lake victoria – Grits with Grace

Family, fear, friends, Grace, gratitude, life, love, loving others, missions, prayer, Scripture, sovereignty of God, thankful, travel, Trials

Precious Memories

Posted on June 28, 2023June 27, 2023 by Dewayne Taylor

And we are confident that He hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases Him.” 1 John 5:14

It’s a song we often sing at funerals…but it’s also a good song to live by. The other day I was sitting around talking with some friends and we began sharing about some of our experiences. Before long we discovered that our friend had been in the military and spent some time in Germany…just like my wife and I. Before long, our sentences were punctuated with, “I remember…” and the room swelled with great times and great memories. I know from where I sit there are some incredible times where God just blessed. One of those times was my vision trip to work on the islands of Lake Victoria in Uganda.

This would be one mission trip that I would be taking all by myself. There was not a team and Judy was unable to go. It was me and God and I discovered that was good combination…a great combination. I remember (there’s our word) that I had asked the church family to really pray for me while I was gone. In fact, I gave them three specific things to pray for. First, I asked them to pray for my time in the boat. Because we were ministering on the islands, we would spend several hours a day in a small (about 25 feet) open boat. We would be cruising Lake Victoria, the second largest lake in the world. In fact, it was like a small sea. I sometimes have a tendency for motion sickness. Normally that is limited to going “round and round.” However, when it comes to waves and boats it can be “game on.”

My second prayer request was for an effective interpreter. When you speak with an interpreter, you say a few sentences then you pause, and he interprets what you said. Well, during my previous trips to another part of Uganda when I was teaching and preaching, my interpreter was very good. It was almost like he was an extension of me. I knew having a good interpreter would greatly impact the effectiveness of the trip. So I asked for prayer that God would send just the right man.

Finally, I asked my friends and family to pray that I wouldn’t wimp out. Now hang on–I’m not a newbie in the world of mission trips, but it was my first solo journey. There is a time to whine and a time not to whine. Is that in the book of Ecclesiastes? The bottom line is the time on any mission trip is too valuable to be a whiner. So, I needed to be flexible and remember this whole deal wasn’t about me but Him and them. There is saying for people who go on mission trips. It says, “Blessed are the flexible for they shall not break.” Amen, Lord, Amen.

So, for those of you who wonder if God answers prayer, the answer is, “He does.” When we pray for His will to be done and His purpose to be accomplished, hang on because those are prayers He loves to answer. To be direct and to the point—God answered the prayers of His kids clearly and specifically. First—no motion sickness. The lake was not calm–in fact one day we had whitecaps. Still—without a pill or a patch—I was totally free from motion sickness. That interpreter? God answered that prayer with a local pastor who was better than any other person I have worked with. He was so animated and led of the Lord—totally awesome. Last, wimping out? Well, those of you who know me best would probably have said, “Who is this guy?” One time when it was 10:00 pm and our supper had still not yet appeared, I almost whined but was able to stifle it. God was just incredibly good, and I came home with a full heart and a vision of how we could begin a ministry to the people who lived on the islands of Lake Victoria.

It is important to remember that God is not a genie with a magic lamp. God is not Santa Claus waiting to receive our wish list. God is not a vending machine where we put our quarter in and get what we want. God is God. And when we pray for His will to be done…amazing things can and do happen. John, one of Jesus’ closest disciples, said, “And we are confident that He hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases Him.” That is not a statute of limitations but rather an invitation to join God in His work. Let’s join God in a conversation…not just when you are in trouble…but rather every day. You will find that He is waiting and willing to have a chat with you. Oh, and don’t be surprised, when He responds, “Don’t worry, I’ve got that.” Bro. Dewayne

friends, Grace, gratitude, life, love, loving others, missions, prayer, priorities, Scripture, thankful, travel, Trials

I Can’t Hear You

Posted on February 16, 2023February 15, 2023 by Dewayne Taylor

But Peter said, “I don’t have silver or gold, but what I do have, I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!” Acts 3:6 (CSB)

I can’t hear you. A friend and I were standing on the shores of an island in Lake Victoria, Uganda, East Africa. He was telling a Jesus story to a man and trying to determine if he knew Jesus. While he was sharing another man walked up and began to listen. At the end of the story, we asked a couple of questions. The first man indicated that he knew this Jesus. The other did not. And he couldn’t hear.

Let me explain. It wasn’t that he had a hearing problem. His ears were working quite well. It wasn’t that he couldn’t understand. Our friend understood English and when we hit a bump our translator would jump in and help. But he couldn’t hear. Then he explained the problem. He said something like, “I can’t hear about this Jesus because my stomach is so hungry.”

