Tag: Jesus

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Proximity Promise

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “For I am the Lord your God, who holds your right hand, who says to you, “Do not fear, I will help you.” Isaiah 41:13

I just needed to know.  This may cost me my man-card, but it is the truth. When I was a kid—I was afraid—a lot. I was afraid of what might happen, I was afraid of what did happen—or at least the consequences. I was afraid sometimes in broad daylight and many times in the dark—especially in the dark. It was not uncommon for me to lie in bed on a hot Florida night (with no air conditioning), covered up to my nose, listening and waiting for the monsters of the night to come and devour me. Every sound outside my window, every creak on the floor was certainly a sign that they—whoever they were—were coming to get me.

I probably knew in my young mind that monsters weren’t real. I probably even knew that there were no chainsaw murderers lurking in my neighborhood. I knew that we had probably remembered to lock our doors and that would probably keep us safe.  Probably. And I guess it was all the probable’s that caused the problem.

Because of all that, and a whole bunch more, sometimes, many times, I would sneak into my parents’ bedroom and quietly lay down on the floor where I would fall asleep. You see, just knowing that Daddy was close by made everything better. I somehow managed to believe that no matter how big the monster, the threat, my Daddy could and would keep me safe. There was never any doubt that he would do his best to protect us—me. Why? Well, in my limited world, that was just what daddies did. Even if I was bad—he was still there for me.

That all seemed so logical because I believed it. Now for the question that really matters. If I believed that, why do I wrestle with trusting my Dearest Daddy with my present—and future? Why is it that somehow I struggle to believe that if I fail Him—He will fail me? Why do I believe that my performance determines His proximity?  Now there is the root of the problem. Too often we believe that God only sticks around because we get it right and should we not get it right—He is gone.

Well, the truth is that is a lie. You see, God loves us with absolute perfection. He is constant and steady in His affection for us. There is nothing we can do to make God love us more or less, and furthermore there is nothing that we can do to cause Him to abandon us. Once again—His proximity to us is not determined by our performance.  It is based solely on His character as a loving Father.

While we probably won’t be totally free from fear this side of heaven, we can find peace in knowing that our Dearest Daddy is close by—very close by—and nothing is going to change that. So, when the unknown rattles your world, when darkness closes in around you, lay down and take a nap knowing that your Father is close by. No matter what the threat—no matter what the fear—He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne 

Posted in Scripture, life, travel, heaven

Planes, Trains, A Ship and Automobiles

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through Me.” John 14:6

“How did you get there?” So in 1987 there was a movie entitled, “Planes, Trains and Automobiles” and from what I know, which is very little, it is a comedy about a couple guys on a happenstance road trip to somewhere. And, I suppose, it involved them traveling on planes, trains and automobiles. One thing my wife Judy and I have learned is if you are going somewhere you need a way to get there. In the case of our last journey, we started out by driving to Carbondale to catch a train. We rode the train to the Chicago train station and then caught another train to the Chicago airport. From there we caught an airplane heading to Seattle, Washington.

After arriving in Seattle, we boarded a cruise ship to Alaska. Wait…don’t leave…we are going somewhere…no pun intended. After seven days we returned to Seattle and rented a car and drove all around Washington State, Oregon and Northern California. Nine days later we headed back to Seattle, caught another airplane back to Chicago where we caught another train back to Carbondale where our son-in-law picked us up and dropped us off at home. Whew. What a journey…planes, trains, a ship and automobiles.

Now let’s get where we were going. You see, there are lots of ways (as in modes of transportation) and ways (as in flight paths, train paths and roadways) to get to all those places. The options are many and varied. And in life I suppose that is true too. Each day is filled with decisions that will take us down the various paths of life. But remember this…choose carefully because some our better than others. In fact, some can lead to disasters and some can cause us to get lost. Choose carefully.

But here’s the real point.  When it comes to heaven–there is only one way and one path. It has been said that all roads lead to Rome but trust me–all roads do not lead to heaven. It has also been said that it doesn’t matter what you believe as long as you believe in something. Wrong again. It is not enough to just believe–you have to believe in the right thing–or in this case the right Person. You see, the Bible makes it crystal clear that the way to Heaven is through believing in Jesus Christ. More specifically it is believing in who He is–the Son of God and what He did–dying for our sins and resurrecting (or coming back to life) after three days. If we are willing to put our faith in Him then God is willing to forgive our sins and allow us to spend eternity in heaven with Him.

