hospital – Grits with Grace

food, gratitude, life, prayer, Scripture, thankful

Diver”whateveritis”

Posted on May 16, 2025May 8, 2025 by Dewayne Taylor

“And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Ephesians 5:20

Diver what? It was a long time ago but for some reason it is still fresh in my mind. Journey back with me to 2002…twenty plus years ago. One day I started feeling pretty bad. I ended up going to the doctor and first he did the normal doctor stuff and then he began to poke and prod and that is when the fun began. He pressed down on my side, and I just about came off the table.

He said, “Preacher, I think you have diverticulitis.” I didn’t have a clue what diver”whateveritis” was but I knew I didn’t feel good. It turns out that diverticulitis is an infection of the colon, and it can be potentially dangerous. Anyway, he sent me over to the hospital for some more tests, some pain meds and a really strong dose of antibiotics.

For the first few days I was pretty out of it but finally I turned a corner and began to feel a little better. Because of how diverticulitis works, I couldn’t have anything to eat—and very little to drink–for several days. Now those of you who regularly read Grits know that food and I are best friends so for me to go several hours…much less days…without eating is something strange indeed. Finally, one morning, the nurse came in and asked if I would like some WATER. Oh, was I grateful. “Yes, yes,” said the thirsty preacher.

At lunch they brought me a Popsicle and some chicken broth. Oh, was I grateful. “Thank you so very much,” said the hungry preacher. At supper they brought me some more chicken broth and another Popsicle. “Thanks,” said the now feeling better and still hungry preacher. At breakfast they brought me more broth and another Popsicle. “Looks just like supper to me,” said the very hungry and less grateful preacher. Well on and on it went for a few more meal times until finally they brought me REAL FOOD. Broiled chicken, mashed potatoes, and green beans have never tasted so good.

The moral of the story is obvious and simple. You see, the better I felt and the more I drank the broth and ate the popsicles, the more dissatisfied and ungrateful I became. It was surprising how quickly I forgot the days when I had nothing. And that is when I learned an important lesson. You see, when you become dissatisfied with what you’ve got just remember a day when you had less. It’s sure to mash your “I’m grateful” button.

One of things that God is working on in my life is this grateful thing. It seems He keeps bringing to my attention all that I have that I should be thankful for. I’m realizing it is a very long list. Through the years God has sent special blessings and special people to me over and over again. The special blessings were love notes sent by my Dearest Daddy in heaven. The special people were encouragers to walk with me along the journey. Together they remind me, they prod me to be thankful.

As you journey, as I journey, and we find ourselves tending to be a little on the ungrateful side…when we are no longer satisfied with chicken broth and Popsicles…maybe we can and should remember when we had less. Paul, who spent more time in jail for doing Jesus stuff than anyone else, wrote, “And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” He would later write how he learned to be content no matter what and most of that he wrote while sitting in a Roman prison. How about that?

So, let’s be honest. Chicken broth and Popsicles still don’t make my top five list—or top fifty for that matter. But I can remember the time when I thought they were better than fried chicken and a banana split. It is all about perspective. This being grateful thing is something most of us will wrestle with as long as we are here on this earth. We probably should just hang a sign out that says, “Construction Zone Ahead.” Just remember, be grateful because something is always better than nothing. And if you listen carefully, you will hear the Whisperer whispering, “Popsicles anyone?” And he will smile and whisper, don’t worry…“I’ve got this.” Bro. Dewayne

Family, fear, friends, gratitude, life, prayer, priorities, Scripture, sovereignty of God, thankful, Trials

Bedtime for Bonzo

Posted on April 19, 2023April 18, 2023 by Dewayne Taylor

But make sure that you don’t get so absorbed and exhausted in taking care of all your day-by-day obligations that you lose track of the time and doze off, oblivious to God.” Romans13:11

It was bedtime for Bonzo. I told someone the other day that I don’t mind dying…I just don’t want to die stupid. Let me explain. We are all going to leave this earth at one time or another. The checkout rate is 100%. And, truthfully, I’m ok with that and the reason why is my friend Jesus. I bought into what He was selling a long time ago. I read what the Bible said about Him and what He said, it made total sense, and I just believed. Like someone said, “When a guy predicts His own death and resurrection…well, you just go with it.” I went with it. But what about the stupid part?