Now hunger is not usually a big issue in Uganda. While the food may not be the best nutritionally it is usually sufficient in quantity. Our friend was one of the exceptions. For whatever reason he hadn’t eaten that day or maybe the day before. The growling of his stomach was blocking his heart from hearing the message. We tried to explain that while we may hunger here, God had a place in heaven where no one would be hungry. I decided to tell him another story from the Bible.

I told him the story of Peter and John entering the temple. You can read it in Acts 3:1-10. It goes something like this. There was a crippled man there who made a living begging. When he saw Peter and John, he thought they could help. He looked up expectedly and perhaps even lifted his hand to receive a coin or two. While his hand remained empty, he got something more than a coin. Peter said, “We don’t have silver or gold but what we do have we will give you. In the name of Jesus of Nazareth rise up and walk.”

As Peter reached his hand down and the man reached up, his ankles received healing strength and he stood and walked into the temple. I smugly smiled my preacher smile. The perfect story. The perfect truth. Eternal is better than temporary. Surely my friends would see it, and everyone would go their way happy. Only it didn’t happen.

I asked him “So what is better a few coins now or something that can change your life forever?” I, of course, expected him to agree that the gift of eternal life is certainly more and better than a few coins or a quick meal. His answer caught me totally off guard. He replied, “A few coins or some food.” What? I couldn’t believe what he was saying. Surely, he understood. Surely, I had made the story clear.

Then he said it. “Heaven is good, but I am hungry now. I need food now.” Well, sadly, he wandered off. Still hungry. Still lost. My friend continued to share with the first man but my heart was heavy and my mind on the other man. Suddenly, I saw him again standing a few yards away. It was then I heard the Whisperer whisper. It was short and simple. “Give him food” the Whisperer said. I had totally forgotten that in my backpack I had some tuna, chips, crackers for my own lunch. I dug several items from my bag, as did my friend.

I walked over to the man and said, “This isn’t much but I hope it will quieten your stomach so you can hear Jesus.” He quickly took the food and left. There’s no bow on the package, no happily ever after ending, no prayer to receive Jesus. But I know two things. I know he knew we cared, and I know he heard the truth and this time that had to be enough. Maybe the seed would sprout later…only eternity will tell.

I learned a couple of things that day. I learned that sometimes before we can share the Good News of the Gospel with a person, we need to touch them in a real tangible way. A casual God bless you and a pat on the back doesn’t do much for an anxious soul or a hungry stomach. We must talk Jesus, we must share Jesus, but we must be Jesus. Someone said, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”

In these crazy, troubling times people need more than a sermon—they need to know we care. How do we do that? That’s the second thing I learned. We must listen for the Whisperer. We need to be sensitive to His gentle nudges. We must still our own souls and hearts if we are to hear His gentle voice. These days call for new ways…different ways.

So, as you walk about life, keep your eyes open, your heart still and watch in wonder at what God can do through you. You don’t have to be in Africa to be on mission. That can happen, must happen right here, right now. And in these days of fear and frustration people are more ready to hear about God than ever before. What a privilege to be entrusted with God’s work. Up for the challenge? God believes so. Remember, He’s really big on you. So, rest in Him. He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

Family, gratitude, life, love, loving others, missions, prayer, priorities, Scripture, sovereignty of God, thankful, travel

Precious Memories

Posted on October 11, 2021October 10, 2021 by Dewayne Taylor

And we are confident that He hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases Him.” 1 John 5:14

Family, life, loving others, missions, Scripture, wisdom

Can You Say That Again?

Posted on July 27, 2021July 26, 2021 by Dewayne Taylor

All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

Strange things happen in Africa. For the past 12 or 13 years, our church has made regular trips to Africa. We began in Niger and later moved down to Mali. The last six years or so we have been working in Uganda. Regardless of what country, you can always count on Africa to give you plenty of unusual and strange sights. So, in some ways I wasn’t surprised.

We were on an island in Lake Victoria, Uganda. On any given trip we visit at least three or four different islands offering free medical care, children’s ministries, ladies ministries and visiting the people in their huts to tell them the stories of Jesus. The point of it all is to let them hear the Good News that there is a God who loves them—a lot. It was later in the afternoon, and we were winding down for the day. The medical clinic was finishing and four or five of us men were sitting in the shade under the “front porch” of one of the buildings.

So, we were talking and like I said you see some different things in Africa, so I wasn’t surprised when my friend said, “Look, there goes a woman with a peg leg.” Well, I turned around to look and didn’t see what he was talking about. I did see a lady some distance away but couldn’t see her peg leg. I mean, the only peg legs I knew about were in Peter Pan, so my curiosity was peaked.

