Tag: hungry

Posted in Family, gratitude, love, loving others, Mother's Day, Scripture, thankful

Remembering Momma

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also praises her: Many women have done noble deeds, but you surpass them all!” Proverbs 31:28-29

Each year I observe Mother’s Day with Grits by publishing this story.  Why? Well, it pretty much says it all.  Mother’s Day is a day to celebrate our mothers, our wives and other ladies who have poured their life into our lives. But the problem is time can make that harder.  Let me explain. You see, time can be a bane and a blessing. It is difficult to live with but we sure can’t live without it and as we get older, it can begin to fuzz the brain and our memories. Things that at one time were vivid and clear become a midst and sometimes disappear into the fog.

That seems to be true of so many of my childhood memories—my Momma memories. Things that I am sure were so valuable, so definitive at the time, are now simply not there. I am sure that is the case with my memories of my parents as a child. When that happens, I simply fill in the gaps with hints and clues from the things I do remember. As the pieces come together, it quickly becomes obvious that my Momma was one of my anchors and a huge blessing in my life.

As I scan the landscape of my childhood, as I piece the pieces together, I realize that I had a really good childhood, and it was largely because of my parents and in particular, my mother. One of my daughters wrote to my wife Judy, “Daddy may be the head of the house but you are the one who makes it a home.” Amen. Well, anyway, as the baby of eight, by the time they got to me, two things were obvious: they had it down to a science, and I was pretty spoiled. 

Because of our finances, we didn’t get everything we wanted (not by a long shot), but Christmas, birthdays, and usually even ordinary days were special. Momma was often the one who made that happen. She was a stay-at-home, hold the fort down, mom and was always there when I needed her. Perhaps you have heard of a Swiss Army knife.  It is one crazy invention where a simple pocketknife becomes an all-purpose, whatever you need tool. And that describes Momma. Whatever the occasion she was there for us…for me. Well, truth be known, while she didn’t wear a habit like Mother Teresa or a nurse’s uniform like Florence Nightingale or banish a sword like Joan of Arc, she was that and more in my eyes. 

I wonder how many times was I sick, and she became Doctor Momma?  On so many occasions I can remember her pulling me into her lap and holding me. On one particular occasion when I was over five and under ten, I was very sick— fever, nausea, and a young body that felt like it had been beaten.  I know now it was probably the flu and probably contagious and yet there she was in our old rocking chair, at two in the morning, cradling me and holding me.  That was Momma.

Sometimes Momma put on her Leonardo da Vinci hat and showed a designer flare. I can remember as a teenager I had a rather new pair of jeans—ordinary to some—valuable to me. I was horseback riding one day, and the horse cut a corner too sharply and ran me into a pole, ripping my jeans right above the knee. Bummer. My Momma simply cut the legs off the jeans where they were torn, put in some bright red cloth, and sewed them back together. There you go…good as new, and since it was the 70’s, it made a statement. I had a one-of-a-kind pair of jeans.

Two or three times a day Momma always put on her chef’s hat. A couple of years ago I made a thoughtless and inaccurate comment about Momma’s cooking not being “the best in the world.” Can someone say, “Dumb?”  Can someone say, “Really?” No, Momma was a great cook and my waistline still proves it.  She had the amazing ability to take the ordinary and make it extraordinary. To me, her chicken and dumplings and blackberry dumplings were both legendary.  Oh, and did I mention her fried corn beef hash?  No, Chef Momma was amazing…and we loved her for it.

Yup, my Momma was amazing and the longer I live the more I realize just how blessed I was to have her.  It has been said that men often marry women like their mothers.  Well, that at least helps to explain the amazing wife that God has given me.  In so many ways she too is that wife, that mother, that grandmother that so many wish they had.  I don’t have to wish…Judy is my wish come true. Someone once said that a person who has one good friend in their life is blessed.  Well, without going any further than my home I know I have had two—Momma and my precious wife Judy.  Thank You, Lord…a bunch.

Remember, there is no such thing as a perfect Momma but a lot of us have been blessed with great ones. On this Mother’s Day, if Momma is still around, be sure and let her know how much you appreciate her.  And if she isn’t…well, be sure and thank the Lord.  And one more thought…be sure and thank your wife, for all she has done. Guys, trust me, we would be lost without them.  Oh, and do remember this, there is a God who loves you more than your Momma ever could or did.  It’s good to know that no matter what…He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, food, friends, Grace, gratitude, life, loving others, pride, Scripture, Trials

Darkness and Flying Hotdogs

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

“I am the light of the world. If you follow Me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” John 8:12

It was dark…but I knew the way.  It was one of those days that I either skipped lunch or had something light. Regardless, it was about 2:30 in the afternoon and I was hungry. One of the advantages of working at a church is there is usually a kitchen close by. So, I mentioned to the staff that I was heading down to the kitchen to try and find something to eat.  They told me there were some leftover hotdogs and baked beans in the refrigerator. Well, that sounded pretty good to me so off I went.

When I arrived, I opened the refrigerator door and looked. No dogs, no beans. Like the game show, “Let’s Make a Deal,” I decided to try door number two.  No dogs, no beans. My last chance was door number three and unfortunately…no dogs, no beans.  My stomach growled so I decided to try the freezer. I pulled open the door and while there weren’t any beans, there was one lonely, very frozen hotdog. In desperation I grabbed it and tossed it in the microwave for a fast defrost.  Sixty seconds later I had a mostly defrosted hotdog which I then smothered with mustard.  I even found a small bag of chips to round out the feast.

With food in hand, I headed through our dark fellowship hall heading to the door that led outside and then to my office.  The fellowship hall was dark because the lights were off, and I didn’t turn them on because there wasn’t a switch at that door. All of this wasn’t a problem because I had made this journey many times. There were several tables along the wall and like a blind man I ran my hand along the edge of the tables and when they ended, I knew it was a straight shot to the door.  It was a good plan…till it wasn’t.

Walking full speed and without reservation, I ran my hand down the table and sure enough it ended, and I just kept walking straight toward the door. I should have noticed that for some reason I couldn’t see the outline of the exit door. Too bad I didn’t because just about that time I crashed into something. My semi-defrosted hotdog smothered in mustard and chips went flying everywhere and I was left wondering what in the world just happened. Still in the darkness, I turned around and went to the light switch and flipped it on and there was the culprit. Someone had left the closet door that opened out instead of in standing open and I had ran straight into it.

Well, let’s be honest, with a mustard smothered hotdog and chips all over the floor I was one unhappy camper. Who in the world would leave the stinking door standing open? Don’t people know that you can’t see open doors in dark rooms? Well, I snorted and muttered for a couple of minutes, cleaned up the mess and headed to my office.

Floor or not I salvaged the hotdog and as I munched the dog a thought occurred to me. I had asked the wrong question.  It wasn’t who would leave a door open in a dark room, rather it was who in the world would walk through a dark room?  The problem wasn’t the open door but the guy who thought he could safely navigate the darkness.  Hmmm.

Well, I do believe I learned a lesson that day. Lights have a switch for a reason—turn on the lights!  And then I had the thought that what is true about carrying mustard smothered hotdogs is also true in life.  It is simply not smart to try and navigate a dark world without the Light of the world.  Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow Me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” Well, there you go. Walk with Jesus and you will walk in the light. The big truth is this…if you find yourself in a dark room carrying a mustard smothered hotdog, just remember to flip the switch. And, if you find yourself in a dark corner of the world with a heart smothered with burdens, just ask Jesus and He will be your light. Don’t worry…He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne