Tag: Jesus

Posted in birthday, Family, life, school days, Scripture

Leaving Ant-Man Behind

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “For my part, brothers and sisters, I was not able to speak to you as spiritual people but as people of the flesh, as babies in Christ.” 1 Corinthians 3:1

There he was…Ant-Man.  So one of my favorite new things is an digital picture frame. It has lots and lots of pictures stored on it and every few seconds a new picture shows up on the screen. It is like a memory machine as picture as a picture reminds me of things and people from the past—both distant and recent. Most of the pictures are of our family.  Even better, it has a feature that allows the clan to share pictures with Judy and me.  That way even though I missed a certain event, I can still see it through pictures.

One of my favorites is a picture of my oldest grandson, Ethan. The picture was taken when he was five years old and he was dressed up for Halloween. His costume for that year was Ant-Man. Now if you don’t follow Marvel comic superheroes then you probably don’t know who he is. That’s ok because all you really need to know is that he is one of their super heroes and that year he was popular enough for Ethan to choose to look like him. 

As the pictures rolled across the screen of my digital frame, that morning when I saw Ethan dressed up as Ant-Man, it caused me to pay special attention to other pictures of him as the pictures rolled by. From the time he was really young until now when he is on the high school basketball team—the pictures told a story.  He is growing up and what came to mind was the things that he used to really like are now fading memories.  You see he is nearing fifteen and trust me the thought of him dressing up on Halloween as Ant-Man are long, long gone.  Now he is thinking about things like getting his learners permit in just a few weeks.

Ethan is growing up.  It is a good fact of life. It is a normal fact of life and it should be a lesson for all of us—especially when it comes to our spiritual journey.  You see, like Ethan grew up physically so God intends for all of us to grow up spiritually.  When we first become a Jesus follower we are like a spiritual babe. In fact, it is no accident that Jesus said that to go to heaven we had to be “born again.” The important thing to remember is that while we are babies when we trust Jesus—God wants us to grow. So if we have been following Jesus for a while and we are still walking around in our “Ant-Man” costumes—well something isn’t quite right.

Paul wrote to the Corinthian church and told them, “For my part, brothers and sisters, I was not able to speak to you as spiritual people but as people of the flesh, as babies in Christ.” The truth was they weren’t spiritually growing. They were stuck in the rut of acting and living like spiritual babies. You see, God honors “childlike faith” but He doesn’t want us to act childish. Too often we act like spoil kids of the Kingdom instead of the warriors He wants to be. So what do you say—warriors or spoiled kids? The word from the Word is we need to grow up and act like the mature believers God wants us to be. It’s time to leave Ant-Man behind. Need a little help? Don’t worry—the One who made us and saved us is ready to help.  He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in forgiveness, Grace, life, prayer, Scripture

Dirty Rain Passover

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in Me will live, even after dying. 26 Everyone who lives in Me and believes in Me will never ever die. Do you believe this?”

It came from nowhere…it was dirty rain from…the Southwest. So, I was on my way to breakfast at “the Barrel” with my friend Jeremy. We always have a great time of food and fellowship. He picks me up and we talk and laugh and what ever we talk about stays with us. Well, we were driving along and suddenly there was a brief rain shower. Now that is not unusual—but what was unusual was it was kinda raining—mud. No, really—literally. It wasn’t much but it was enough to really make a mess. Jeremy commented, “Did you see that?” And believe me I did.

Well, he turned on the wipers, and swiped the dirty rain away. We hit the Barrel and after an hour or so, headed back out to the truck. When we got there we discovered it had happened again. His truck is a dark color so it was really obvious. What a mess. We headed back to our small town and when we pulled into my driveway it was very apparent that this wasn’t a small blip on the radar but wide spread.  My car was sitting in the driveway and it too was covered with the results of the dirty rain. Yuk! I was definitely heading to the carwash…along with everyone else in town.

