graduation – Grits with Grace

communication, gratitude, life, Military memories, priorities, school days, Scripture, sovereignty of God

The Phone Call

Posted on August 26, 2025August 25, 2025 by Dewayne Taylor

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and don’t lean into your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6

It is one of my favorite stories about a phone call that was to change my life. It was from my brother-in-law’s brother. We were fringe friends and he had an idea. We were both seniors in high school and both really didn’t have plans for after graduation. So he says, “Hey Dewayne. Why don’t we join the Air Force together? They have the buddy plan. We can attend basic training together and go to our first duty station together. We can be buds.” Well, I didn’t have any better ideas and I liked the idea of serving my country and I was always kinda adventurous so, “Why not?” I went down and signed up singing, “Off we go into the wild blue yonder.” We were set. Or not.

After I went down to sign up I called my brother-in-law’s brother and said, “Have you signed up yet?” Silence. He then told me that he had changed his mind. We were no longer buds. Well, regardless, I was going into the Air Force. That much was decided. What wasn’t decided was what to do in the Air Force. They have this test they give you to decide what best suits your talents and abilities. I took the test. When the recruiter gave me the results he was smiling.

“Well, Dewayne, looks like you are strong in the administrative field.” “What?” I said. “Administration.” he said.

He tried to make it sound really important, but he was really saying I was going to be a secretary. Now this was not cool. My dad was a jet engine mechanic. One brother had served in the Army and I’m not sure what he did but it wasn’t typing. Another brother who joined the Air Force saved the world—or at least that’s what he told me. My other brother joined the Coast Guard—saving lives and stuff. Me? Well, I got to be a secretary.

So anyway, I kept my word and joined the Air Force. I even realized that being a 702X0, (that is the official designation for an administrative specialist), was not too bad. When guys were standing in the rain guarding planes I was in a nice, warm office. There were always a few unkind jokes about 702X0 guys but when those guys wanted their leave papers processed, the joke was on them. Yup, it was totally unexpected but it turned out the Air Force was right. I was in my groove.

Now for the best part of the story. Later I met my wife Judy and we decided to make the Air Force a career. Secretary or not, she thought I was rather dashing even if I did type instead of fly a plane. The days and years went by and then I heard a whisper—the God kind. It said something about pastoring and preaching. I told the Whisperer that I was gonna stay in the Air Force and we could talk later. Another year passed and the Whisperer kept whispering and finally I said, “Yes.” So after twelve years I left the Air Force and walked from one office…and right into another. Then it hit me like a ton of bricks.

I had been in school for twelve years. I suddenly realized that God had been grooming me for the pastorate all along. Can you imagine if I had done my thing and become a mechanic and then walked into the pastorate where working on jet engines didn’t help you write sermons? Because of God’s sovereignty and wisdom, I left one office where I typed, wrote, researched, supervised, filed and zillion other things and walked right into another where almost all those skills were needed. Can someone say, “Amazing?”

So here I am looking back on 42 years as a pastor and still amazed at my amazing Father. It all happened because the Whisperer whispered and for once I had the common sense to figure out He was a lot smarter than I was. Proverbs 3:5-6 has been a powerful force in my life, all my life. It says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and don’t lean into your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.” I know from personal experience that is true.

I haven’t always gotten it right. I haven’t always listened to the Whisperer, trusted Him totally or not leaned into my own understanding. But when I did, I have always had better outcomes and fewer regrets. And do you know what? Even in this crazy new world, even in today’s circumstances, He’s still got a plan. This isn’t a world gone mad or to use my favorite word, “crazy.” This is a world under the watchful eye and caring heart of our God. And He is crazy about us. So, go ahead and surrender to Him—rest in Him. He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

Family, fear, friends, Grace, gratitude, life, Military memories, prayer, priorities, Scripture, Southern born, sovereignty of God, thankful, travel, Trials, wisdom

The Phone Call

Posted on March 30, 2023March 29, 2023 by Dewayne Taylor

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and don’t lean into your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6

It was a phone call that was to change my life. It was from my brother-in-law’s brother. We were fringe friends, and he had an idea. We were both seniors in high school and both really didn’t have plans for after graduation. So, he says, “Hey Dewayne. Why don’t we join the Air Force together? They have the buddy plan. We can attend basic training together and go to our first duty station together. We can be buds.” Well, I didn’t have any better ideas and I liked the idea of serving my country and I was always kinda adventurous so, “Why not?” I went down and signed up singing, “Off we go into the wild blue yonder.” We were set. Or not.

After I went down to sign up, I called my brother-in-law’s brother and said, “Have you signed up yet?” Silence. He then told me that he had changed his mind. We were no longer buds. Well, regardless, I was going into the Air Force. That much was decided. What wasn’t decided was what to do in the Air Force. They have this test they give you to decide what best suits your talents and abilities. I took the test. When the recruiter gave me the results he was smiling.