I turned back around but didn’t say anything. But it stuck in my mind. After ten minutes or so, I just had to ask my friend about this strange sight. I said, “Tim, did you say something about a lady with a peg leg?” His expression told me I must have missed something. He gave me a perplexing look. All he could manage was a “uh?” I said, “You know, a few minutes ago you said you saw a lady with a peg leg.” He responded with, “No. I said I saw a man carrying a stringer of fish.” Silence. Snickers. Laughter.

Yup. Somewhere in the process of the conversation what was said and what I heard were two totally, and I mean totally, different things. There was no lady with a peg leg only a guy with a stringer of fish. You are probably wondering how I got “peg leg” out of “stringer of fish.” All I can say is strange things happen in Africa. I’m glad there wasn’t a crippled lady but the idea of a peg leg like Captain Cook’s sure did intrigue me.

And do you know what? Sometimes I think this happens with God and me. I think He is saying something, and I totally miss it. Does that happen to you? I think it’s more common than we think. We think we hear Him say, “You have the right to be mad” and in fact He’s saying, “Forgive.” We think we hear Him say, “Take” and actually He was saying, “Give.” Oh, and then we thought He said, “Quit” and He was saying, “Serve.” And it just goes on and on. We hear “Leave” and He is saying, “Stay.” We hear “Go ahead” and He is saying “Stop, wait, don’t.” Seems strange things don’t happen only in Africa. Smile.

So, I’m not sure what caused the totally humorous miscommunication in Uganda. It may have been my hearing, could have been the village noise…who knows. There may not have been a fix for that, however, when it comes to hearing God clearly there is something that will really help. It is His Word. In so many situations (though I’m not sure peg legs are one of them) the Bible gives us clear guidance.

Here is one thing you can count on. The voice of God (what we think we hear God saying) will not, ever, never, contradict the Word of God. If you think you hear Him saying, “Revenge” when someone has hurt you, you probably have “Peg Leg Syndrome.” If you think you hear Him saying, “Be afraid” when circumstances are frightful, you probably have “Peg Leg Syndrome.” You get the idea.

So, if you are talking with your friends and someone mentions a lady with a peg leg, you might want to ask for some clarification. And if you think you heard God say something that sounds a little not like Him, check the Book, and go to the source. Peg leg stories can be funny, but withholding forgiveness when it is ours to give, hating instead of loving, leaving too soon instead of staying…well, that can cause a lot of pain. And if you find yourself singing and living that 1974 hit “Wasted Days and Wasted Nights” it might just be a bad case of Peg Leg Syndrome. Just pull out the Book, read a little and rest in Him. He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

Family, fear, gratitude, life, loving others, missions, prayer, priorities, Scripture, sovereignty of God, thankful, travel, Trials, wisdom

Rocking on Lake Victoria

Posted on May 6, 2021May 5, 2021 by Dewayne Taylor

Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; He will neither fail you nor abandon you.” Deuteronomy 31:8

It was like something out of National Geographic. I was on a vision trip to Uganda several years ago and it was one adventure after another. I was working with a missionary who had a ministry to the people living on the islands of Lake Victoria. This massive lake is the second largest in the world and is more like an inland sea than a lake. There are places that you can lose sight of the shoreline and you feel very much like you are out on the ocean.

Our vessel was anything but an ocean liner. It was a handcrafted open vessel that was about twenty-five feet long and powered by a fire breathing dragon of a motor with a whopping ten horsepower. We would tear across the lake at a heart stopping ten miles an hour. Ok, there really wasn’t a fire breathing dragon effect, nor were we tearing across the lake, but it was a great adventure! Usually.

One day, after a long day of preaching and teaching, it was time to head back to our home island. We were a little late leaving and night was coming soon, so it was imperative that we begin heading back. Our boat was parked in a small, secluded harbor and from there we all loaded up. There were only about six of us in the boat and the small engine started and off we went. As soon as we left the harbor we were greeted by some rough water. The waves were large enough to be “white caps” and I gave the missionary a glance but he assured me that these were not big waves. Well, beauty is in the eye of the beholder and so is wave size. These were boat swallowing monsters. And then, after a few minutes, it happened.

As the pilot guided the boat and tried to determine just how to navigate the large waves…the motor quit. I mean, it just stopped. Suddenly, at least in my eyes, things got a bit more interesting. We could no longer navigate the waves, rather, we were at their mercy and no matter how hard the pilot pulled, the engine wouldn’t start. About then I began a worship service of sorts, part music, part prayer and part personal eulogy. You know, “Friends we are gathered here to honor the life of…” Meanwhile the pilot is still pulling on the motor and I kept praying.

