you eat something and what used to bring a smile garners a yawn or a wince. It can happen to the best of us…it probably has happened to all of us and just about this time of year it may happen again if we aren’t careful. Let me explain.

This past week, I received an email that told a story. Just about this time of year, it makes its annual appearance in our inboxes or on Facebook. While the story is told with some variation, it goes something like this. There was a special needs 8-year-old boy named Philip who loved to attend Sunday School at his church. The other boys and girls didn’t really accept Philip but thanks to the diligent efforts of the teacher, they were slowly beginning to see him as part of their group.

One Easter Sunday, the teacher brought in a bunch of plastic eggs to class. She gave one to each of the children in her class and told them to go outside and find something that reminded them of Easter. They were to place it in the egg and then bring it back in to show the class. After running around outside for about 20 minutes, the children came back into the class and placed their eggs on the table.

Their teacher began to open each egg—one by one – and each time the grand opening was followed by oohs and aahs from the class. They saw things like flowers, leaves, and even a few baby bugs and butterflies emerge from the containers and each one received warm appreciation. Just about then it happened.

The teacher finally opened one and inside there was—nothing. The children somehow knew it was Phillip’s egg and then laughed thinking he had not understood the teacher’s instruction. The children’s laugher soon grew to silence. The teacher gently asked, “Philip didn’t you understand the assignment?” And in reply, he said, “Oh yes, teacher. You see my egg is empty because it is Easter, and the grave of Jesus was empty too.” It was as if a holy stillness filled the room. Oh yes Philip, more than all the others, understood. The empty egg proclaimed the empty grave of Jesus.

Now by any standard that is a that great story that teaches a wonderful lesson. And guess what? It will garner one of two responses from most of us. Response number one is filled with ooh’s and aah’s because in the simplest of terms the beauty of Easter is given. It also touches the heart because the child who was often ignored and mocked won the day.

There is another response, and it is really the point of our Grits today. For many of us, we read the story…or even the first couple of lines of it…and then think, “Oh, I’ve heard this before.” The familiarity of the story then promptly robs us of the power of the message. You see, the story was no less powerful than the first time we heard it but sadly…familiarity did indeed breed contempt. So, what was your response? More importantly, what is your response to the message of this story we call Easter?

Here’s the big truth. This weekend, people all over the world, some Jesus followers and some not, will pause their world and probably attend a worship service. For some it will be something they thought they should do because it is Easter. And guess what? Because for them it is something different, they may just get it. But for others who regularly attend a worship service and who would never miss a service like Easter, well, the story might just garner a spiritual yawn or a casual, “Oh, I’ve heard this one before.” Trust me, as a pastor, I know the struggle of trying to make a very familiar story sound fresh. But honestly…that shouldn’t be the case…not for something like the Resurrection…not for something as big as this.

I mean, a man dying on purpose for me, for you, being buried and then coming back to life—that really is the biggest of news. It could never deserve a spiritual yawn or a casual “ho-hum.” Nope, it just flat out deserves a hallelujah. So let me suggest that no matter how well, or not, the speaker speaks, no matter how much you like, or dislike, the music, how about making every effort to hear and see the Easter story with fresh eyes. Ask God to make it like the first time—and then watch Him and hear Him say, “Gladly. I’ve got this.” Bro. Dewayne

Family, Grace, gratitude, life, love, loving others, priorities, Scripture, thankful

Shrek…Once Too Many

Posted on January 17, 2022January 16, 2022 by Dewayne Taylor

“If you love Me, obey My commandments.” John 15:13

It was just hilarious…till it wasn’t. In May of 2001 a film was released. It was simply titled, “Shrek.” I don’t have time to go into the details, but it was an animated film. One of my friends asked me if I had seen it and I told him I had not. He told me it was a must see. So…I did. Well, the bottom line is it turned out to be one of the funniest films I have ever seen. So, when I got to our small group at church, I joined the “you gotta see it” club. We would sit around the room telling our favorite parts of the movie, all the while laughing till our sides hurt. I watch it again and again and again. And then…it happened.

A while later, I sat down in from of the television to watch it again. As the film started, as the credits rolled, I waited for the first hilarious scene. It came and went but the most I could muster was a slight chuckle. And so, it was for the rest of the movie. Somehow, I had become so familiar with the movie that it had lost its appeal…its humor. And, to this day, I watch Shrek with only a mild interest. Like I said, it was funny, till it wasn’t.

I’m not sure how that happened but it might be like tuna casserole. You see, when I was in the fifth grade our school served tuna casserole…which, at that time I liked…a lot. That day, I enjoyed the hefty helping they plopped on my plate but later that evening I got food poisoning. It wasn’t pretty. From then till now, I don’t eat tuna casserole. I guess I was scarred for life. Now I didn’t get food poisoning from Shrek, but you might say, the end became greater than the beginning. Rather than remembering how it made me laugh…I remember how it didn’t and, well, so long Shrek.

Familiarity can be a great thing if it doesn’t keep us from loving and enjoying the things that matter. The whole “familiarity breeds contempt thing” can be a dangerous separator. Let’s make sure we guard the things that matter. Whether it is your family, or your faith, or your career, make it a habit to look for the good while choosing to ignore the not so good. Choose to remember why you love someone or something and never allow the dullness of familiarity to creep in. If you do keep it fresh, the result will be a renewing affection for the things that matter and a fleeting attraction for the things that don’t.

Jesus said, “if you love Me keep My commandments.” He wasn’t trying to grow a “let’s keep the rules club” but rather a way to help us keep our love for Him ever before us. He wanted to help us keep our love like a fresh wind blowing through our lives and not like a funny line heard too many times in a movie. So, in 2022, let’s work to keep our love for Him like the first time I saw Shrek—ready to see it again—ready to experience it again. Of course, if you find yourself struggling with all of this, just remember how much He cares and His desire to help you do life. You can rest assured that, “He’s got this.” Bro. Dewayne