Yup–there are lots of ways to lots of places but when it comes to heaven–only One will work. If you want to know more, why not get a Bible and read what God says about you and Jesus and how you can go to heaven when it comes time to leave here. I know one of the things that Judy and I enjoy about our trips is the variety of travel. I also know that the most important thing in making plans for Heaven is getting it right–doing what God says and going the way He says. Just ask Him and He will tell you all about it in His Word. He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne

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Misunderstandings

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.” Colossians 4:6

It was just a little misunderstanding.  The story is told of a pastor who visited a man in the hospital.  As he stood by the bed, the man began to be in deep distress.  Unable to speak he quickly wrote the pastor a note, handed it to him and then just died.  In all the confusion of the moment, the pastor slid the note into his pocket and forgot about it. Several days later the pastor was conducting the memorial service for the man.  The pastor was describing the man…his life, his good heart, and his service for others.  Then it happened.

The pastor suddenly remembered that he had the note in his suit pocket.  He told the audience, “I have just remembered the day Joe died I was visiting him in the hospital, and he slipped me a note right before he passed away. I failed to read it and have just now remembered it is in my pocket. How special it would be if we could share his final thoughts together now.  So, the pastor reached into his pocket, pulled out the note and read, “You’re standing on my oxygen hose.” Smile.

As a pastor you can bet, I’ve got some crazy stories and a lot of them revolve around little misunderstandings and lack of communication.  Recently I told the story of how I was visiting one of our members in the hospital and she was quite ill.  When I make a visit, I naturally slip into my “let me make you feel better mode.”  For me there are two great fix-all’s—humor and food. But sometimes, many times, a person just needs compassion and kindness.  This was one of those times.

I walked into the room, and she was lying in the bed softly moaning.  I moved over by the bed and whispered her name.  She opened her eyes, slightly smiled, and said, “Pastor, thank you for coming by.” We shared for just a few minutes, and it was obvious she was very sick.  And then she said, “I just want to go home.”  I softy said, “I know.” And she said it again and then another time. Each time I responded with some simple words of understanding.  After the third time I upped my game.  I said, “I know you want to go home and when God is ready, He will take you.”

Well, imagine my surprise, and embarrassment, when she said, “NOT that home, pastor, my home.”  Oh…oops. I was ready to ship her off to heaven and she was just wanting to go back to her house.  Like I said, sometimes there is just a lack of understanding and communication. When that happens, we need to admit that we missed it and if necessary, ask for a little grace or perhaps give a little grace.  I quickly apologized for the misunderstanding, she did get better and indeed went to her home. We even had the chance to laugh about it later.

In the world we find ourselves these days there are multiple opportunities for misunderstandings.  When we find ourselves in too close of quarters for too long, when we have differing opinions about everything misunderstandings are bound to happen.  In the regular world the normal response would be to get mad and often get even.  In the regular world the normal response would be more anger and more division.  But for Jesus followers that is just not an option.

The Bible tells us over and again that if we follow Jesus we are to act like Jesus.  We often get that when it comes to moral responses—and rightfully so.  But we too often miss the biggest application—how we respond when we bump into other people…or they bump into us.  Paul, one of the major writers in the Bible says, “Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.”  I like that.  Gracious and attractive.  Momma used to say this, “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything.  I wonder if Momma knew Paul?

Well, the bottom line is there will always be plenty of opportunities to bump into people.  There will always be plenty of opportunities to respond in a “not so Jesus’ way.”  But what if we hit the pause button right before we speak and ask ourselves, “Is this gracious or attractive?  Is this nice?” I wonder how things would change.  In these dark days the world needs “Jesus lights.” It needs us to shine for Him even when we get a little tired and a little weary.  We need to recognize that is just a setup for regretful words.  Let’s choose option “B.”  Let’s just rest in Him and choose to think before we speak.  After all, He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne 

Posted in fear, Grace, gratitude, life, Scripture, thankful

Rescue–I Just Ran Out

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the LORD holds them by the hand.” Psalm 37:24 

I just ran out. You know words can mean more than one thing. Those four words are a prime example. First, if someone says, “I just ran out” they might be talking about sugar. Maybe they were going to make a cake and realized that the day before they had used all their sugar. They would call a friend and say, “Can I borrow some sugar? I was going to make a cake and realized I just ran out.” Then of course there is a guy who found a snake in his bedroom. As he relayed the story to one of his friends, his friend might say, “So what did you do?” The guy might respond, “Well, I just ran out.”