After a while, I mashed a magic button we have in our house…it opens our garage. There, inside and under the protection of the garage, was my other car…nice and clean.  Why? It was protected…not exposed to the dirty rain. So one car was yucky dirty and the other was perfectly clean. You see, the one left outside unprotected suffered the dirty bath while the other that was protected—well, the dirty rain just—passed over. Passed.Over.

As I pondered the two cars and their fate, I was reminded of a time many, many years ago when a people who were enslaved experienced a much more significant passover experience. God was about to send judgement over the land and he offered protection for any of His people who was willing to believe. Slay a lamb, wipe the blood over the door post and anyone in the house would be spared. Anyone not in a protected house would experience the death of their first born.

Now the story is too big to go any deeper but the big truth is there. Believe God and live—deny God and die. It was that simple—it is that simple. You see, God offers massive forgiveness—eternal life to anyone who is willing to believe in His Son, His sacrificial death and His amazing resurrection. One day, Jesus was talking to a friend who’s brother had died. He said, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in Me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in Me and believes in Me will never ever die. Do you believe this?” Wow, what an amazing promise and it was true then…and it is true now.

In these weeks leading to the celebration of Jesus’ death and resurrection, maybe you need to believe. All of us will face the “dirty rain” of death but all of us can also escape the permanent power of death. Oh, we will will die but we don’t have to stay dead.  We can believe in Him and live again. Sound amazing?  It is.  Go ahead and check it out…it’s all in the Bible.  Dare to believe—dare to live again. Oh, if it sounds to hard to believe, remember, the One Who makes the promise has the power to pull it off.  He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne. 

Posted in friends, Grace, life, loving others, school days, Southern born

Me and Fred

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “For you were called to this, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in His steps.” 2 Peter 2:21

The same kind of different as me. It was 1965…I was about eleven and he was probably 18.  I’m not sure how we bumped into one another.  As I remember it, I was out in the field that was part of our property and he rolled up in his golf cart.  Well, hey, that was an ice breaker if there ever was one. He gave me a big smile, a friendly wave and said, “Hi.”  I could tell from that first hello that Fred had a speech issue and later it became apparent that he was one of God’s special creations…someone the world would call broken but God would call absolutely perfect.

Despite the age difference and his perfection and my lack of it, we seemed to hit it off. Almost immediately we were off on the first of many rides in his golf cart.  He loved it and I loved it and even though it wasn’t meant for off the road…that is exactly where we went. I assume his family bought him the golf cart to help him get around the neighborhood. I believe he lived in a subdivision, a gathering of the nicest homes in the neighborhood, at the end of the road I lived on. I don’t know if he was living there or visiting there but for the time I knew him…we were buds.

There are a lot of things that I have forgotten about that summer and early fall but there is one thing I remember—Fred loved baseball.  I’m pretty sure the team didn’t matter as long as it was baseball. He would carry around a portable transistor (that’s a throwback for my older readers) and we would listen to the games together.  It was September and time for the World Series, and we would sit in his golf cart like it was a front row seat right there in the stadium. Even now that memory makes me smile. In our simple world…all was well.

I think I began to learn something that summer and that lesson was about us—all of us.  In the world today we seem to search for things that cause us to focus on what divides us…what makes us different instead of what can draw us together.  I know it made no sense for Fred and I to be friends but his ultra-cool golf cart and his kind and outgoing personality overcame whatever differences there were.  He was the same kind of different as me.  That sentence is the title of a book and movie about two men who came from totally, and I mean totally, different backgrounds and yet managed to forge a friendship that would last for the rest of their lives.

You see, the truth is we can overcome our differences.  Our decision to allow skin color, language, social and economic differences, religion, or politics to divide us is a choice not a destiny.  This is especially true for Jesus’ people.  As followers we are choosing to align ourselves with Him and love others…regardless.  Really.  It is true.  It is in the Book…all over the Book and when decide to let the Book, and the Jesus of the Book, call the shots…well it is a game changer.

I’m thankful for that summer of 1965. If you know anything about that decade you know it was more than turbulent.  People were wondering if we as a nation would survive.  Well, by the grace of God, we did.  And guess what?  We can survive this mess today but if we do it will also be by the grace of God and Jesus people who decide to act like Jesus. Peter, the guy in the Bible who fell flat on his face and denied Jesus said, “For you were called to this, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in His steps.”  In other words,…we are called to be like Him.  No matter how difficult that might sound to you, don’t forget that today and always—He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne 

Posted in Christmas, Family, Grace, gratitude, Holidays, life, love, Scripture, sovereignty of God, thankful

A Downtown Christmas

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “I pray that you, being rooted and firmly established in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and width, height and depth of God’s love.” – Ephesians 3:17b-18

Looking back, my childhood Christmases were always special. We didn’t have a lot of extras, but we had enough—and we had each other. Christmas season always felt like a time of magic, starting with the rich traditions that led up to the big day. A few weeks before Christmas, we’d pull the decorations down from the attic and start filling the house with Christmas cheer. I remember a special Santa decoration that hung on our chimney, and the best part? I actually found one exactly like it! These days, he hangs in my office, but during December, you’ll find him glowing proudly in my kitchen, keeping an eye on me all year round to make sure I stay on the nice list.

But one of my absolute favorite Christmas memories? The trips we made downtown to pay our electric bill. Sounds strange, right? What do electric bills and Christmas have to do with each other? Well, with a tight budget, paying the bill on time was a non-negotiable. So, a day or two before it was due, we’d make the trip to downtown Jacksonville to drop off the payment. Nothing glamorous, but it was a part of the season. And here’s the twist—it was actually really special.

You see, back in those days, the department stores in downtown Jacksonville would go all out with their Christmas window displays. We’re talking moving figures, reindeer that looked like they were about to take flight, and kids skating on a magical, frosty lake. It was a full-blown Christmas wonderland—magical in a way that only the holidays can be. Especially as a kid, I could feel the Christmas spirit in those windows.

Now, here’s the kicker: If we hadn’t had that electric bill to pay, we probably wouldn’t have taken that little trip downtown at all. And that, my friends, feels like a perfect example of how God works. Sometimes, He leads us to unexpected places, through things we might not understand at the time, but they turn out to be exactly what we needed. We just don’t always see it in the moment.

God has this way of using even the little bumps in the road to bring something good into our lives. He works in mysterious ways, sometimes out front, sometimes behind the scenes. We don’t always recognize it at first, but when we do, we’re often amazed at how He’s been shaping our lives all along. If we can be patient and trust in His timing, we start to see how those seemingly random things in life were part of His bigger plan all along.

And you know what? I think that’s one of the best things about heaven—it’ll be full of surprises. We’ll finally understand all the things God saved us from, the opportunities He put in our path that we just thought were coincidences, and the many ways He’s been at work, even when we didn’t realize it.

Paul, the guy who wrote so much of the New Testament, said it best when he wrote: “I pray that you, being rooted and firmly established in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and width, height and depth of God’s love.” Honestly, that’s one prayer we may never fully see answered—His love is just that vast.

So, as we celebrate Christmas, let’s take a moment to really look for the ways God is working in our lives. Some things will leave us filled with gratitude, and others may make us just stop and think, “Wow, He’s got this.”—Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Christmas, Easter, forgiveness, Grace, gratitude, life, Scripture, spiritual battles, spring, thankful, Trials

Paradise Lost and Found

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.” John 3:17

It was paradise lost. I’m not sure why it happened.  I’m not even sure how it happened…but it did.  Several years ago, we had accumulated a great collection of large tropical plants to accent our patio during the summer.  Our guests love our garden, and I suppose they love our plants too.  But then something happened.  You see; to keep them alive through the winter, we had to move them into our garage and nurse them during the cold weather.  We would install special lights, water them, and learn to squeeze our car in between them.  It was a hassle, but we did it…until we didn’t

One year, well, we didn’t. It all started when we had a light frost early in the season and since Judy was gone…I didn’t mess with it.  That’s the bad news.  The good news is that somehow, they survived. Since it happened on my watch, I breathed a sigh of relief.  That opened a pandora’s box because when the next frost came, and I believe it was on my watch again, I found a reason to throw caution to the wind.  Once again, they survived and so did I.

Then, fast forward a little while later, we were deeper into fall and nudging winter.  With Judy back, the plants were in safer hands.  When the temperatures threatened to move from frost to freeze, we braved the cold wind and moved them inside displacing the car to the fate of the cold.  Sure enough, it warmed up again, and out they came.  Well, that year we decided to go on a cruise.  We knew the forecast called for a couple of cold mornings, but we were pressed for time and couldn’t think of anyone to gather the plants for us…so we left them to their fate.

Sure enough, it froze and so did they…all of them.  At first, it wasn’t too bad but then it was.  Some quickly, some slowly began to show the damage of a freeze on something that was never meant to see or feel the extreme cold.  Some leaves wilted and some turned dark brown.  The result was a paradise lost.  What was once beautiful looked like a tropical war zone.  It also meant a lot of whacking and cleaning up to do.  It was sad in one way but wait there is a silver lining.

You see, first, there was more room in my garage this winter.  Yay.  It also meant that there was a fresh start…a new beginning when spring came.  Yes, there was a cost involved…there usually is for a new beginning…when something is reborn. But it was worth it. Several plants showed their age, and the new ones will be stronger than the old ones. It.Was.Worth.It.

You know God said the same thing about us, don’t you?  You know that God knew we needed a lot more than a time in the “garage,” we needed a fresh start, a new birth and yes, it came at a great price.  It meant there had to be a Christmas and there had to be an Easter.  It meant His Son leaving heaven for a stable and a feeding trough and it meant a rugged Roman cross, a horrible death but gratefully…also a resurrection.  It meant we could go from eternal death to eternal life—that we could go from war to peace—that we could call Him…wait for it…Father. But all that was possible only after the price was paid. Like the song says, “Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe.  Sin had left a crimson stain, but He made it white as snow.”

White as snow. From death to life. How amazing is that?  Each fall, I scour the yard and remove the death…preparing for spring and new life.  I chose to look past the present and forward to the new…to spring.  And, if your world looks a little like my backyard with more dead than alive, remember that God waits to bring new life into your life.  He said in John 3:17 that His Father didn’t send Him to condemn the world but rather through Him we, you, could be saved…rescued…redeemed.”  That is good…that is really good.  So, no matter the mess, write it down…He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in communication, Family, fear, friends, gratitude, life, love, loving others, prayer, priorities, Scripture, spiritual battles, thankful

Guarding the Flame

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

Again, Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” John 8:12

Most mornings, I watch that little flame fade. I’m all about creating an atmosphere for my morning routine. First thing I do is I crank up the lights in my home office. I flip the switch on the wall and tell my buddy-ette Alexa to turn on the “office” lights. Boom! Instant brightness. Check.

Next up, I pop a K-cup into my Keurig and in a couple of minutes, I’ve got my coffee ready. Check. Right next to the coffee maker is a table with a three-wick candle. I light that up and settle into my chair, firing up my electric fireplace. At that point, I’m finally ready to check the weather and dive into my Jesus time. Check. Check. Check.

But eventually, I have to wrap things up, and that means turning off the lights and putting out the candle. There are a couple of ways to do it, but I always go for the easy route. I put the metal lid on the jar, and that’s when I watch the flame slowly go out. At first, it flickers, but then it weakens until it’s just gone. It’s a little sad to see it die because I know what’s happening. The lid cuts off the oxygen, and without that, the flame can’t survive.

Every time I see this, it reminds me of life. We all need to keep our hope, love, faith, and purpose alive. These are the things that give us a reason to get up in the morning and keep pushing forward. If we let them starve, it’s only a matter of time before life feels dull, and what once burned brightly is just a smoldering wick.