Finally, one of the guys in the boat named Joseph went to work on the motor. Joseph is a young man that can do just about anything—from preaching to apparently fixing motors. The shorter version of a long story is that He proceeded to take the carburetor apart and “blow it out.” Now keep in mind we are still rocking like crazy…and I still am praying and preparing to die. But I had planned my funeral just a little too soon. Before long, Jospeh had the carburetor reassembled and back on the motor. Three or four quick pulls later and we were back “on the road.” The waves were still big (at least to me) but we were underway and eventually we arrived back at the other island. Safe—if not too sound.

It really was one of those times that I wished I had paid more attention at swimming lessons because I wasn’t totally sure of the outcome. But thankfully I did remember one thing. I remembered that whether I am rocking in a boat on the world’s second largest lake in East Africa or driving down the Interstate at 70 miles-per-hour surrounded by people looking at their cellphones or doing life in a tumultuous point in history, my Father, my Dearest Daddy, is in control. Fate and circumstances are not calling the shots—He is. And if that isn’t enough, we have the promise that the Lord will personally go ahead of us. He will be with us; He will neither fail us, nor will He abandon us.

Now to be clear that doesn’t mean that everything is going to turn out exactly as I would like. It doesn’t mean that I get to write the script and He has to follow it. Quite the contrary, He is writing the script and He invites me to trust Him and to believe that ultimately the end of the story is for my good and His glory. I’m learning that the story never ends here—it ends there. For the person who decides to trust Him there is always a surprise ending and that is—the end is not the end. We may change locations, but the story continues. How about that?

So, I survived that day on the lake and now have returned many times…each time taking others with me including the one that I love most on this earth—my wife, Judy. I do so knowing, that while there are risks, ultimately the pilot of the boat doesn’t sit at the back but up in heaven and He’s got his eye on us and everything we do. It’s true in East Africa and its true where you and I live. We can say with certainty that if we belong to Him, we don’t have to worry because, “He’s got this.” Bro. Dewayne

missions, Scripture, travel

Peg Leg Sally

Posted on May 22, 2020May 22, 2020 by Dewayne Taylor

“All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

Strange things happen in Africa. For the past 12 or 13 years, our church has made regular trips to Africa. We began in Niger and later moved down to Mali. The last six years or so we have been working in Uganda. Regardless of what country, you can count on Africa to give you plenty of unusual and strange sights. So in some ways I wasn’t surprised.

We were on an island in Lake Victoria, Uganda. On any given trip we visit at least three or four different islands offering free medical care, children’s ministries, ladies ministries and visiting the people in their huts to tell them the stories of Jesus. The point of it all is to let them hear the Good News that there is a God who loves them—a lot. So we were winding down the day. The medical clinic was finishing and four or five of us men were sitting in the shade under the “front porch” of one of the buildings.

So, we were talking and like I said you see some strange things in Africa so I wasn’t surprised when my friend said, “Look, there goes a woman with a peg leg.” Well, I turned around to look and didn’t see what he was talking about. I did see a lady some distance away but couldn’t see her peg leg. I mean, the only peg legs I knew about were in Peter Pan, so my curiosity was peaked.

I turned back around but didn’t say anything. But, it stuck in my mind. After ten minutes or so, I just had to ask my friend about this strange sight. I said, “Tim, did you say something about a lady with a peg leg?” His expression told me I must have missed something. He gave me a perplexing look. All he could manage was a “uh?” I said, “You know, a few minutes ago you said you saw a lady with a peg leg.” He responded with, “No. I said I saw a man carrying a stringer of fish.” Silence. Snickers. Laughter.

And do you know what? Sometimes I think this happens with God and me. I think He is saying something and I totally miss it. Does that happen to you? I think it’s more common than we think. We think we hear Him say, “You have the right to be mad” and in fact He’s saying, “Forgive.” We think we hear Him say, “Take” and really He was saying, “Give.” Oh, and then we thought He said, “Quit” and He was saying, “Serve.” And it just goes on and on. We hear “Leave” and He is saying, “Stay.” We hear “Go ahead” and He is saying “Stop, wait, don’t.” Seems strange things don’t happen only in Africa. Smile.

Talking about the Word of God, Paul said that it is good for learning, good for insight about what is wrong in our lives, good for correcting us when we are wrong and good for teaching us about how to live right. The Bible is an amazing Book. It has stood the test of time and, while there are different translations, there is not a version 4.3 because God got it right the first time. So if you are talking with your friends and someone mentions a lady with a peg leg, you might want to ask for some clarification. And if you think you heard God say something that sounds a little not like Him, check the Book, go to the source. Peg leg stories can be funny but withholding forgiveness when it is ours to give, hating instead of loving, leaving too soon instead of staying…well, that can cause a lot of pain. And if find yourself singing and living that 1974 hit “Wasted Days and Wasted Nights” it might just be a bad case of Peg Leg Syndrome. Just pull out the Book, read a little and rest in Him. He’s got this.