Well, the other day I came face to face with a new meaning for those words. I was visiting my sister in Anniston, Alabama and was doing my morning walk thing. The fact that I was walking was nothing short of the goodness of God. After a long stint of hip and back pain, I was finally back (no pun intended) in business and trust me I was telling God just how grateful I was. So, anyway, is I was booking it pretty good–walking and talking with God.  And then–it happened.

There was a place in the road where the pavement looked like pavement does when someone didn’t do their job. As I walked, all of a sudden, the toe of my shoe hung up on something and I found myself fighting to stay upright. Rather than just fall flat on my face, I was able to start running. It may not have been pretty, in fact, I’m sure it wasn’t but somehow I was about to run enough to regain my balance and keep going. It was an amazing feat for my feet if I do say so myself.

So what do you think I did? Whine and complain? Nope. Grumble and groan? Nope. Pout and shout? Nope. As soon as I got my balance back, my hands shot into the air and I began praising the Lord. I knew this was yet another big intervention by my Dearest Daddy. With nothing on but shorts and a teeshirt, the road rash would have been of biblical proportions and on top of that there was the real possibility of some broken bones. But God was more than faithful. He sustained me, He held me, and He saved me. Plain and simple–He helped me run it out.

I was and am so grateful. I never get tired of telling and writing about the goodness of God. This particular time reminded me of Psalm 37:24. Speaking of the Godly, the author writes,     “Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the LORD holds them by the hand.” I can’t number the times that my great Rescuer came to rescue for me. And do you know what? If you think about–neither can you. 

This story could have had a harder and more difficult ending but God in His grace decided on this ending. And had I fallen–well, He would have still been good and still been gracious. Let me encourage you–always be on the outlook for the goodness of God. Trust me–it is everywhere. No matter the circumstances and no matter the outcome, always know and believe that, “He’s got this.”  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, Father's Day, gratitude, life, Scripture

My Daddy

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

“You are the salt of the earth.” Matthew 5:13a

I think you would have liked my Daddy. With yesterday being Father’s Day and all, I just felt like I needed to tell you a little bit about my Daddy. On a Sunday morning in 1974, he up and moved to heaven. As far as I was concerned we both were too young.  He was 62 and I was 20. If I was to try and describe my Daddy I would probably go to the Bible and look at some of the characters there because my Daddy believed the Bible and in a very good way, my Daddy was a character.

My Daddy was like Adam–the very first man in the Bible. While there is a lot to be said for Adam the one think that sticks out to me was that he was a hard worker and so was my Daddy. Everyday, without question, he would get up and go to work at the Jacksonville Naval Air Station where he worked on jet engines. His shop was not air conditioned and since it was Florida it could get kinda hot and humid. It was my Daddy who taught me to value work. He was the one who taught me to take the family push mower and go from house to house knocking on doors and asking, “Sir or Ma’am, would you like your grass mowed for $2.00?” Yup, I made and spent a lot of money mowing grass. He’s also the one who taught me to get a job washing dishes at a local restaurant for seventy-five cents an hours and to bag groceries for a dollar an hour. My Daddy, like Adam, knew the value of hard work.

Oh, and the fella in the Bible who built things like an ark–my Daddy was like him too. No, my Daddy didn’t build an ark but he sure knew how to built a home. He and Momma put their lives together and eight kids later made a home. Neither one of them was perfect but they sure did love us a lot. They sacrificed so much and made sure that the house we had, an old repurposed Army barracks, was not a house but a home. Together they built a marriage and home and taught us to love one another–even when it was hard. My Momma and Daddy both knew the value of love.

My Daddy was also like that guy in the Bible named David who was a giant killer. When one of them, Goliath, decided to challenge God and His people, David took a couple of rocks and took care of him. Giants didn’t bother David and they didn’t bother my Daddy either. Raising eight kids wasn’t easy–in fact you could probably say it was ginormous. Plenty of times, despite all he did, there was more month than money but somehow the lights stayed on and the table was always set. When his heart gave out and he had to retire, he would work all night as a security guard just to make sure we stayed afloat. My Daddy knew the value of keeping his family secure–even when it meant killing giants.