The stupid part is when we live totally recklessly or totally fail to care for our health and we end up either very sick or very dead. Now I’m not trying to be insensitive but that is simply the truth. My Daddy and Momma both died at 62…way too early even for the 1970’s. They were both heavy smokers and that just took its toll. Daddy died of heart trouble and four years later Momma died of cancer. So, as you can imagine, I’m trying to take better care of my health so if God is ok with it, I can stick around a little longer.

Well, one of the things that they recommend you do is check for colon cancer and the way you do that is to have a medical procedure called a colonoscopy. That requires a morning check-in at the hospital and meeting lots of new friends. When I got there, and I must admit I liked this, I was the star of the show. Nurses came and showered me with attention preparing me for the procedure. Some of the attention involved needles but I was even ok with that. Before they took me back, I met a friend named Tom. Tom is the guy you really want to get to know. His job is to make sure you don’t remember a thing about the test, and he was great.

I told Tom we had a couple of things in common. He has been doing his thing at the hospital for 42 years and I have been doing the preacher thing for 41 years. We also were just about the same age. Oh, and I told him, his job is to put people to sleep and sometimes it seems that was my job too. Smile. Anyway, Tom made sure I didn’t remember a thing about the procedure, and I was very grateful. It went something like this.

They rolled me into the room. Then Tom, my new best friend, put some medicine in my arm via the IV and said, “how do you feel?” I think I remember telling him I felt a little burning sensation. That’s it…game over. The next thing I remember is I am hearing voices and I wanted to tell them not to start yet because I was still awake. Uh, what I didn’t know, of course, was that the test was over, and I was in the recovery room. Amazing. Not only did I not know when I went to sleep, or when the test started and finished, I didn’t even know they had moved me to a different room. How about that? And that, by the way, is exactly what they wanted…and I wanted.

The bottom line is all the unpleasantries of the test took place while I was sleeping and for a medical deal…that is a good deal. But what about life? I mean, I wonder how many times do we snooze and lose? You know, relationships…snooze. Family relationships…snooze. Big Adventures…snooze. Good sermons…snooze (I had to throw that one in). Great opportunities…snooze. Too often while we are snoring, the Devil is working, and we wake up to find ourselves where we had no intention of being. Sleeping plays a big and important role in our lives…but not always. Snooze at the wrong time or in the wrong place and it is, “bedtime for Bonzo.”

The Bible, in the Message paraphrase says, “But make sure that you don’t get so absorbed and exhausted in taking care of all your day-by-day obligations that you lose track of the time and doze off, oblivious to God.” Wow…that is some great advice. And it applies to every area of every life. So, be careful to know when to sleep and when to be wide awake. Be sure to set your alarm, you know, the one that says, “I’ve got this, I’ve got this” because…He does. Bro. Dewayne

Family, fear, friends, gratitude, life, loving others, prayer, Scripture, sovereignty of God, thankful, Trials

Right Results. Wrong Guy.

Posted on February 17, 2023February 16, 2023 by Dewayne Taylor

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

I was driving and the phone rang. A few weeks ago, I signed up for an intense program provided by my insurance company to help manage my sugar problem. I am in the very early stages of the program and one of the first things they did was provide an appointment to get a complete workup on my blood. When the results came back, they were generally pretty good. My own efforts to get my sugar numbers down had worked very well but it came at a price. As I began to eat virtually no sugar and far less carbohydrates, I began to eat more protein…mainly meat and cheese. Well, as the sugar numbers came down, my cholesterol numbers went up…not in the “oh, no” range but in the “You need to watch this” range.

