neighbor – Grits with Grace

Family, friends, Grace, gratitude, heaven, life, love, loving others, Mother's Day, priorities, Scripture, Southern born, thankful

Momma and Her Day

Posted on May 11, 2023May 10, 2023 by Dewayne Taylor

Jesus also did many other things. If they were all written down, I suppose the whole world could not contain the books that would be written.” John 21:25

The older I get the more precious the memories become. This Sunday homes across America will be observing Mother’s Day. While I always assumed that Hallmark or Russell Stover’s came up with the idea, apparently, I was wrong. It turns out that Mother’s Day as we know it began in the early 1900s. A woman named Anna Jarvis started a campaign for an official holiday honoring mothers in 1905, the year her own mother died. The first larger-scale celebration of the holiday was in 1908, when Jarvis held a public memorial for her mother in her hometown of Grafton, West Virginia.

Over the next few years, Jarvis pushed to have the holiday officially recognized as it was celebrated in more and more states across America. Finally, in 1914, President Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation making Mother’s Day an official holiday, to take place the second Sunday of May. Well, whether it was Hallmark’s idea or Anna Jarvis, it certainly was a winner. The bottom line is when God gave the childbearing and a chunk of childrearing to Eve instead of Adam, He did a good thing. If it was left up to the guys, the population of the world would probably be 53 and without a mother’s love and influence…things just wouldn’t be the same. Mothers are change makers.

Something that I have come to realize is that Mother’s Day is bigger than those who give physical birth to someone. While that is so important, let’s not stop there. It is even bigger than those who welcomed a child through adoption, and it exceeds those who foster children. Mothering includes all the women who have poured their lives into the lives of others. It could be a caring schoolteacher, a loving church member or the neighbor down the street who cares. Mother’s Day is a big deal and right fully so.

And then of course, and guys this is for you, don’t forget to honor the mother of your children. She deserves a prize for marrying and living with you. I know in my life, as much as my Daddy played a role in raising me, Momma outshined him. In so many ways, she was my hero. I only wish I could have seen it more clearly then. Time and again she was there to nurse, guide, prod and yes admonish me on my journey to becoming a man.

I remember the time I was so sick, and she held me gently in her lap, in the middle of the night, till my fever broke or my tummy settled, and I could fall to sleep. I remember the time that a couple of bullies from junior high were going to plummet me. I was outgunned and outnumbered until Momma stepped up and stepped in. I remember in second grade I forgot an important assignment and Mrs. Webb had everyone convinced that they would stay in second grade forever if they didn’t turn it in. Yup, it was Momma who stopped her world to save mine.

I remember when I had a new pair of jeans, a rare gift, and while I was horseback riding, I was shoved into a tree by the horse and ripped a huge hole in one leg. Nowadays it would be fashionable—then it was an embarrassment. Somehow, someway, she managed to fix it. Oh, and I remember hundreds of suppers and dozens of pies and homemade fruitcake with grandma’s recipe. And on and on it would go. Everyday something said, “I love you.” Oh, and for the record, just like your Momma, my Momma wasn’t perfect, but she sure had a way of saying, “I love you.” She raised eight kids, and I got the privilege of being last and, though no one would admit it, her favorite.

The Bible says that if all the things that Jesus did were written down the whole world couldn’t hold the books. Well, that would be an exaggeration for any momma, but I do know this. If I could remember just half of all that my Momma did for me, for our family, well this story would be a whole lot longer. Momma went to heaven when I was only 24 years old and she never met any of my children but hopefully as we trust Jesus, like she did, God will remedy that…one day. Until then, I want to say, “Thank you, Momma” for always being there. Thank you, Judy, for being an incredible wife, mother to our children and Mama to our grandchildren. And finally, to all you ladies who have poured your lives into the lives of others, thanks for making a difference. Thanks for never giving up and always believing, “He’s got this.” Bro. Dewayne

Family, fear, forgiveness, friends, Grace, life, love, loving others, prayer, Scripture, Southern born

Got Squirrels

Posted on December 14, 2022December 4, 2022 by Dewayne Taylor

I am able to do all things through Him who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13

I just can’t seem to win. It seemed we had a wildlife saga in our backyard. I know I have told you about the difficult time I had trying to feed the birds in our backyard. You see my friends the birds left when the food ran out. It kinda hurt my feelings. Well, I apologized and went and bought some food and a couple of new feeders and they slowly came back! Boy, they are fair weather friends! But that isn’t the only problem.