So, how does that happen? There are tons of reasons, and they vary for each of us, but often it feels like a lid gets clamped down on our lives, and just like that candle, the flame starts to fade. Hope turns into despair, love gets overshadowed by hurt, and fear quietly snuffs out our faith. Before we know it, we’re left wondering why we even bother. Sound familiar? It definitely has for me—too often I’ve put that “lid of limits” on my own flame.

The only way I’ve found to keep the flame alive is by nurturing a close relationship with the One who created me. The hope, love, and purpose I find through my faith in Him create an atmosphere that keeps the fire burning. Even if you’re unsure about the whole God thing, I encourage you to rethink it and spark—or reignite—a relationship with Him. Don’t just go with what society says or what your coworkers think. Check Him out for yourself. Start by diving into the Bible, the most trusted book around. Try chatting with Him; it might feel weird at first, but hey, so did your first conversation with your first love. It’s totally worth it if it means your flame starts to glow again.

Every morning, I take off that lid and light the candle, and each day it bursts back to life, bringing warmth and that satisfying aroma. Why not let this friend I call my Dearest Daddy add some light to your life? Jesus said He’s the light of the world, and anyone who follows Him won’t walk in darkness. It’s like He’s saying, “Trust me… I’ve got this.” — Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, friends, gratitude, Integrity, life, love, prayer, priorities, Scripture, thankful

Details

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come!” 2 Corinthians 5:17

It is just engrained in me.  If you are a Grits reader, you might remember when I talked about my first car.  It was a 1961 Rambler painted (with a paintbrush) a royal blue with a yellow stripe right down the middle.  Due to its former home, Daytona Beach, it had more Bondo body filler than metal and its floorboards had also fallen victim to the salty air and water.  But I was so grateful to have it.  It was part trade and part gift from my oldest sister, and I loved it.  I would regularly wash it and clean the inside. Since it was the seventies, I bought flowery seat covers to hide the worn-out seats.  The bottom line—it was my baby.  A little scarred—more than a little worn out—but she was mine.

Since that first one, I have always tried to care for my cars.  A few were new and some were old, some were in good condition and others not. But each car received that same loving car.  They ranged from a 1971 Pinto with a rod knocking (something the Rambler shared) to a new 1985 Oldsmobile Cutlass Cruiser with wood grain sides.  My wife Judy and I bought that one on a whim because of a deal they were having on interest rates. It was also “on sale” because it had a 4.3-liter diesel engine which wasn’t popular.  I had no clue about diesel engines and was surprised to learn they didn’t even have spark plugs. What? One time I was looking at buying a used pickup truck that had a huge lift kit on it.  It was almost a monster truck.  The guy let me keep it overnight and what did I do? You bet, I washed it and cleaned it out.  I wanted to see what it would look like…and then I didn’t even buy it.  Strange.

I have a knack for cleaning cars.  I can make most cars look pretty good.  It is amazing what a good wash job, Windex, a strong vacuum, and some Armor All can do. Give me a couple of hours and Shazam—you have yourself a showroom classic.  Well, not really but it sounds good.  But they always looked better. Now somewhere beyond better is the next level and that is—a detailing.  In case you don’t know, when a car is detailed, the cleaner person pays attention to—get ready—the details.  Let me explain.

When I left the full-time pastorate for our next chapter, a friend gave me a gift certificate for my car to be detailed.  I was genuinely excited.  The day finally came to get our car detailed.  After I dropped it off at the detailing place, about four hours later I received a call that our car was done.  I couldn’t wait to pick it up—and I was not disappointed.  When I pulled up the detailer’s shop there she was and like Cinderella ready for the ball, our car was dazzling.

