Tag: generosity

Posted in Christmas, Family, gratitude, Holidays, Scripture, thankful

Santa Claus Came to Town

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8 

It is one of my favorite Christmas memories and this is a story I have told before and most certainly will tell again. I wish I could tell you the lengths that my Daddy and Momma would go to make sure we had a wonderful Christmas.  Daddy had a good job, but with a bunch of kids, money was always tight.  If I were guessing, we were probably at the bottom of the middle class.  But somehow, they always managed to make sure every Christmas was a fairytale. One year stands out.

I was in the sixth grade and by now I had moved into the world of “nonbelievers”—if you get my drift.  I remember the year Momma told me I could stay up later with the adults.  I guess you could say I graduated.  That night, we visited, talked, and ate.  I’m sure Momma and some of the girls were in the kitchen preparing for Christmas Day.  At about 11:00 pm, I remember Momma telling me that perhaps I should go ahead and go to bed.  “Maybe,” she said, “Santa Claus might still be coming to town.”  Ho, Ho, Ho.

Since it was so late, I didn’t put up much of a fuss.  I never was much of a person to stay up late—until I started dating that is.  Smile.  So, off to bed I went.  There were no visions of sugar drops dancing in my head—like I said, I was a “non-believer”.  Our house was an old, former World War II barracks and was long and narrow.  At one end was the kitchen, then a small dining room, next a living room with the bathroom and two small bedrooms, a breezeway and finally a garage turned bedroom.  That is where I slept.

The next morning, sometime early, I got up.  I’m not sure if someone woke me up or it was just time.  I wandered through the breezeway into the living room where several of the family were sitting.  I backed up to the old two-burner oil stove and warmed up a little. After just a few minutes, Daddy said, “Dewayne, go get me a cup of coffee.”  Coffee was a big deal around the Taylor house, so it certainly was not an unusual request.  I lingered just a moment more, savoring the warmth of the stove before heading to the kitchen.

As I left the living room and entered the dining room, I almost stumbled on something.  There parked right in the middle of the walkway to the kitchen was the most incredible red, English-racer bicycle you have ever seen.  Now, keep in mind, this was back when bikes were all the rage—unlike today when if it doesn’t have batteries or require electricity, it’s not even worth mentioning.  It was beautiful. The frame was bright, metallic red, the fenders were chrome, it had three speeds, hand brakes and, wait for it, a generator light.

I was amazed.  Not in all my years could I have ever imagined such an extravagant gift. Somewhere there is a home video that my brother shot of the grand moment.  I was like someone who had just won the lottery—and from my perspective—I had.  I petted it, hugged every one I could find, threw on some clothes and went off into the darkness with my new English racer.  And that generator light—oh yes, it lit the way.  And if that wasn’t enough, keep in mind this was in North Florida, it was warm enough to ride—even early in the morning.

Like I said, my parents went way out of their way to gift us at Christmas.  Things might have been lean during the year but at Christmas, they pulled out the stops.  I had an idea how they did it.  Saving was not practical on such a limited budget, but they would get one of those loans from a finance company and then pay it off throughout the year.  It was so sacrificial.  I know I have many things to be grateful for from my parents, but the lengths they went to, so we could have Christmas, touches my heart to this day.  I know it probably didn’t make financial sense, but they loved us that much.

I have another parent who did something that didn’t make sense either…and it involved Christmas and Easter. That would be my Heavenly Father. Knowing the world needed a rescue, a redemption, He sent His only Son into this broken world as a baby just so He could grow up and then give Himself to a Roman cross—just for us.  Paul, the guy God used to write a bunch of the New Testament, said it this way, “But God demonstrated His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” While we were still broken, still messed up, unloving and unappreciative, Jesus died for us.  Nope, it made no sense but that is what I love about God.  I know sometimes He allows things that I don’t understand…like when I pray for someone to be healed and it just doesn’t work out like I want. But to know that He loved me enough to create Christmas and Easter—well, that’s just amazing.