I also had squirrel issues. With winter they visit by attic, the back yard, the side yard and every other part of the yard—frequently. They eat Judy’s flower bulbs, they dig holes everywhere burying nuts for the winter and then if there is any in the feeders, they eat that too. That wouldn’t be a big deal except they want to eat all the bird food—every expensive morsel. Now there are a couple of options here. On the one hand we can use some friendly means to dissuade them from visiting—you know, perhaps a 12-gauge shotgun. The other is to embrace them—remember the Bible says, “if you enemy is hungry…feed them.”

Now if the truth were known, I think sometimes (like when they eat her tulip bulbs) Judy would lean toward the 12 gauge…I’m not sure if the intent would be to scare them off or make squirrel stew. Somehow, though, that just doesn’t seem like the right option. It’s not that I am not that merciful–it’s just that they are so cotton-picking cute, and you have to admire their persistence. So, I was prepared to at least help them coexist with us. And then one day, they ate my bird feeder—literally.

As I said I went to a local store and bought a new finch feeder—the kind that is supposed to discourage anything but a finch from feeding there. Well, the designers hadn’t considered these squirrels. In one day, they chewed it up, spit it out and consumed the bird food. I decided it had to be a design flaw so I took it back to the store to see if they would give me a new one—they laughed.

So, why not use the 12 gauge and save the money? Well, first I live in the city limits, and they frown on discharging a firearm. But the truth is they are God’s creation, and they have those big brown eyes…the ones that make them look so pitiful…you know, hungry and everything. As you know, the Bible says we should “love our neighbor” and I suppose that could include squirrels. We’ve also know we are to be “merciful just like God is merciful.” Do you remember why? “Because He forgives the ungrateful and wicked.” I am certain these squirrels fit both categories.

So, I am working through this. Tracking with Romans 12, I’m going down the “love thy enemy” checklist. Feeding—check! Water—Check! Merciful—check! Forgiving—check! I believe before long the squirrels and I will be best buds. In fact, maybe this is just practice for loving others who, like the squirrels, are a bit difficult. You see, the scripture isn’t talking about squirrels anyway; it is talking about our family, our friends, our neighbors—and yes, our enemies. Let me clue you in—loving them is sometimes a whole lot tougher than loving that cute little squirrel.

So, got squirrels? Just give in and go to the store and buy some corn. They will still eat your bird food but maybe, just maybe, they’ll be so full of corn they will eat less of the bird food. Got some folks tough to love? Apply the Word, invite God into the situation and get ready for some work (on your part) and perhaps a miracle (on His part). Hey, none of us are perfect. We all have our warts, and we all have our weak spots. Just remember how God goes to great lengths to show you His love every day. He will never grow weary of loving us. Never has, never will. When you get all worked up over an overeating squirrel or an unkind or difficult neighbor—just take a break and rest in Him. He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

Family, friends, Grace, gratitude, life, loving others, priorities, Scripture, thankful, Trials

Danny

Posted on March 18, 2022March 17, 2022 by Dewayne Taylor

Jesus wept.” John 11:35

It still gives me reason to pause. It was years ago…more than ten but less than twenty. A couple of the people in the story belong to me—one by blood and one by marriage. The other, Danny, was a stranger that they encountered. As they causally bumped into each other that day, their lives were changed…maybe not forever but for the moment. But every time this story is told, the change lives on.

It all started when my son-in-law Blake and his wife and my daughter Sarah were taking a walk. After a while, they noticed a man walking his bike down the sidewalk coming towards them. As he drew closer, they noticed he had a military bag full of stuff and looked exhausted and was limping and wearing a pair of broken-down old shoes. As they passed, he politely said hello even joking about his limp and how he was walking off some blisters he had.

After they walked on a few more feet it struck Blake that this guy was probably homeless—obviously lonely and hurting. At that moment Blake turned to my daughter and said they should at least try to help him. So, they hurried home and Blake found a nearly new pair of shoes, some socks, and a bag of snacks and drinks and headed out to find his new friend. He found him a block or so away. He said, “Hey man what size shoe do you wear?” He replied he didn’t know what size he wore and then began to share some of his story. He had a “hard, knock life.”