When Jesus was teaching that day on the side of mountain, he looked at the people and all the daddies there and said to them, “You are the salt of the earth.” He was telling them that they were the foundation of all that He was about to do and teach. My Daddy would have fit right in there because he was the foundation of my small part of the world. I remember the time I came in from a late night date and he was praying at the kitchen table. I also remember the time he was leading us in family worship and he was kneeling at his chair talking to God. Those are precious memories. My Daddy was indeed the salt of the earth. He was a good man who loved God, loved Jesus and loved me. And along his life journey, he learned and taught me that no matter what, our Dearest Daddy could be trusted and could and would say, “Don’t worry…I’ve got this.” Bro. Dewayne

Posted in communication, food, life, missions, Scripture

The Life of the Firefly

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making His appeal through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf, “Be reconciled to God.” 2 Corinthians 5:20

I’m glad I wasn’t born a firefly. One of the joys of summer occurs either late May or early June. It is about that time that fireflies, or as I was raised to call them lightening bugs, make their appearance. Each evening as the sun sets, these fellows make their appearance and turn the evening from mundane to exciting. But you had better look fast because their act doesn’t act too long. It goes something like this.

Lightening bugs begin their journey as larva in the ground. In fact, they live there for two whole years. During that time they apparently dig around and eat grubs and things. Their whole existence is a time of preparation for what comes next. After about two years, something tells them its time to surface and they transform and emerge from the ground as lightening bugs. Now listen to this. First, they only live for about 20 to 25 days. That’s it. And the object of their whole existence above ground is to find a girl lightening bug and start a family. Once that is done…so are they. But wait…there is more.

Would you believe that when they emerge from the ground in their lightening bug bodies–they don’t eat. In fact, when their metamorphosis is done they don’t have a digestive tract and no way to eat or process food. Remember how I said those two years were all preparation for their next life? Well that apparently includes nutrition. So, no fried chicken or pecan pie for them. All they do is fly around, lighting up, trying to impress the girls. Imagine that…not eating. Ever.

I guess that means a lightening bug would be a really poor Baptist because everyone knows that a Baptist loves to eat. You give a Baptist a potluck dinner and it is party on. But not for Mister Lightening Bug–nope–and that is not only sad but hard to believe. Am I the only one who is trying to figure out why God created them that way? Well, it seems to me that God knew they might get side tracked if there were potlucks and the one thing that mattered wasn’t potlucking but rather starting a family.

Fortunately God didn’t think it necessary to try that trick with us. He has challenged us and trusted us with sharing the good news of the Gospel with the world around us. And truthfully…we do indeed get sidetracked. So how do we keep the main thing the main thing? We learn to listen to the Holy Spirit who lives in every person who believes in Christ. And then we listen to the heart of our Dearest Daddy as we read His word. When we pray, “Father help me to keep the main thing the main thing, His reply will always be, “Don’t worry…I’ve got that.”  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Uncategorized

Daddy’s Heart Attack

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28


Thanks, Dad…for the heart attack. It was back in 1976, June 26th to be specific, that I married Judy Allen. She was a Georgia peach that was quite the catch.  I met her when I walked into a strange, new church on a Wednesday night. I entered the side door and boom—there she was.  Standing in a circle of ordinary young ladies, this young lady was anything but.  Then, there was a phone call, a date and well, here we are fifty years later…she is still quite the catch, we are still in love, and we are still grateful for a God who has a plan.

I was talking with Judy the other day and said, “What if we had never met?” I honestly cannot fathom my life without her…but what if?  It was really a strange set of circumstances that got us together.  I was in the Air Force and my Daddy had a pretty major heart attack while I was home on leave.  It sure changed our Christmas plans, but it also changed my life.  My Momma, and don’t ask me how since this was way before the internet and smart phones, found out through the Red Cross that the Air Force would sometimes grant a “humanitarian reassignment” to airmen to the base nearest their home.  The conditions were strict, and the odds were long, but we (Momma and I) decided we should give it a shot.

It required all kinds of statements from the doctors and a bunch of other stuff that I don’t even remember.  At the time I was stationed at Minot AFB in North Dakota and trust me that is a long way from home.  Anyway, we applied and then one day I received a call from Base Personnel letting me know that my request had been approved and I was being reassigned to Moody AFB in Valdosta, Georgia. Soon, it was so long Minot and hello Moody.  I arrived at my new base in April of 1973.  I would drive home every weekend (about two hours) to see family and friends and come back Sunday evening.

Gratefully, God allowed my Daddy to live till midsummer of the next year when He decided heaven was better than here.  Of course, his leaving changed everything. I think my Momma went to stay with one of my brothers or sisters for a while and suddenly there wasn’t as much reason to go home.  I was a regular church goer, but it really wasn’t my desire to go to church that Wednesday night as much as it was…boredom.  Valdosta wasn’t a big town and Moody wasn’t a big airbase, so I just needed something to do.  And, as they say, the rest is history.

