ministry – Grits with Grace

food, friends, Grace, life, Military memories, Scripture

Little Jack Horner

Posted on April 23, 2025April 19, 2025 by Dewayne Taylor

“Do not judge others, and you will not be judged.”Matthew 7:1

Little Jack Horner may have sat in a corner…but this time he didn’t. It was the late seventies, and we were living in Western Germany. I was serving in the Air Force and my wife Judy and I were having the time of our lives. We were still newlyweds and every day, and everything seemed to be an adventure. Even church stuff. God was and is a big part of our lives and that was true way back then too. We were blessed to have a great church family in Germany, and you might say we were up to our eyes involved. One of the things that we would do is go and visit people who came to church and visited us.

On one occasion a lady came to visit our church and we decided to return the favor. Her name was Carol Horner and she served in the Army. She was married but her husband didn’t do the church thing. He had a thing…it just wasn’t church. One Tuesday night we decided that we would go see Carol. Virtually no one had a phone in Germany, and this was long before cell phones so when we went to see someone, it was usually…unannounced. It’s funny but that sounds so strange today but back then it’s kind of what you did.

Carol and her stay-at-home husband lived on our base so that Tuesday we headed out to find their apartment. The housing on base consisted of several large multi-floor buildings. We found the building, which stairwell and away we went. After climbing several flights of stairs, we found ourselves at Carol’s door. We knocked. Soon we could hear the sound of feet, so we at least knew someone was home. Well, the door opened, a little, and there was the face of Carol. We were bubbly and she was surprised…and, uh, a little apprehensive.

She knew who we were, we had met at church, and we told her we were just out visiting folks and would like to come in for a few minutes. She hesitated, suggesting maybe it wasn’t a good time, but Mr. and Mrs. Bubbles, politely pressed the cause and after a minute or two Carol explained her hesitation. It turns out that her husband Jack, was, uh, a nudist and actually, at that moment he was sitting in the living room…eating spaghetti and dressed only with a dinner napkin. I know you are thinking this couldn’t be true…but it was. And, what happened next, is too.

We were persistent that night, maybe too persistent, and suggested maybe Jack would be willing to get dressed so we could visit. She checked and he finally agreed to lay a dish towel across his lap. We went in to find, Jack, who definitely was not little, with a small dish towel on his lap, joyfully eating a plate full of spaghetti on a TV tray. Though he didn’t miss a beat…we might have. Have you ever heard about the white elephant in the room? Well, that night there was definitely a white elephant in the room.

We chatted, ok, we tried to chat with Carol as Jack smacked and slurped his spaghetti down. It seems he did make one or two comments about his choice of clothing, or lack thereof, but other than that he ignored us as we tried to return the favor. Well, we didn’t stay too long and soon it was time to call it a night. We told Jack it was good to meet him and was grateful he didn’t stand up as we left. Carol showed us to the door and there she told us that she was grateful that we came by. I’m sure because of the circumstances she didn’t get a lot of company. We had a short prayer with her and said goodnight.

As I remember she became a regular attender at our church and no, Jack, never did. I’m sure he couldn’t decide what to wear. Smile. Two things were true about that night. First, of all the visits Judy and I have made through the years, nothing ever came close to Jack Horner and his towel. To this day, he occasionally comes up in our conversation when we have spaghetti. Second, though, is something more important. Somehow, some way, Judy and I got something right that night. We managed not to judge Jack and to make Carol feel welcomed and appreciated.

Being humans, we don’t always get it right, do we? But that night reminds me that people are just people and regardless of how crazy it might seem, we just need to leave the judging to the Judge and leave the stones on the ground where they belong. Jesus said that if we are wise enough not to judge we will find that people are less likely to judge us. That’s good advice. I don’t remember Judy and I gossiping about Jack. I don’t believe there were harsh whispers as we descended the stairs but there probably were some smiles and giggles. You see, you just never know what you will find on a Tuesday night. As I think of Jack sitting in his chair that night, I am reminded of one thing. No matter what, “He’s got this.” Bro. Dewayne

Family, friends, Grace, gratitude, life, love, loving others, priorities, Scripture, sovereignty of God, thankful

Thank You

Posted on May 30, 2024May 29, 2024 by Dewayne Taylor

I always thank my God for you.” 1 Corinthians 1:4

It was a day to remember. The time finally came. After a whole bunch of praying and pondering Judy and I came to the decision that it was time for us to start writing a new chapter. So, to start something new we had to regretfully leave the current chapter. It was one of the hardest things we have ever done…and over 42 years we had to do it four times. God allowed me to pastor four churches over the past forty-two years and and each one was a wonderful blessing and each one was easy to love and hard to say goodbye by to.

We joyfully served at Dorrisville Baptist for the past twenty-four years and what a bouquet of blessings it has been. They were a graceful church family which was good because I am one of those pastors who needed a lot of grace. We learned to laugh together, cry together, succeed together and, yes, fail together. It was a pretty good snapshot of life. Well, in typical Dorrisville style they planned a wonderful day of celebration. And believe me…it was both wonderful and a celebration.