He explained to Blake that he had hit a rough time after coming home from serving in the military and had just had a terrible day—probably not the only one he had experienced. After talking for a few minutes, Blake offered him the shoes and socks and told him he hoped this would help with the blisters. He then offered him the food and drinks. It was obvious the man hadn’t eaten in a while and when he saw the food, his broad smile was better than any spoken thank you. Then, they exchanged names and a handshake and Danny went his way and Blake his. Then…something unexpected happened to Blake.

Blake told me later that as he walked away, he began to cry and with each step away from Danny, the tears flowed more freely. Some say real men don’t cry and that of course is not true. The Bible says that the greatest man ever to live shed some tears. In the shortest verse in the New Testament, it says, “Jesus wept.” But those two words speak volumes. It speaks of a Man who wasn’t afraid to touch the untouchable or love the unlovable. It speaks of a man who was willing to give what He had to help others—including His own life.

My son-in-law would tell you he doesn’t always get it right. He would tell you that he is in fact far from perfect. But this father-in-law will tell you this is one time he knocked it out of the park—a walk-off homer. And all he did was what all of us should do…love our neighbor. If we are Jesus followers that is not only expected—it should be a rite of passage. To follow Jesus, we should be like Jesus. That day Blake did something that Jesus would have done. First, he saw and then he did something. How cool is that?

Blake said that he was moved, struck, with the reality that there are people all around us that are hurting…beat up and cast down by life and it’s crazy circumstances. That day, Blake didn’t even have the money to buy Danny a meal, but do you know what he did? He did what he could and that was enough. So, how about you? The next time you find a someone who looks a little like Danny, will you do what you can? Will I? I know it can be risky, but I also know that it is always pleasing to our Heavenly Father.

We don’t have to be zillionaires to make a difference. That day, Blake was broke, but he discovered a great lesson—the power of a simple gift, a kind word, and warm handshake. And whether he knew it or not, he also discovered that there is a God, some of us call Him Dearest Daddy, who loves us and loves it when we act like Him. He also found out what I and perhaps you, already know, “He’s got that.” Bro. Dewayne

Family, Grace, gratitude, Integrity, life, loving others, priorities, Scripture, thankful

The Estate Sale

Posted on November 5, 2021 by Dewayne Taylor

If anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or straw, each one’s work will become obvious.” 1 Corinthians 3:12-13

It appeared in my next-door neighbor’s yard. It wasn’t unexpected…in fact it was quite the opposite. My wife Judy and I have lived here at 217 for just over 21 years. In our immediate area we are the “old-timers” in the neighborhood. When we moved in we were surrounded with older—significantly older—neighbors. We enjoyed each one but slowly over time, time took its toll and they passed away. Well, the neighborhood has changed some over the years and more change is coming.

The neighbor who owned the house next door to us is now gone too and they are doing what families often have to do and that is cleaning out the house and preparing it to be sold. They lived in this house forever—decades and decades. And as is always the case, they accumulated a lot of stuff. Having visited in their home several times, they had gathered many beautiful treasures along their journey. Beautiful antiques of all sorts were scattered throughout the home. Some will be saved by family members, and some will be sold at an upcoming estate sale.

If you have ever lived in a house for a long time, you know how easy it is to accumulate stuff. I know Judy and I often look around our home and marvel at the stuff we have—and need to clear out. If we don’t, well, someday someone will. Well, a truck came the other day and dropped off a monster dumpster at our neighbor’s house. A day later came a crew of several men and women with one mission: to clear the clutter. Their job was to begin going through the house and discarding the stuff that no one in their right mind would want. It was a daunting task to say the least. In a matter of hours that monstrous dumpster was filled and overflowing and there is more, much more, to go.

When it comes time for the sale, I want to go over and see if there is a small treasure that I can purchase to remember our neighbors by. They were good folks. I remember one time when I had just moved in, I was mowing my grass and my new neighbor, and I were chatting and I mentioned that it was the second time in a week I had to mow the grass. He said, in all seriousness but not a drop of meanness, “Dewayne, you don’t have grass—you have weeds.” I still smile today when I think of that exchange.