Well, I was driving back from a funeral and the phone in my car rang. You need to know my phone comes through my radio, so this was a hands-free call. Though I didn’t know the number, I decided to answer it anyway. It turned out to be one of the doctors from my new program. She said she needed to discuss some of the results on my labs. I thought she was going to praise me for the relatively good numbers but instead she began a series of questions that clearly indicated she was very concerned. Did I feel ok? Did I have a headache? Was I experiencing any chest pains? Shortness of breath? Did I feel excessively tired or confused? I told her I was feeling very well and asked what was going on.

She explained they had received a second set of numbers from the lab and in a word, they were horrible—in fact, they were life threatening. She told me she wanted to schedule another blood draw immediately and suggested I might need to go to the emergency room. She promised to get back with me very quickly to see what the next step should be. Well, when I got back to the office, I rechecked my results and sure enough they were good. Something didn’t make sense. Well, soon the phone rang again and it was a nurse checking back. Apparently, almost assuredly, the lab had sent another set of results to them in my name—and they were most certainly bad. To be sure, though, they scheduled me for another test and while the results are pending I’m sure I’m good. But someone is not.

Out there somewhere is a person who most certainly does not feel well and who probably is going to get some really upsetting news. They are sick…very sick. While I am very glad that person is not me, I couldn’t help but think about that poor soul who was about to get some yucky news. If it wasn’t so serious it would be funny. Trust me, if I knew who and where, I would be calling or knocking and letting them know they need to get the doctor…fast. I would let them know they were in danger of dying. I wouldn’t let anything stop me. They need to know the truth.

I know that would be the right thing to do. I would do it and most likely you would too. But what about this? Every day we bump into people who are in a greater danger than my unknown friend. Every day we pass people who have no assurance of what is on the other side of their last heartbeat. Every day we see and talk to people who are facing life and eternity without the hope of Jesus and the love of God in their lives. They either haven’t heard or haven’t acted on the greatest news ever—that “God so loved the world that He gave His only Begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

You see, just because my unknown friend doesn’t know, that does not exclude him from the consequences he is about to face. Bad numbers are still bad numbers whether he or she knows them or not. But they deserve the opportunity to act and that is where you and I come in. Oh, I could assume they wouldn’t want to know. I could assume they might be offended but wouldn’t they deserve the chance to know, to act, to decide? Sure, they would.

If you are a Jesus follower, if your “numbers” are good today because of grace, if you can call God “Dearest Daddy,” why not share that news when an opportunity comes knocking? We often let the fear of rejection override our willingness to share hopeful and helpful news. Let’s let that stop today. Let’s let someone know of a God who loves them. Skip the spiel on religion and get to the heart of the matter…God loves them and no matter what they have done He will forgive them. They need to know that He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

birthday, Family, friends, gratitude, life, loving others, Scripture, sovereignty of God, thankful, Trials

Our Longest Day

Posted on January 24, 2023January 23, 2023 by Dewayne Taylor

Let us not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up.” Galatians 6:9

It was a long day. I can’t tell you how many times I have said it. My wife, Judy, often greets me at the end of the workday as I come home. She will say, “How was your day today?” And sometimes I will respond, “It was one long day.” Then there are other times, often on a Friday or Saturday, when the day seems to stretch on forever. I get so much done around the house and yard and at the end, I tell Judy, “What a great long day today.” Often the circumstances of the day seem to dictate how the day will be remembered and perceived.

Perhaps you are familiar with the date, June 6th. No? What if I were to add the year 1944 to the equation? Well, if you have studied your history, you probably made the connection with World War II and you might have even remembered that was the day of the Allied invasion of Normandy, France—the beginning of the end of that great conflict. It was a massive undertaking, and the outcome was never a sure thing. But at the end of the day, and with great cost, the Allies gained a foothold on the European continent. Someone there that day called it, “the longest day.” And it was.

All of us have “longest days” and yes, I know that the last several years may have seemed like a secession of them. Sometimes those “longest days” cause us to mourn, but sometimes they are a reason to celebrate. For my wife and me, January 24th was one of those. You see, on that day, forty-two years ago this year, our first daughter was born, and it was a long and exciting day.