Remember this Christmas day, to be grateful for the sacrifices made on your behalf by the people who touch our lives. I know for some that might be difficult.  But try and find the good that is lurking somewhere out there.  But first of all and most of all, be sure and thank God for the greatest gift ever—His own Son and His sacrifice, that we can be forgiven and look forward to being in heaven one day.  Of course, having God as your Dearest Daddy means you get the Gift that keeps on giving.  He walks with us every day and through everything, side by side, hand in hand, and we have the grand assurance that no matter what—He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Christmas, gratitude, loving others, missions, Scripture, sovereignty of God, thankful

When Little Is Much

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “Then a poor widow came and dropped in two small coins. Jesus called His disciples to Him and said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has given more than all the others who are making contributions. For they gave a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she had to live on.” Mark 12:42-44

It was such a little fella. For the last ten years, my wife Judy and I have had the privilege of leading a team of folks to Atlanta, Georgia to work at the Operation Christmas Child (OCC) processing center. This ministry, one of the best I know of, encourages people to take a shoebox and fill it with items such as toys, hygiene items and the like. The boxes are then shipped to children all around the world…mostly to third-world countries. The big picture is with each box goes the Gospel of Jesus Christ and where there are churches OCC always works through the local church and pastor. No church…no problem. Many times a local group of Jesus followers come together to share the boxes and establish a church. Amazing!

In the early days of OCC, the shoeboxes were exactly that and of course came in every size and shape imaginable. Through the years, OCC began providing traditional shoebox size boxes. Along with a couple of other things, this really helped with shipping. So today, about ninety percent of the boxes are those provided by OCC and about ten percent are traditional boxes. Regardless…it all comes together, children are blessed and many meet and trust Jesus as their personal Savior.

When we worked our shift this year, one box caught my eye. It was a traditional shoebox but it was unique in a special way. It was the smallest box I have ever seen. The box, cute and attractive, was just about five by seven inches and maybe five inches deep.  Though compact in size, the person had filled it well but all of that couldn’t change the fact that it was small…very small. We all begin to try and find a way to fix this but because of the rules in place…the integrity of the box had to remain. We are allowed to add to boxes that might be a bit scarce but we can’t remove or remake the boxes.

Well, I was a little sad because I could just imagine all those kids and all those boxes and someone getting this tiny box. Somehow it just didn’t seem fair but then it happened. I reminded myself that time and again we had seen God’s hand on these boxes and somehow and someway He always made it work. I decided that what was true then would be true now. He would make it work. How? I’m not sure but I do know this. When something is placed in the hands of God—miracles happen. You see, little is much when God is in it. Remember the boy with a few fish and loaves? Remember the widow woman who gave all she had—a little over a penny? Remember what God did in both cases? Yup…amazing.

So I hope this will be an encouragement to you today. Don’t be disappointed when you have so little and someone else has so much more. Rather, just trust God to even every thing out. If He can multiply fish and loaves or take a widow’s penny and tell the world what a big gift it was—He can take care of you too. Remember…little is much when God is in it.  Oh, and remember, this too, “He’s got this.”  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in communication, Family, friends, Grace, gratitude, Holidays, life, loving others, priorities, sovereignty of God, thankful, Thanksgiving, Trials

Looking Beyond the Obvious

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into His presence with singing! Know that the Lord, He is God! It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise! Give thanks to Him; bless His name! For the Lord is good; His steadfast love endures forever, and His faithfulness to all generations.” Psalm 100

It should have been obvious. One of the latest additions to my home office is a digital picture frame. It shows pictures, which is pretty obvious, but there is more. You see, I can invite people to share their pictures with me. So, when they want to share, they click a few keys on their phone, and Shazam, they show up on my frame. A quiet ding lets me know that something new has shown up.

I’ve invited my wife Judy, and my three daughters to be a part of my digital frame world. This is a special way that I can be a part of their world even though I might not be there physically.  It is also a great way to remember all the wonderful things that God has brought into our lives. And the best part? That list of things continues to get longer and longer. God is so incredibly generous…sometimes it is super obvious but sometimes we must look a little closer.

One picture on my frame had me a little puzzled…until I looked a little closer. The picture was a nice shot of a tree line. Now I love trees, and I love nature, but I had to wonder why someone shared this picture with me…and then I saw it. Near the top of the photograph, which was taken during the day, was a full moon. At nighttime, it would have been obvious but in daylight, it was barely visible. Someone knew and remembered that I am a big fan of full moons and shared it with me. What was not so obvious became obvious when I looked a little closer. I.Looked.A.Little.Closer.

It is amazing what we can see if we look closer and what we can miss if we don’t. The story is told about a minister who was speaking to a group of men. To make a point about not missing the obvious, he took a big sheet of paper and drew a small black dot in the middle with a marker. He held it up and asked the group, “What do you see?” One guy quickly said, “I see a black dot” and the pastor told him he was exactly right. But he wasn’t done.

He then asked, “Do you see anything else?” With squinted eyes, they finally had to shake their heads answering, no. The minister smiled and said, “Are you sure? You all completely missed the most important thing—the entire sheet of paper.” What is true in the story is true in life.  You see, in life, we often get caught up in the small, dot-like disappointments and struggles we experience. Meanwhile, we forget to focus on the bigger picture—the many blessings we receive from God every day. When we do that, we quickly discover two things. First, our world abounds with blessings and two, the good in our lives far outweighs the bad.