So, let me ask you a question. What treasures and what clutter do we have in our lives. Now, I’m not talking about our homes…I am talking about our everyday, journey through life, lives. I know in my life there are things that I treasure—my faith, my family with all its crazy ups and downs, my character and reputation, my precious memories—well, you get the point. Just like you, I have so many things that fill my life with joy and purpose. They may not bring much at an estate sale, but they were extremely valuable to me.

But honestly, there is a lot of clutter too. Often, they are part of the bumps and bruises that naturally occur in life. There’s a broken heart here, a scarred memory there and too many unkind words—both spoken by me and received by me. There are missed opportunities and unwise decisions and well, once again, you get the idea. These all are things that need to go in a dumpster—not later in preparation for our “estate sale” but now. You see, the more emotional and hurtful clutter we clear discard now the more room there will be for the treasures that matter.

One day Paul, the guy that wrote a chunk of the New Testament was talking about treasures and clutter. He wrote that each life would consist of treasures—gold, silver and precious stones and clutter—wood, hay and stubble. Then he said that only the treasures will last. I’m gonna go one step further and say that only the treasures should last. The rest, the clutter, need to go into the dumpster—today. In the movie, Frozen, the song encouraged us to, “let it go.” Well, I think today would be a good day, to let the clutter go and begin now to make more room for the things that matter the treasures.

Our lives go by so quickly, let’s not waste a minute. Let’s be wise enough to make the most of every day so that when the estate sale of our life is held, we will need only a very small dumpster to hold the regrets. Need a little help sorting through it all? Well, I am sure that God would love to help you with that…after all, He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

Family, forgiveness, Grace, life, Scripture, thankful, Trials, wisdom

Between a Rock & a Hard Place

Posted on July 15, 2021July 14, 2021 by Dewayne Taylor

Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God—who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly—and it will be given to him.” James 1:5

Dewayne, we have a problem.” It was Judy got my attention as I was going out to the garage to get something. I think I know how it must have felt when the crew of Apollo 13 uttered those now famous words, “Houston…we have a problem.” I had started painting our upstairs bathroom. You need to know I am no Michelangelo, and this was not going to be a Mona Lisa. Into that melee came the news. “We” have a problem.

I quickly explained to Judy that I didn’t have time for a problem. My paint was drying and some of it was in the wrong place, like the floor. She told me there was a cat trapped in her car. Wait. What? Now the night before she had told me she saw a cat go in our garage and I should check before I closed it up for the night. About 9.30, I went out and did the “here, ktty, kitty” thing, shined my flashlight around in the corners and such. No cat. “Good.” I said. Or not.

Now it turns out our homeless friend didn’t move on—he moved in. The crazy part was that it took up residence in the engine compartment of her car. Silly cat. I was going to say, “Stupid cat” but I thought you might think me harsh. So anyway, I left the drying paint in the bathroom to attempt a rescue. It was about then that I discovered why it is so expensive to work on Volkswagen cars. You open the hood to only discover that every square inch is stuffed with something. And somewhere in all of that was the cat. Silly cat.

A friend was there with Judy and all three of us looked and prodded, we called and cooed and saw nothing, we just heard the occasional meow of the cat. Judy volunteered to look if I jacked up the car to see if we could see underneath. I did and she couldn’t. It was time to call in the calvary. I called my neighbor Jared, who manages a local tire place. Surely, he would have an idea. As we waited for him to arrive, we continued to prod and poke, coo and call. In my sweetest voice I kept saying, “Hey silly cat, come here silly cat.” I wanted to say stupid cat, but I was trying to be Christian about this whole deal.

Then it happened. The cat, who turned out to be the cutest kitten south of Chicago wiggled out of its tight spot and ran to the corner of the garage. We then moved from poking and prodding under the hood to poking and prodding in the corner filled with stuff we didn’t need. Cute or not this kitten was about to mash my button. Not to bore you with details but four grown adults spent the next ten minutes chasing this cute little silly cat from one corner of the garage to the other. From behind the washer and dryer to the corner of no return, we played hide and seek. Finally, the cute little kitten saw the light of day, ran through our friends hands and legs and out the door. Game. Set. Match.