We worshipped and I preached and then for the next thirty minutes or so the church honored Judy and me in a way that lodged in our hearts for the rest of our days. A special friend sang a special song, several gifts were presented and then Judy and I had the opportunity to try and say thank you thank you. I rediscovered two things. First, yes, there are times when words escape me. Tried as I may there weren’t words to say thank you to all the wonderful people who attended that day. There were even a bunch of folks from Cobden First where I was pastoring when we came to Dorrisville. Second, I am convinced sometimes 26 letters in our alphabet are just not enough to make the words we sometimes need.

Well, despite some terrible weather, despite it being Memorial Day weekend with more than a few families on vacation, we were so blessed and so grateful. In the movie, “Mr. Holland’s Opus,” at his retirement from a fruitful teaching career he was honored with a grand celebration. Well, move over Mr. Holland, because this is one preacher who felt so honored, loved and appreciated, well, he just can’t get over it.

To the four churches who trusted me to be their pastor, to the hundreds and maybe thousands of people I was honored to serve with, to the families we laughed with and sometimes cried with, thank-you. While this chapter is closing, the memories will always be alive and well. And while this chapter is closing, those who walked with us over the last four decades will never fade from our memories. We love you. Oh, and don’t ever forget…no matter what…He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

Family, friends, Grace, gratitude, life, love, loving others, Military memories, priorities, Scripture, Southern born, sovereignty of God, thankful

A Grits Love Story

Posted on February 14, 2023February 13, 2023 by Dewayne Taylor

Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.” Genesis 2:18

It happened just like that. I love grits…a lot. I know some of you have no idea what grits are and have never tried them. If you are from the North, I understand. If you are from the South, well, that’s just inexcusable. The problem with grits is that people want to mess with them by adding things like sugar and milk. Listen…you don’t mess with Texas, and you don’t mess with grits. When you add those two things to grits it changes their DNA and whatever it becomes is no longer grits. It may be the same consistency, but sugar and milk rob grits of their heart and soul.

There are things you can add to grits. The first three things on the list are salt, pepper and butter. Grits were meant to be seasoned so don’t think a sprinkle of this, or a dash of that will get the job done. You need to grab the saltshaker and get serious and do the same thing with the pepper. Someone will say that salt is bad for your blood pressure. Well, some things are worth the sacrifice. The other things that bring grits to life are bacon, cheese and amazingly, shrimp. I’m telling you…grits are not the breakfast of champions…grits are the champion of breakfast. If you learn to eat them right…you will never go back and the only question you will ask is, “Why did it take me so long?

I should have asked that question sooner in another season of my life. It was late summer of 1974 and I was coming out of a relationship that had gone on way too long. It was just time for it to end and it did. I was in the Air Force and trust me an Air Force base nine miles from town in South Georgia can be a lonely place. Imagine a bowl of grits without the salt, pepper, and butter and that was me. And then on a Wednesday night I decided to go to a local church. Now I had done church all of my life, but walking into a strange church, by myself, on a Wednesday night, was not in my comfort zone. But this bowl of grits needed some seasoning. So, I went hoping I would meet someone who might add some seasoning to my life. And, just like that, it happened.

That night, I walked in the side door of the church and there was a small group of young ladies standing by the piano. One, and only one, caught my eye. Her name was Judy Allen, and that night was the beginning of a love story that has now stretched into a 46-year adventure of life and love. I guess she was a little too young and maybe I was a little too old, but it was a different time and the bottom line…we fell in love. That Georgia peach stole my heart and has never given it back. I never thought of it this way, but I guess grits and peaches go together after all.

Through the decades and years, we have journeyed together…sometimes across town and sometimes across the world. We built a legacy together that includes our three daughters, their husbands, and our grandkids…all eight of them. We first served our country together as an Air Force family and then served our God as a team—side by side in four different churches over 39 years. At each stop, I was the grits, and she was the seasoning. She was and is a gifted servant in her own right, but she was also the salt, pepper, and butter that made me a better bowl of grits, a better man…a better pastor. I fully understand what God meant when He said in Genesis, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.” Well, thank you God for that one.

Grits (what I write not the ones you eat) is just one more example of her seasoning me—encouraging me. She had been nudging me for years to write and I simply wouldn’t listen. And then COVID came along and on a whim, I wrote a very short story and posted it and almost a year later my fingers are still mashing keys. What you may not know is that Judy once again was there to season my frail attempts. She developed the blog and the Facebook page, and she proofs my words then designs the graphics. She adds flavor to Grits—and our life and our ministry.

So, on purpose and without apology, let me tell her and you, just how much I love her and how grateful I am for the seasonings she has brought to my life. There are two things I know. First, I can’t imagine what life would have been if I hadn’t gone to church that night. See, you oughta go to church! But second, I can’t imagine what life would have been if this particular someone, by God’s amazing grace, hadn’t walked with me all these years. It seemed she always knew just how much salt, how much pepper and how much butter to add to this ole bowl of grits…and I love her for it.

So, there you go. It’s a grits love story. If you’ve tried grits (the kind you eat…not the ones you’re reading) and didn’t like them…you probably just didn’t have them seasoned right. You might want to give them another try. And if you have someone in your life that, honestly, just feels a little bland, like grits without the good stuff, don’t give up on them. Go ahead and be the seasoning in their life. You might be amazed, just like I was, how a little salt, a little pepper, and some butter can make a bowl of ground corn taste amazingly good. Oh, and then, don’t forget to also thank God because He’s the One who made it all possible anyway. I’ve learned, and I am still learning, “He’s got this.” Bro. Dewayne