Late Thursday evening Judy started having some consistent labor pains and when they didn’t stop, we knew it was time to head to the hospital. When we arrived, they decided to keep her, and the journey began in earnest. Judy had decided to have Rebecca without much intervention from medicine, so it was a challenging process. By the way, if it had been me, I would have had every drug available to modern man. We all know if populating the world was left in the hands of men—it would be a very, small world.

At any rate, the hours began to pass. As the clock ticked the seconds, minutes, and hours by, it soon became apparent that this was not going to be a sprint but rather a marathon. All day Friday, I (her faithful husband) stayed by her side, encouraging her each step of the way. Well, okay, maybe there were a couple of exceptions. A friend of mine brought me a huge burger and fries which I dutifully ate while Judy watched—no, make that glared. What was I thinking? Oh, that’s right…I wasn’t.

The hours continued to tick by and soon it was evening and while things were progressing, Rebecca was determined to delay her grand arrival. Finally, at about midnight, Dr. Dickerson, came in to check on Judy and announced it was about time. I had the television on and one of those ultra-low budget Japanese monster movies was on. Before long, the doctor and I were enthralled with the movie. So, while Judy was groaning in labor, the doctor and I watched as Godzilla ate up the known world.

Finally, the movie was over, and Dr. Dickerson announced it was time to head to the delivery room. Coincidence? I was allowed to go in and not much later, Rebecca made her grand appearance. The baby was crying, Judy was more than relieved and crying, and I was more than excited and crying. As it turned out, Judy had endured 23 hours of labor before Rebecca was born. Oh, and when she arrived, she weighed 8 lbs. 15.5 ounces. What a prize!

For years and every once-in-a-while—even today we still talk of our longest day. Well, actually it was Judy’s longest day. For me it was burgers, fries, and a cheesy monster movie. But for both of us it was a day we will never forget—the day God blessed us with our first daughter. And before it was all said and done—He would bless us two more times with two more daughters and later with eight grandchildren. That is incredible. And what’s more incredible? The next day, the pastor asked me to speak on the radio and give my testimony for Baptist Men’s Day. I’m sure that longest day was part of what I said that day and God used that to launch me—us— into the ministry of pastoring.

So, when you have your longest day, keep in mind a couple of thoughts. First, every day is created by the Creator God. His Word says tells us that this day, every day, is a gift that He created just for us. How about that? And if we will allow God to direct our steps in that day, we will not only endure—we can thrive. I know it seems sometimes that the finish line—the prize, is always just out of reach—but it will come if we keep on.

Paul was one of the writers in the New Testament and he knew a whole lot about long days. He may not have known about the labor pains that produce babies, but he did know a lot about the kind of “labor pains” life can sometimes send our way. He said, “Let us not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up.” The bottom-line is don’t give up—don’t quit. And by the way, even if you are not a Jesus follower, that is still good advice. The farmer gets the harvest if he keeps working the field. The good news is that God is just waiting to help you through every day, including your longest day. He is right there and mark it down, “He’s got this.” Bro. Dewayne

Family, food, friends, gratitude, life, prayer, thankful, Trials

Diver “Whatever-it-is-itis”

Posted on May 16, 2022May 15, 2022 by Dewayne Taylor

And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Ephesians 5:20

Diver what? It was a long time ago but for some reason it is still fresh in my mind. Journey back with me to 2002…twenty years ago. One day I started feeling pretty bad. I ended up going to the doctor and first he did the normal doctor stuff and then he began to poke and to prod and that is when the fun began. He pressed down on my side, and I just about came off the table.

Well, he said, “Preacher, I think you have diverticulitis.” I didn’t have a clue what diver ”whatever-it-is-itis” was but I knew I didn’t feel good. It turns out that diverticulitis is an infection of the colon, and it can be potentially dangerous. Anyway, he sent me over to the hospital for some more tests, some pain meds and a really strong dose of antibiotics.