It had not only been washed but it was sporting a new wax job.  It glimmered in the noonday sun.  The tires and splash guard were all shiny black and the wheels sparkled like a person’s teeth after a whitening treatment.  I opened the door, and the entire interior was not only clean, but shining clean.  The floor mats were spotless. Yup—I was impressed.  I opened the trunk to find it spotless, and the space where the lid meets the body—a perfect place for dirt and grim to hide—clean.  When I bought gas a couple of days later, I noticed that even the area where you put fuel in had been cleaned.  Like I said, a good detailer will pay attention to the details…and she did.

Her name was Jo, and she has been detailing cars for over 35 years, so she has a lot of experience.  She knows how to make a car look new.  Speaking of new, that is why I am keen on God.  He can take the most bruised and broken life and not make it look new—but make it new.  I was reading the Bible one day and something that Paul, one of the New Testament writers, said caught my eye.  He wrote, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come!” You see God doesn’t do detailing…though He is a God of the details…He makes every person who puts their faith in His Son a brand-new creation.  I mean, imagine taking your car to get it detailed and picking it up four hours later only to find a brand-new car.  Wow and trust me, God’s work in the lives of people is an even bigger wow factor!

One time, a year or two ago, I hired a guy I didn’t know, to detail my car.  He talked big and way under delivered. I paid him too much money and let’s just say I was very disappointed. But after a 46-year journey with Jesus, I can tell you that He never disappoints, and He never misses a single detail.  So, hats off to Jo and thanks to that special friend who gave me the gift certificate. And remember, if you need your life made new, give Jesus a shout. His line is never busy, and you won’t get an answering machine.  He is online all the time and whatever the challenge, He’s up to it.  He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in communication, Family, fear, forgiveness, friends, Grace, gratitude, life, love, loving others, prayer, priorities, thankful, Trials, wisdom

Don’t Be a Worrywart

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done.” Philippians 4:6

She comes by it naturally. My wife Judy and I have three daughters. One of my great pleasures in life was to watch them grow into beautiful young women—both inside and out. I told them the other day that they should be very grateful to us—and especially their mother Judy—because they are each so attractive. In each one of them, you can see things that they have picked up from either me or Judy.  I have one daughter who is a natural born worrywart. She manages to worry about just about everything.  I wonder who she got that from? Well, let me just say it was not her mother. While I am not a worry wart, I could probably qualify as a worry something.

In a culture that is obsessed with appearance, guess what? I’m certain that a lot of those lines that people get Botox treatments for come from worrying. Wait…that isn’t all. Surely a lot of those gray hairs the ladies (and some men) try to hide also come from worrying. Now that I think about it, that might be why so many pastors have gray or white hair. It isn’t about worrying as much as it is trying to care for all the members that do.

It has been reported that 90% of the things that we worry about never even happen. Think about that. I was reading a devotion the other day and it included this very insightful quote by some unknown author.  It said, “Worry is a conversation you have with yourself about things you cannot change. Prayer is a conversation you have with God about things He can change.” Isn’t that awesome. We worry about things that are usually totally out of our control.  Jesus said in His Sermon on the Mount, “Can any of you add one moment to his life span by worrying?” Now how is that for irony.  Obviously, Jesus knew that the opposite was true.  Worrying never adds—it always subtracts.

 For years I have had plenty of long conversations with myself and they were often about things that I couldn’t change. Let’s read the first part of that quote again—“worry is a conversation you have with yourself about things you cannot change.”  Check—been there—done that. Now let’s focus on part two. It says, “Prayer is a conservation you have with God about things He can change.” Wow—how powerful. It looks like it boils down to four simple words—worry less, pray more.