The truth is that it’s easy to get fixated on life’s trials and challenges, isn’t it? The key, though, is to keep your focus on God’s blessings. As we celebrate this Thanksgiving Day, let’s take a moment and thank Him for all the good in our lives and let His joy fill our hearts! After all, one of God’s greatest blessings is the assurance that, “He’s got this.” Bro. Dewayne

Posted in friends, Grace, gratitude, life, love, loving others, marriage, Scripture, thankful

A Good Laugh

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

In every way I’ve shown you that it is necessary to help the weak by laboring like this and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, because he said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ” Acts 20:35

It made me laugh. I love a good joke.  But I love bad jokes even more. My grandson James asked me, “Papa, what do you call a cow with no legs?” Well, I had heard this joke before but hey, why not one more time. I asked him “what?” And he said, “ground beef.” Ok, now tell me that isn’t good. Of course, I responded with, “What do you call a pig with no legs?” and he said he didn’t know.  I told him, “A ground hog.” Ok, so you are now armed with two great jokes, but this story is about another one that I read in one of my devotions.

It goes like this, “A barber in a small town was busy cutting hair one day when the local policeman walked in for a haircut. The barber was feeling a bit generous, so he said to him, “Since you do such a good job protecting us, today’s haircut is free.” Well, the next day when the barber showed up at his shop, there were a dozen donuts waiting for him from the grateful policeman.

That same day the local florist came in for a haircut. Again, in a generous mood, the barber said to the florist, “Since you do so much to make this town look beautiful, today’s haircut is free.” The next day when the barber arrived at his shop, he was greeted by a dozen beautiful roses.

Later that day, in walked the local preacher. The barber, once again filled with generosity, said to the minister, “Since you work so hard to care for our souls, today’s haircut is free.” Well, the next day the barber showed up to find a dozen preachers waiting for a free haircut.” That is a great story and maybe partially true. I remember when I first started preaching forty years ago, I was told more than once to be on the outlook for the free perks of pastoring. I am glad to say that didn’t stick with me though I must admit I sure like a free lunch! Smile.

The big truth of this story is no joke—generosity should be a part of every believer’s DNA. Our Dearest Daddy is so, so generous to us. John 3:16 teaches us that He loved us so much He gave His only Son—to a cruel Roman cross. God is the greatest giver there is and we should strive to be just like Him. In Acts 20:35 Paul tells us, “In every way I’ve shown you that it is necessary to help the weak by laboring like this and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, because he said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ” We don’t know when Jesus said these words but what we do know is that His life spoke to them every day. He always gave—every day and in every way.

Let me encourage you to be generous…not just with your physical resources but with your time, abilities, and love. Let me encourage you to be just like Jesus who was so willing to give Himself away. I’ll be honest enough to tell you that sometimes this is easier than others for me, but I can always go to my Dearest Daddy who will help me learn and remember, “He’s got this.” Bro. Dewayne

Posted in birthday, Family, friends, Grace, gratitude, life, love, loving others, Scripture, thankful

Birthday Wishes and Dreams

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” Ephesians 3:20

It came out of nowhere.  A couple of days ago, my wife Judy and I were talking about my upcoming birthday. You know birthdays come and go but occasionally one comes along that is a little more significant. Usually, it marks a time in our life that marks a major transition—like turning 16, or 21 or maybe 30.  Well, for me this next one seems to be significant.  In 32 days, I will be turning seventy—as in seven decades.  Seventy…there’s just something about that. I know birthdays are just a number, but this sounds so…old. When I was a kid, it always seemed that people who had reached seventy also owned a plot of ground in the cemetery. Now for the record, I understand now that isn’t true…but still.

Well, we were chatting and out of the blue she said, “Well, I’m not buying you a Mustang for your birthday.” Now keep in mind that we weren’t talking about that nor was I thinking that, so I was a little taken a back.  There was “no” even before there was a question.  Now to be honest, there has been a recurring dream about me wanting a Mustang convertible. It didn’t have to be fancy or new…just a Mustang. I think it all started when I rented one on vacation. With the roof down, it made me feel cool (no pun intended), young and feisty. So, every once in a while, I would say something like, “Well, before I die…” Oh well, no harm and no foul but it did make me think.

There is a verse in the New Testament part of the Bible where Paul is talking about God—both His ability and generosity.  It is found in Ephesians 3:20 and says this, “Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” Wow…what an awesome verse.  Now let me share what it means and what it doesn’t mean.