The cute little silly kitten was on the run and that was all that mattered. Jared went back to work, the ladies went on with life, and I went upstairs to scape dried paint off the floor and I know I heard this kitten laughing from across the street. So, what is up with all this? Surely the kitten knew better. Surely, he or she knew the danger of living under the hood of a car- but probably not. To the cute little kitten, it was just a place to hide.

You see the kitten wasn’t silly, the kitten wasn’t stupid (well, not really stupid anyway). The kitten just lacked experience. It was naive. It hadn’t lived long enough to understand the dangers of garage living. And do you know what? That is true of a lot of us. Solomon, the wisest guy to ever live, wrote in Proverbs, “I saw among the inexperienced, I noticed among the youths, a young man lacking sense.” And the crazy part was that it had nothing to do with age. We have all made some crazy decisions at one time or another. Too often we just throw common sense to the wind and well, we end up with a train wreck.

The good news is that God is in the train wreck avoidance business. That’s what He led the half-brother of Jesus to write in James 1:5, “Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God—who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly—and it will be given to him.” If we would do that one simple thing, we could avoid a lot of painful situations. Just stop for a moment, ask God if this is the wise thing to do, and wait for an answer. By the way, silence might be an answer, so don’t miss it.

Well, I hope our cute little kitten found a new place to live and hopefully it wasn’t in someone’s engine compartment. And I hope we will learn to trust a wise, loving Father to give us the wisdom we need to live better lives with fewer regrets and better consequences. You know He loves you, don’t you? He wants you to come to Him and rest in the safety of His arms. He wants you to know He has this. And He does. Bro. Dewayne

Grace, life, love, loving others, missions, Scripture, Trials

Easy Preaching…Hard Living

Posted on July 9, 2021July 8, 2021 by Dewayne Taylor

“Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.” James 1:2

It sounded so good when I said it. So I am a pastor/teacher which means I get to tell people about the Bible and how they should do this and do that. I really enjoy teaching and the truth is life is just better when we follow what the Bible says. It really is so much more than a rule book. It tells us all about God but it also gives us His guidelines for living. I have discovered that when I follow what it says, my life has fewer regrets and smaller consequences. Trust me, it works.

The bottom line is talking is easier than doing. It is one thing to stand up before a bunch of people and teach something and quite another to do it. We call it “easy preaching and hard living” and that is especially true when it comes to living, working and dealing with people. That is probably why the Bible talks a whole lot about loving people. Its pretty amazing but you can sum up a whole bunch of the Bible with four words…love God…love people. That may be only 17 letters but they are filled to the brim with impact.

I talked about loving your neighbor as yourself a couple of week ago. Oh, man, did it go well. I talked about loving people like Jesus loves us and how if we experienced love from Him we should be willing to share that same love. Yup…it preached really good. I know I left church ready to love the world. For example, imagine this.

Let’s pretend, you know, hypothetically speaking, there was a family that bought a house in a quiet, historic neighborhood. Imagine that one of the residents welcomed the new neighbors and told them how glad they were to have them in the neighborhood. Then a day or two later the old neighbors began hearing a very loud, very large dog barking and realized it was coming from the direction of the new neighbors. Apparently, they had a big dog who wasn’t happy and decided to let his displeasure be known…to the whole world.

Well, now imagine that one neighbor talked to another neighbor and it was decided that someone should talk to the new neighbor about the situation. So one of the neighbors went down and very kindly asked if they could maybe encourage their dog to not bark quite as loud or often. The new neighbors were very understanding and said they would keep the dog inside more. Wouldn’t that kind? All the neighbors decided that these neighbors were gonna be easy to love.

Then, imagine that a cat just shows up in the other neighbor’s yard and it belonged to the new kids on the block. And, horror of horrors, it is looking for breakfast and on the menu is bird…the neighbor’s birds. So, let’s pretend that old neighbor goes down and asks the new neighbors to please keep their precious kitty at home. Well, they were nice but said the cat couldn’t stay inside because it wouldn’t use the litter box. Hmmmm…wouldn’t that be…shall we say…more difficult.