Which leads to my opening line…Daddy’s heart attack.  If it hadn’t had been for that and my Momma’s persistence, well, I would have stayed in Minot and probably froze to death. Smile. I would have never met Judy, there would not have been our three precious daughters and hence no eight grandchildren.  And, honestly, I probably wouldn’t be pastoring and wouldn’t be writing this today.  But God is a God of infinite details and design.  He tells us in the Bible that every day of our lives is planned before a single one of them is lived.  I like that…a lot.

He also teaches us that for those who love Him and are called by Him, He can take anything and everything and bring good out of it.  No, not everything is good…not even close and that isn’t what He said.  He said He can bring good and in the case of my Daddy’s heart attack, my life path is part of that good.  Have you ever thought of life that way?  Can you think of a situation where God did that for you?  I bet you can. You see, God is good, God is faithful, and God can be trusted.

One day I will see my Daddy again…in heaven.  I’ll probably chat with him and ask if he ever thought about the good that God brought about because of his heart attack.  And then, well, I’ll tell him all about Judy (if she isn’t there yet) and his great grandkids.  It’s gonna be a great reunion.  Till then, I hope I remember to trust my heavenly Dearest Daddy each day, and know that no matter what, no matter how big…He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Grace, gratitude, heaven, life, Scripture, thankful, travel

Timeless

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” 2 Peter 3:8

The captain of the Majestic Princess carefully guided the massive ship into a slip at the port that served Dublin, Ireland. On that day we had signed up to take a bus tour that would take us through Dublin and the surrounding countryside. My wife Judy and I both agreed that Ireland was everything we were expecting and then some more. The green beauty and the history of the place reminded us of the majestic majesty of our great God.

We went to one of the oldest shops in Ireland where they weaved wool into beautiful garments. They used the same machines that had been used for decades and centuries. It was amazing to watch as the individual strands of wool were woven into beautiful garments with beautiful colors. As I watched and as I touched and felt the finished products I was reminded how God can weave the fabrics of our lives and make a beautiful mosaic of textures and colors. Individually the threads were not that impressive but when woven together they became a work of art.

A little further down the road we stopped at a cemetery that held the ruins of an ancient monastery. The buildings there date back to AD 600. It was amazing to think that these stones and these ruins stood just six centuries after the life and death of Jesus. Here in America if something is a hundred years old, we call it old. In the land where we were walking they would say it was just getting started.

In the cemetery the people had built a small chapel also built in AD 600. Amazingly the building still stood. Yes, Amazing. Near the entrance of the cemetery was a stone leaning against the stone wall. It was large and it was old. It was part of the ancient monastery and it was called the sanctuary stone. They said that if you touched the stone it would make you happy. Well, since I didn’t take the opportunity to go and kiss the Blarney Stone, I decided to take this opportunity to kiss the sanctuary stone. I figured if touching it would make me happy, kissing it should make me plum giddy. Well, as it turns out, kiss or not, I was happy but I did get a special memory of a special day.

One of my big take-aways from my day in the Irish countryside was a deep appreciation for time and Jesus who left heaven which exists outside of time and chose to become one of us. One of the beauties of God’s view of time is that He is not bound by it and when we go to live with Him…we won’t be either. One day, as His children, we will go home to a place where time is no more and we will have what touching or kissing a stone can’t give…true and eternal happiness. I am grateful for my Dearest Daddy who loves me enough to invite me to live with Him forever. I am so grateful to the One who, no matter what, can assuredly say, “I’ve got this.” Bro. Dewayne

Posted in communication, food, friends, gratitude, priorities, Scripture, travel

When the New Becomes Old

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “Then Hannah prayed and said, “My heart exults in the Lord; My horn is exalted in the Lord, My mouth speaks boldly against my enemies, Because I rejoice in Your salvation. 1 Samual 2:1

When the Majestic Princess set sail from Fort Lauderdale that Friday morning in April, it was quite the party. Her 3,600 passengers and even most of her 1,300 crew were excited about the transatlantic voyage that would relocate the ship to Europe for the summer sailing season. Everyone, or mostly everyone, was excited about exploring the ship, trying the food in the Marketplace buffet and listening to the music that seemed to be pouring from every corner of the ship. 

And, so we sailed, and sailed and sailed. Amazingly it never got boring but it did become somewhat routine. I guess you could call it a new normal. After a week of sailing we bumped in the Azores and a couple of days later we bumped into the European continent. Then we sailed on for a couple of more days and landed in France and the next day we reached, for the first time, our final destination–Southhampton. Now, even though we booked our journey as one continuous 25 day cruise, in reality the cruise line counted as two. The first part ended at Southhampton and the second part also started there. 