First, it means that nothing, absolutely nothing is beyond the power and imagination of God. If you can dream it, if you can imagine it—with God it is possible. Our Dearest Daddy is all powerful and all knowing.  In fact, He is everything—which leads us to what it doesn’t mean.  It doesn’t mean that God is going to give or do everything we ask for.  He is way too wise for that one.  There are certain things that we don’t need and in fact could even be possibly harmful to us.  And what that means is that we need to trust Him for everything every day.  If we get a no, there must be a good, valid reason.

So, as you journey don’t be afraid to ask God—after all His power and generosity are beyond limit. But remember this…so is His love.  If He says no to something, there is a reason.  And, if you found yourself disappointed with His decision, go ahead and share that with Him too.  You can rest assured that He can handle that too.  After all, He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, fear, friends, Grace, gratitude, life, loving others, prayer, priorities, Scripture, sovereignty of God, thankful, Trials

Waverly

Posted on 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.  Just short of two years 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 the COVID hot mess, 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.  Now a couple of years later, Waverly is well on the comeback road, and they are 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

Posted in Family, friends, gratitude, Integrity, life, priorities, Scripture, Southern born, thankful

Nickels, Dimes, and Quarters

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

If you help the poor, you are lending to the Lord—and He will repay you!” Proverbs 19:17

It was part generosity and part tradition.  When I was growing up, Sunday meant going to church. My Momma would always make sure I had taken a bath, combed my hair, brushed my teeth (I think), had clean clothes, and had an offering.  There was something about going to church and taking an offering.  It almost seemed like either God would be mad if I didn’t or the people at church would think we were poor or something…which we might have been.

Now the offering wasn’t a whole lot, but it was more than the widow lady in the Bible gave.  Her offering was less than a penny, but it was really everything she had.  Momma gave me a quarter most times but sometimes it was a dime and on rare occasions it was a dollar.  Trust me, that was a rarity.  Anyway, I finally figured out that it wasn’t the amount that mattered anyway.  What mattered was that Momma thought it was important and it mattered that I didn’t pocket the quarter.  Jesus said something about it was more blessed to give than to receive and I’m sure Momma knew that.  So anyway, I gave the quarter.

I read a story the other day about a little girl who went to church just like me.  Her Momma gave her a dime and a nickel. The little girl asked, “Which one am I supposed to give?” and her Momma told her she could decide.  Well, when she came home from church, her Momma asked her which one she gave, and she said she had given the nickel.  When asked why she gave the nickel instead of the dime she said, “Well, the preacher said that God loves people who give cheerfully, and I was a lot happier when I gave the nickel and kept the dime.”  Smile.

I know that I am still a work in progress.  God started the project way back in 1975 and He’s still working today.  I’ve heard it said that His work isn’t done until He takes us home to live with Him.  I believe that is true.  One of the areas that He is working on with me is generosity.  They say that if you want to carve a duck from a block of wood you just cut off everything that doesn’t look like a duck. Well, that is what God does with us except He’s not making ducks. He is making Jesus followers. And one thing I know for sure is that Jesus was always generous.  He was so generous He gave His life away on a wooden cross to pay for everyone’s sin.  Now that is generosity.  Now that is love.

My point isn’t that you ought to give to the church.  The point is we should all learn to be generous to others.  A generous life is a happy life, and a generous heart is a happy heart.  In the Old Testament part of the Bible in the Book of Proverbs it says, “If you help the poor, you are lending to the Lord—and He will repay you!”  You know, I believe that is true.  I’m also sure that the repayment may not be dollars and cents but rather a deep sense of peace and joy in our lives—and that is better—that is priceless.  Remember this—God is more than willing to help you be like Jesus, but it all starts when we believe what He did and what He said. He died and came back to life and promised to forgive anyone who asked.  Need a little help with that?  Well, don’t worry, He’s got that too.

Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Christmas, Family, friends, gratitude, life, love, loving others, priorities, Scripture, sovereignty of God, thankful, wisdom

Time…Our Treasure

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

Lord, You have been our refuge in every generation. Before the mountains were born,

before You gave birth to the earth and the world, from eternity to eternity, You are God.” Psalm 90:1-2

I glanced back in the rearview mirror and watched it disappear, just like that Christmas came and went.  It never ceases to amaze me how quickly time passes.  At one time there was a saying that said, “You are slower than Christmas.”  Well, at least for me that simply is not true anymore.  It seems like yesterday that we were talking about another new year, another new month, or another new week and now it is time to start it all over again.  In a very few days we will be celebrating January 1st and the start of another New Year. Amazing.