Then, and remember this is all hypothetical, the new neighbors decided one dog was not enough so they added two full grown German shepherds and another large “I’m not sure what it is” dog for a total of four. Then imagine that these dogs are a tight knit group meaning when one barks they all bark…a lot. So as a result, if all this were real, the nice, quiet historic neighborhood wouldn’t be quite as quiet as it was. I bet the old neighbors would have to do a lot of learning about patiently, loving neighbors. They would probably realize that Jesus stuff can be quite challenging.

Well, of course, this is all just hypothetical but the truth is when Jesus walked the earth for those three years, it often wasn’t easy for Him either. But regardless of who and what…He loved people and He told His followers that they were to do the same. As Jesus followers we are not only to love when it is easy…we are to love period. We are to love our neighbor…even those hypothetical ones with large dogs who like to bark…a lot. We are to love our neighbor, even the hypothetical ones, who might have a cat that likes to eat birds…our birds. We are to love our neighbors…period. No if’s, no and’s and no but’s.

James, the half-brother of Jesus told us that we should count it joy when we have trials. A preacher I know (that would be me) is going to say in an upcoming sermon that the orchard where patience and love grow is often difficult but the fruit is oh so sweet. And that is the truth. So, not hypothetically, I’m going to do my best to love my neighbor. You see, we need to make sure that they know we love Jesus and because we love Jesus…we love them. Is it going to be challenging? Absolutely but if I understand the Book correctly, we don’t have to go it alone. He’s got this.

Family, forgiveness, Grace, life, loving others, prayer, Scripture, wisdom

Got Squirrels?

Posted on October 23, 2020 by Dewayne Taylor

I am able to do all things through Him who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13

I just can’t seem to win. It seems we have a continuing wildlife saga in our backyard. I know I have told you about the difficult time I have been having trying to feed the birds in our backyard. You see my friends the birds left when the food ran out. It kinda hurt my feelings. Well, I apologized and went and bought some food and a couple of new feeders and they are slowly coming back! Boy, are they fair weather friends! But that isn’t the only problem.

I also have squirrel issues. With winter coming on they are visiting the back yard, the side yard, and every other part of the yard—frequently. They eat Judy’s flower bulbs, they dig holes everywhere burying nuts for the winter, and then for fun they eat the bird food. That wouldn’t be a big deal but they want to eat all the bird food—every expensive morsel. Now there are a couple of options here. On the one hand we can use some friendly means to dissuade them from visiting—you know, perhaps a 12 gauge shotgun. The other is to embrace them—remember the Bible says “if you enemy is hungry…feed them.”

Now if the truth were known, I think sometimes (like when they eat her tulip bulbs) Judy would lean toward the 12 gauge…I’m not sure if the intent would be to scare them off or make squirrel stew. Somehow, though, that just doesn’t seem like the right option. It’s not that I am not that merciful–it’s just that they are so cotton-picking cute and you have to admire their persistence. So, I was prepared to at least help them coexist with us. And then they ate my bird feeder—literally.

As I said I went to a local store and bought a new finch feeder—the kind that is supposed to discourage anything but a finch from feeding there. Well, the designers hadn’t taken into account these squirrels. In one day, they chewed it up, spit it out and consumed the bird food. I decided it had to be a design flaw so I took it back to the store to see if they would give me a new one—they laughed.

So, why not use the 12 gauge and save the money? Well, first I live in the city limits and they frown on discharging a firearm. But the truth is they are God’s creation and they have those big brown eyes…the ones that make them look so pitiful…you know, hungry and everything. As you know, we’ve been learning to “love thy neighborhood” and I suppose that could include squirrels. We’ve also been learning about how we should “be merciful just like God is merciful.” Do you remember why? “Because He forgives the ungrateful and wicked.” I am certain these squirrels fit both categories.

But do you know what? We can do it. Remember that verse in the Bible we all love…the one that says we can do anything with God’s help? Well, it’s time we move from memorizing it and begin applying it. With His help we can love and care for the most difficult of those who live around us and impact our lives. And do you know what else? We are never more like Jesus than when we are kind and loving to those who deserve it the least. I know…I know, we think we are the most like Jesus when we don our Sunday best and head to church. The truth is we are most like Jesus when we act like Jesus. And, when we truly act like Jesus, all the people around us take notice. They stop “eating our lunch” and begin wanting what we have…Him. Amazing. So, got squirrels? Just give in and go to the store and buy some corn. They will still eat your bird food but maybe, just maybe, they’ll be so full of corn they will eat less of the bird food. Got some folks tough to love? Apply the Word, invite God into the situation and get ready for some work (on your part) and perhaps a miracle (on His part). Hey, none of us are perfect. We all have our warts and we all have our weak spots. Just remember how God goes to great lengths to show you His love every day. He will never grow weary of loving us. Never has, never will. When you get all worked up over an overeating squirrel or an unkind or difficult neighbor—just take a break and rest in Him. He’s got this.