“Well, Dewayne, looks like you are strong in the administrative field.” “What?” I said. “Administration.” he said.

Now for the best part of the story. Later I met my wife Judy and we decided to make the Air Force a career. Secretary or not, she thought I was rather dashing even if I did type instead of fly a plane. The days and years went by and then I heard a whisper—the God kind. It said something about pastoring and preaching. I told the Whisperer that I was gonna stay in the Air Force and we could talk later. Another year passed and the Whisperer kept whispering and finally I said, “Yes.” So, after twelve years I left the Air Force and walked from one office…and right into another. Then it hit me like a ton of bricks.

So here I am 40 years into my calling as a pastor sitting at a computer and writing. It all happened because the Whisperer whispered and for once I had the common sense to figure out He was a lot smarter than I was. Proverbs 3:5-6 has been a powerful force in my life, all my life. It says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and don’t lean into your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.” I know from personal experience that is true.

Family, Grace, gratitude, life, Military memories, Scripture, thankful

This Day

Posted on June 12, 2020 by Dewayne Taylor

“This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24

June 12th is a special day in my life. I graduated from high school on June 8, 1972. I am amazed that 48 years have passed beneath the bridge of my life. Time seems to travel so quickly. As a child it was a gentle stream and now as a mature (that is in years and not necessarily actions) adult it seems a raging torrent. So 48 years ago I was member of the largest graduating in the state of Florida for that year…714 seniors from one high School. Trust me…it was easy to be a small fish in that big pond. By Monday all that was in the rearview mirror.

On Monday, June 12, 1972, I raised my right hand and swore to protect and defend the constitution of the United States and to obey the orders of those appointed in rank above me. I was eighteen, naive, had never been away from home and wondering what in the world I had gotten myself into. If I remember that day correctly we took the oath, had last minute medical exams, and filled out a mountain of paperwork. They took us to Morrison’s Cafeteria for a last meal of sorts and then on to the airport for the flight to Lackland Air Force Base. Intentionally we arrived at about 2:00 am…something they still do today. We were given a couple of hours of sleep before beginning the great journey of becoming airmen.

The privilege of serving my country for the next twelve years marks that day as one of the great days of my life. The training I received there impacted the rest of my life. The skills I received in my advance training and then in my career prepared me for something far greater then I could imagine. Little did I know on June 12, 1972, what God had planned for me. Saddle up your horses boys…this is the great adventure.

After twelve years in the Air Force it became apparent that the winds of change were blowing in my life. I so loved the Air Force—it was my niche, my calling. Starting in 1980 there were these whispers from Abba Father, my dearest daddy, that He wanted to do something more. It was a whisper from Him to jump into the unknown. It was a whisper to trust Him at a level that I had never before experienced. He was calling and it was undeniable.

The details are still vivid in my mind but time doesn’t allow the whole story to be told. On February 14, 1982, I went forward in a morning worship service and told God I would do whatever He wanted. Four short months later I found myself still in the service but in His service pastoring a small church close to our home. Those days were crazy days. Over the course of a few months the deal was sealed. He whispered that He wanted me to give myself completely to Him. He no longer wanted share me with the Air Force. With that, Judy and I, along with our two very young daughters, prepared to jump big.

That leads to our second June 12th. On that date in 1983, on a hot Sunday afternoon, I sat before a large ordaining council and a larger crowd. That day, June 12, 1983, I was ordained, set apart, to serve Him. My fondest memory of that day came after the council had asked all their questions. They had been graceful to me and I was grateful. The chairman of the council told the moderator that he had no more questions. The moderator then asked if anyone else had an questions. I only thought I was done.

An elderly pastor, slowly stood to his feet and said, “Young man, the Bible says that the husband is the head of the home. It also says that a pastor is to rule his house well. Are you going to rule your house well?” And he sat down. If there was ever a time that I needed for God gave me the right words to say it was probably then. With all the intentional fortitude I could muster I said, “Yes sir…if Judy will let me.” The room erupted and I got ordained.

And here I sit thirty-eight years later so grateful for a God who believed in me and hundreds of people who were patient and loved me. I have seen wheelbarrows full of grace from the God of the universe and His people. If you ever wonder why I am grace heavy in my teaching it is because I have needed it so much and I have experienced it so much. I am blessed. Game. Set. Match. The Bible says that this day, this very one, is a day that the Lord has made. We get to choose how we are going to live it and how we will remember it. Well I am so grateful for two days in June, both the 12th. They are markers for this incredible journey called life. How about you? Do you have some special days that God moved, that God spoke, that God just showed off? Let me encourage you to celebrate them…and Him. He is such a good Abba Father to do less is unimaginable. So go ahead, relive the times, relive the days when He showed up, when you rested in Him, when you just knew “He’s got this.” Then you can be the whisperer and softly say, “Thank you, Father.”