At Southhampton we lost 2,600 passengers and boarded 1,400 newbies. So, to the do the math for you, we had about a 1,000 of us who started the journey in Fort Lauderdale and stayed aboard and we gained about 1,400 that started there at Southhampton.  And let me tell you–those two groups were way different in their reactions to the trip. Those of us who had already been on the ship for about 14 days just sorta yawned at all the chaos while the newbie were as exited as we had been back in Fort Lauderdale. For all of them, it was like Christmas morning. It was almost humorous to watch them run from place to place, dance like no one was watching and load their plates to the edges at the newly discovered buffet. Yup, they were genuinely excited.

Now it wasn’t that we oldies weren’t excited, its just that all of the routines were, well, routine. The new had become old and  the uncommon common–mostly we had lost the expectation and excitement of the newness of the journey. It wasn’t good or bad it was just the way it was. Now I suppose that is ok for a 25 day cruise but there are times when it isn’t. Like in your marriage–like in your relationship with Jesus. Write this one down–you don’t ever want the freshnesses, the excitement to leave your two most important relationships–the one with your spouse and the one with your Savior. Do whatever you need to do to keep the air in the balloon and the aroma in this bouquet called life.

While there is no magic formula for this I know it includes words and actions. Tell your spouse often and sincerely how much you love them. Try and serve up a regular serving of acts of kindness every day. And for Jesus–well, its not much different. Tell Him everyday how much you love Him and are grateful for Him. And then serve Him faithfully everyday too. Be sure He knows and others know just how much you care. If you ever since the excitement fading, be sure and do something–quickly. After all, marriages and Jesus both thrive in the arena of love. Depend on them and depend on Him. Let them know that you are leaning on them…because in their own way…they’ve got it.  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in gratitude, loving others, Scripture, travel

Faithful Steward–Silent Servant

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful.” 1 Corinthians 4:2 

His name was Jerry but He looked a little bit like Jesus. On our grand journey across the Atlantic Ocean and then around the British Isles, we spent 25 days on the Majestic Princess. Even though it was actually two cruises, ours was combined into one. Because of that my wife Judy and I were able to spend all of our time in the same room…and that is when we met Jerry.

Jerry was our room steward. You might know from the Bible that a steward is someone who is responsible for caring for someone else’s property. And just about now is a great opportunity for us to remember that if we are Jesus people we actually own the grand total of…zero. As it turns out God owns everything…He just allows us to manage it for Him. So for those 25 days that we were sailing, Room B241 was ours and Jerry was assigned to be a steward, to care for us and the room.

We met him on the first day and he assured us that he would do everything he could to make sure our room was like a home away from home. Judy made a couple of special requests. First, could he possibly find us a small fan (when we sleep, we like the breeze and the noise it makes) and some ice for us to use during our excursions. He supplied both of these requests. Everyday he cleaned our room, made our bed (and changed the sheets) tidied up the room and cleaned the bathroom. While we didn’t see him very often, the evidence of his presence was felt everyday. We knew he was there by the way our room looked. He was a very good steward.

Jerry was a silent servant. It seemed He didn’t need our praise  (though we always tried to tell him when we saw him), and I’m not sure he did it just because it was his job. Jerry seemed to really like caring for us. He found purpose and fulfillment in being a good steward and for him that was enough. Like I said…Jerry in his actions looked a little bit like Jesus. You see, the Bible tells us in Matthew 20:28, “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give His life as a ransom for many.” Let’s be honest, when we boarded the ship, we had paid the fare and expected to be served. When Jerry boarded he expected to serve others…and that is what he did…serve others.

So, my question is this. How well do we mimic Jesus as we live our walk about life? Can people tell that we belong to Him by the way we love and care and serve others? We like to assign our Christian identity to a few habits like going to church but Jesus said people would know we were Jesus followers by the way we loved others. Let that soak in. Like I’ve often said, going to church is a good thing but even a dog or cat can find their way into church. 

So hats off to Jerry the silent servant–and steward. We thanked him appropriately when we left the ship and I hope he knew how much we appreciated his care and service. Let me challenge us to be more than a little bit like Jesus today. Let’s show kindness and compassion to those we bump in to today. Let’s show them what the real Jesus is like not with just our habits or words but by our actions. If all that seems challenging, just follow Jesus and He will show you how. After all, He is the greatest example of love and service there is. Yup, He’s got that too. Bro. Dewayne