Family, Grace, gratitude, life, loving others, Scripture, Southern born

“No Trespassing”

Posted on July 31, 2020July 30, 2020 by Dewayne Taylor

Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” John 13:35

It was kinda confusing. A while back I was walking in our neighborhood. It was early in the morning and the birds were singing, the sun was shining and as Mister Rogers would say, “It was a beautiful day in the neighborhood.” As I was walking I would look at the different houses and their yards. I noticed that several, well actually more than several, of the homes had “no trespassing” signs in their yard or stuck on the house. One home had six or seven signs and about a half dozen security cameras. I think they must have had something really important inside.

I’m not sure what the deal is but probably there is a valid reason. But being from the South, we generally didn’t stick “no trespassing” signs up in our yard. More than likely we stuck up a “hey, y’all come on in” sign. Of course, that was several decades ago and maybe now they have some not so friendly signs down South too. At any rate this is America and you can pretty much put up what you want as long as it isn’t too mean. But then there was one house that kinda confused me.

As you probably can guess they had a “no trespassing” sign up. But right next to the “no trespassing” sign they had a big “welcome” sign. It caused me to wonder. Which one was correct? I didn’t know if I was welcome to come up on the porch and sit or if I would be shot if I did. I wasn’t sure so I kept right on walking because I was real sure I didn’t want to find out. Oftentimes we seem to send conflicting messages.

Sometimes I see this is at churches. There will be a sign on the message board that says “everyone welcome”. There might even be a parking spot in the parking lot that says, “reserved for guests.” Sometimes they have people standing at the door to shake your hand when you come in. But then I wonder, “do they really mean that or are they trying to act nice?” I mean everyone expects churches to be friendly because Jesus was. He liked everybody. I heard a preacher say once that it was pretty amazing that the people who were the least like Jesus were the ones that felt the most comfortable around Him. It seemed they liked Him and He liked them.

On the other hand, Jesus was always bumping heads with the religious elite. Theoretically they should have been the most like Him, but they didn’t like Him and I’m not sure He was too fond of them. Of course, Jesus was always trying to find the best in others but some of those guys in the New Testament were really mean. I don’t think there was a “welcome” sign on their house for either Jesus or His friends

There was one group they really didn’t like, the tax collectors. Because tax collectors worked for the Roman government, they were seen as thieves and traitors. But do you know what Jesus did? Jesus invited a tax collector to be one of them, to be a part of His inner circle. Can you even imagine that? “Hey Matthew,” Jesus said, “why don’t you come and be a part of our group?” I bet the religious guys about fainted and so did the rest of Jesus’s followers. I can just hear them now, “Well, there goes the neighborhood.” They might have been right, but Jesus was always more concerned for the neighbor than the neighborhood. He did more than talk about loving people, He really loved people.

When Jesus was explaining to those who followed Him how people would know that they were His friends, do you know what He said? It wasn’t because they went to church on Sunday. It wasn’t because they knew all the answers. And it wasn’t even because they wore the right kind of clothes when they were hanging around Jesus. Nope. Jesus said that people would know that we were His friends because of the way we loved—and in particular, the way we loved each other. Whenever I share about that, it never goes over very well. The reason is that it is a lot easier to dress right, talk right and go to church than to love someone—particularly someone who is not very lovable. But that is what He said we should do. There is a secret to loving others.

We need to remember that when we were not lovable at all, Jesus chose to love us. And if we will let that roll around in our heads and hearts awhile, I think we will find that loving others is just a little bit easier. The next time you are all worked up about something, maybe trying to love someone, just get up next to Jesus and sit awhile. You won’t find a “no trespassing” sign there…just one that says “welcome.” And you can just sit back and let Him handle whatever you’re stressed about…cause He’s got this.