Paul gave us something better than anxiety pills and Botox.  Here is what he said in Philippians 4:6, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank Him for all He has done.” So, we need to discipline ourselves to worrying less and also pray more. Simple and powerful. There is one more element.  Did you see it? Paul also said for us to adapt an attitude of gratitude—let Him know what is messing with us and then be sure and thank Him for all that He has done. Now there is one more thing we should do.  We need to be sure and believe that our God is a “I’ve got this” kind of God. Do you know why?  Because He is.  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in communication, Family, friends, gratitude, life, loving others, priorities, school days, Scripture, Southern born, sovereignty of God, thankful, Trials, Uncategorized, USA

Mama and Politics

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

“Everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.” 1 John 5:4-5

His name was Bill, and he was running for county commissioner.  A long time ago when I was about ten years old, I had my first and only encounter with political campaigns.  Somehow, and I have no idea how, my Momma got involved with the campaign to elect a guy named Bill Basford as county commissioner.  And, when Mom jumped in—she jumped in all the way.  That meant a couple of things.

First, and totally embarrassing, was this thing they put on our car.  We were pretty much not rich, in fact, I’m sure we weren’t even middle class.  We drove a 1957 Plymouth and let’s just say 1957 was a long way in the rearview mirror.  Anyway, back in those days if a person was running for office, they had these triangle shaped signs that people strapped to the top of their cars.  Now if it had been a little triangle that wouldn’t have been nearly as embarrassing, but this thing belonged on the sands of Egypt with the rest of the Pyramids.  It was HUGE.  It loudly proclaimed, “BILL BASFORD FOR COUNTY COMMISSIONER.” We would drive around and advertise for Bill.

That wasn’t all.  We also had to go door to door asking people to vote for Bill.  We covered our neighborhood like the plague of locusts that cleaned out Egypt.  I am certain people saw us coming and quickly closed their blinds and pretended they weren’t home.  It turns out that was just practice for when I became a preacher.  By the way…I know you are in there.  We also had a big supply of bumper stickers which we would gladly stick on your car.  When you’re ten, you like to stick things on things, so I liked that part—a lot.

Well, election day came, and Momma waited for the big news.  Either by television or by telephone we got the word that Bill had won, and they invited Momma to come downtown to the headquarters to celebrate. Like Ma and Pa Kettle, we (as in Daddy, Momma, my two sisters and I) got in the 1957 Plymouth and off we went.  I only remember a couple of things about the celebration.  There was loud music, and the air was filled with excitement.

So that was it.  Momma was excited because her guy won.  She didn’t get a political appointment or anything, but we did have a bunch of bumper stickers leftover to stick on things.  But the best part of all was that our guy won.  Winning is always a good feeling.  Everyone wants to be on the winning side. Every contest has winners and losers.  Like the song says, “Some gotta win, some gotta lose.  Good time Charlie’s got the blues. Well, your name might not be Charlie, but maybe you’ve got the blues.  And I’m not talking about any election results.

If the truth be known, life can be pretty blue, can’t it?  And sometimes, it is because we lose…our health, our job, our family, our house, well, lots of things.  But I want to tell you something that is important.  There is Someone who never loses, and His name is Jesus.  If it was an election…He would win every time. If it was a game…He would win every time.  If it was a war…He would win every time. If it was a debate…yup, He would win every time.  Do you want to know the best part?  Keep reading.

Remember how mama got invited to the big celebration downtown?  Well, if we are willing to place our faith and trust in Jesus and follow Him, two amazing things happen.  First, because He wins, we win.  In a way, when Bill Basford won—Momma won.  And when we choose to follow Jesus, because He wins—we win too.  The Bible says, “Everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.”  Then, the party starts.  Sometimes people think heaven is going to be one long boring church service.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  It is going to a celebration like no other…like a party without end.  And while we won’t be the center of attention—that’s Jesus’ place—we will be guests of honor.  How about that?