As you know Christmas fell on Sunday this year. For most folks the day of the week Christmas arrives is not that big of a deal.  However, for us preacher-teacher types it certainly is a big deal.  It is a definite shift to go from ho, ho, ho and opening presents to “Holy is the Lord.” It is almost like shifting a car from forward to reverse.  Christmas on Sunday normally occurs every six or seven years but guess what? Because of the way Leap Year falls next time, it will be eleven years before we celebrate Christmas on a Sunday again.  Eleven years.  For me, that means I will be knocking on eighty—loudly.  For some of you, it means your seven-year-old son or daughter will be knocking on 18. Is that crazy or what?

The crazier part of all of this is that those eleven years…if we get to see all of them…will pass so very quickly.  It is such a good reminder that we need to savor each day the Savior gives us.  We need to remember how precious every minute, hour, day, month, and year are.  The Bible has a lot to say about time and how we handle it. First, Moses tells us in Psalm 90, “Teach us to number our days carefully so that we may develop wisdom in our hearts.” That is such good counsel.  Like a cook carefully measures the ingredients in whatever they are preparing, so we need to carefully measure the value of each day. And when we do, if we do, we will discover the wisdom of the God of the ages.

Another great scripture is found in the New Testament of the Christian Bible.  Paul was writing to a group of Jesus people in Ephesus.  He said to them, “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.”  Make the most or squeeze everything you can out of each day.  There are two things we need to remember about days. First, they all belong to the Lord…we are just managers and second, each day is a gift from Him.  No matter how difficult or how easy—each day is a present from Him to His children.  So, we should handle it with care and use it wisely.

Two of the things I love about God is His is generosity and wisdom.  He gives and guides and then helps us to make the most of every day…every gift.  As we look forward to our next installment of time—no matter how much or little we get to experience—always remember that there is One who is standing close just waiting to help us.  No matter what—He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne

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

Waverly

Posted on 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

Posted in Family, Grace, gratitude, life, love, loving others, Scripture, Southern born, thankful, wisdom

Nickels, Dimes and Quarters

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

If you help the poor, you are lending to the Lord—and He will repay you!” Proverbs 19:17

It was part generosity and part tradition.  When I was growing up, Sunday meant going to church. My Momma would always make sure I had taken a bath, combed my hair, brushed my teeth (I think), had clean clothes, and had an offering.  There was something about going to church and taking an offering.  It almost seemed like either God would be mad if I didn’t or the people at church would think we were poor or something…which we might have been.

Now the offering wasn’t a whole lot, but it was more than the widow lady in the Bible gave.  Her offering was less than a penny, but it was really everything she had.  Momma gave me a quarter most times but sometimes it was a dime and on rare occasions it was a dollar.  Trust me, that was a rarity.  Anyway, I finally figured out that it wasn’t the amount that mattered anyway.  What mattered was that Momma thought it was important and it mattered that I didn’t pocket the quarter.  Jesus said something about it was more blessed to give than to receive and I’m sure Momma knew that.  So anyway, I gave the quarter.

I read a story the other day about a little girl who went to church just like me.  Her Momma gave her a dime and a nickel. The little girl asked, “Which one am I supposed to give?” and her Momma told her she could decide.  Well, when she came home from church, her Momma asked her which one she gave, and she said she had given the nickel.  When asked why she gave the nickel instead of the dime she said, “Well, the preacher said that God loves people who give cheerfully, and I was a lot happier when I gave the nickel and kept the dime.”  Smile.

I know that I am still a work in progress.  God started the project way back in 1975 and He’s still working today.  I’ve heard it said that His work isn’t done until He takes us home to live with Him.  I believe that is true.  One of the areas that He is working on with me is generosity.  They say that if you want to carve a duck from a block of wood you just cut off everything that doesn’t look like a duck. Well, that is what God does with us except He’s not making ducks. He is making Jesus followers. And one thing I know for sure is that Jesus was always generous.  He was so generous He gave His life away on a wooden cross to pay for everyone’s sin.  Now that is generosity.  Now that is love.

My point isn’t that you ought to give to the church.  The point is we should all learn to be generous to others.  A generous life is a happy life, and a generous heart is a happy heart.  In the Old Testament part of the Bible in the Book of Proverbs it says, “If you help the poor, you are lending to the Lord—and He will repay you!”  You know, I believe that is true.  I’m also sure that the repayment may not be dollars and cents but rather a deep sense of peace and joy in our lives—and that is better—that is priceless.  Remember this—God is more than willing to help you be like Jesus, but it all starts when we believe what He did and what He said. He died and came back to life and promised to forgive anyone who asked.  Need a little help with that?  Well, don’t worry, He’s got that too.

Bro. Dewayne