I don’t really know how things turned out for Bill Basford, but I suppose he was a good commissioner.  I also know it made my Momma feel pretty special to be a part of his campaign.  She felt included—we felt included.  We may have driven an old 1957 Plymouth but on that night with Bill’s name on the top, it felt like a Cadillac.  Jesus invites you to be a part of His campaign team too.  He’s not running for anything—He is already King of Kings. But there’s one thing for sure, He loves to invite people to come along for the ride.  He hopes, and so do I, that you will join Him.  When this campaign is over, we are going to celebrate Him forever.  Until then, He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne

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

Les was More

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

When He went ashore, He saw a great crowd, and He had compassion on them.” Mark 6:34a

Simply put…Les was more.  I had been the pastor of a church in the village of Cobden located in Southern Illinois.  When I went there in 1986, I didn’t know two things.  First, this would be my family’s home for the next fourteen years.  During that time our lives were bonded with the people of the church and the community in a way that I’m not sure I can describe.  Literally, we became family.  The memories and relationships of those days remain firmly stamped in our minds and hearts.  And, I guess, that is the second thing I didn’t know. So many of the people…young, old, rich and poor, single and married, in the church and out…were so very special.  And that leads us to Les.

Cobden had several iconic residents that lived in a local shelter care home.  Each one was special, and each one was different.  But at the top of the heap was Les.  I officially met him one day when he was walking by our church carrying his sickle.  He was old for his age and had more wrinkles than he should have. Bent over, he would peer though his squinting eyes and occasionally have a conversation with himself…or maybe God.  Anyway, that day, I opened the office door and told Les hello and invited him to come to church.  He acknowledged me and asked if I happened to have any coffee.  Well, I did and invited him in to have a cup.  And that was the beginning.

From that day forward, almost every day, Les would show up at the office and ask, “You wouldn’t happen to have a cup of old, cold coffee, would you.”  I can still hear him today.  And usually, I could accommodate him.  It might be cold and sometimes it was old but to Les it didn’t matter one bit.  It wasn’t long before Les started coming to church.  Now you would be wrong to assume that Les was a slow thinker.  He was anything but that. No, he was just Les, and I loved the way our people grew to love him…sickle and all.

One day, at the office, getting his cup of “old, cold, coffee,” he said to me, “I want to be baptized.”  Well, that surprised even me.  So, I gave him my full attention and explained that to be baptized you needed to believe that Jesus had died for your sins and believe that He was the Son of God. And that wasn’t all. I explained a person needed to be willing to follow Jesus…kinda making Him the new “boss” of their lives.  Well, without a moment’s hesitation, Les assured me he understood all of that.  So right there, right then, Les became a Jesus follower.

He then circled back to what had started the conversation…he wanted to be baptized.  I asked Les if he understood that to be baptized, he would have to go under the water…all the way under the water. I really wasn’t surprised when he said he did. Now Les was one of those fellows that with age and life had become pretty bent over.  To look out, Les had to look up.  So, I knew this baptism thing might be a bit of a challenge, but I also knew this was going to be special and it was.  So, in a couple of weeks, on a Sunday morning, I stood in the baptistry and took Les’ hand as he came down into the water.  I can’t remember but I may have called in reinforcements.  But, regardless, I smiled as he gently slipped beneath the waters and came up again.  And the church…well…it exploded in applause.

Years later, in fact nine years after I had left our friends and family in Cobden, I received a call from the local funeral home there letting me know Les had died.  They wanted to know if I would be willing to come back and do the funeral.  I assured them it would be an honor.  On that day we said goodbye to Les but really it was more of a “see you later.”  You see, Les, because of his commitment to follow Jesus had left the shelter care home in Cobden for a new home in heaven.  I also knew that he was no longer bent over by age and life…that he could now look out and not have to look up.  Now when he looked up it was to see the face of the Man who loved him and died for him.

As we journey through life, we need to realize that all around us are people like Les. Oh, not necessarily because they might live in shelter care, but more because they are just…special.  You see, God’s world is filled with special people…all we must do is learn to see them.  It might be a guy at the grocery store or the lady who brings the mail.  They might be our doctor or the guy on back of the truck that gets our trash.  Why not determine, starting today, to see people as God sees people?  Jesus did.  When He looked at people, and He did that a lot, He saw them as special and had compassion on them…loved them.  We all might need a little help in this department, but the good news is, our Dearest Father is just waiting to help.  Just ask…because you know, “He’s got this.” Bro. Dewayne