Tag: opportunity

Posted in Family, forgiveness, Grace, gratitude, life, love, loving others, missions, prayer, priorities, Scripture, thankful, Trials, wisdom

Don’t Let the Door Close

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man.” Genesis 6:3a

It was going to be close. It is something that happens more often than we think.  We are in a building…a tall building…the kind that has an elevator. We are in a hurry, and we look across the lobby and see the door is standing open…as if waiting for us. What a blessing, what a time saver.  We pick up our pace a bit and just a couple of yards from the door, it closes and begins its journey upward…without you. Does this ring a bell? Or maybe the scene is a city bus waiting at the stop and again you think, “What perfect timing” until you hear the airbrakes release and see the door close, and you are left behind in a cloud of stinky diesel exhaust. Yuk.

One of my favorite travel memories was when we were on a mission trip passing through London.  We hopped onto the tube (what British folks call their subway) and were sitting passively waiting for the car to move.  Suddenly, our team leader jumped up and indicated we were to follow him.  Just as he got to the door, it began to close, and he threw himself into the gap, blocking the door from closing. It turned out we were on the wrong train and his selfless action allowed us to jump off and get on the right train!

Sometimes closing doors are just an inconvenience…like elevators, busses, and subways but sometimes it can have a much larger, more dangerous consequence. I’ve long believed that whether it is about a relationship with Him or a change of course in our lives, God opens and closes doorways for us.  I’ve seen this happen in church.  People will wake up one day and decide to start going to church again. They get dressed, drive to wherever, and walk through the door. To their surprise they like what they find and hear and leave wondering why they ever left. They regularly attend for the next few weeks or months and then suddenly they don’t. What happened?

When people rediscover the reality of God, He usually calls them to some sort of decision. It might be a first-time relationship or a return home.  Even folks who regularly attend might find themselves drawn to a new and deeper relationship with their heavenly Father but here is the big truth. In both cases, if the person fails to act, often the door closes…the fire cools…the passion dissipates and suddenly and sadly, an opportunity is missed.

There is a verse tucked away in Genesis that says, “And the Lord said, My Spirit shall not always strive with man” and while the context is not perfect, the truth is. God calls all of us at one time or another, but He doesn’t call forever.  When you feel God talking to you, I hope you and I both will have the wisdom to respond. Whether to come home for the first time or for the hundredth time, when He is speaking, we should be listening…and responding. God is so patient with us, but He does expect us to respond and that is always a good idea.  You see, no matter what or why He is calling we can have the assurance that it is for our good and that means…He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne 

Posted in Family, Grace, gratitude, heaven, life, prayer, priorities, Scripture, thankful

The Best Deal Ever

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

He is so rich in kindness and grace that He purchased our freedom with the blood of His Son and forgave our sins.” Ephesians 1:7

Who needs three weed-eaters? So, for a while I have been wanting a good battery powered weed-eater.  Now, first, I need to tell you that thing that cuts your weeds is not a weed-eater…it is a string trimmer. Weed-eater is a name brand…not the name of a tool.  So, with that settled, I really was intrigued with the idea of a string trimmer that didn’t need to be cranked.  Imagine just mashing a button…and away you go. Wack, wack, wack.

Being rather frugal, I just wasn’t really to lay down the big bucks, so my wish remained just that…a wish.  And then it happened.  I got an email that said Home Depot had a collection of tools battery tools and several of them were on super-duper sale—75% off. Well, I headed over to their site and got a chainsaw and a blower.  Awesome.  When I finally got to the weed wackers…they were sold out. Bummer.

Well, for the next several days, I would check to see if they had any more in stock.  On Saturday morning, I got up and, on a whim, checked and they had fifteen in stock.  Now these babies had a straight shaft, all kinds of cool features and were powered by a 62-volt, four amp hour battery.  We are talking about major power.  And this is the best part…there were two models—one with an aluminum shaft and one with a carbon fiber shaft and they were selling for $39.00 for the aluminum one and $47.00 for the carbon fiber shaft.  This was amazing.

I thought about it for just about one second and bought…three…two carbon fiber and one aluminum. Yup…that’s right.  I figured I might as well be weed wacker fixed for the rest of my life.  When they were delivered…they were amazing.  In fact, I still can’t believe what a deal it was. I mean, the chainsaw was great, the blower was great, but the string trimmers were amazing.  As advertised, squeeze the trigger and wack, wack, wack.

Now I don’t think I was being greedy, and I don’t think I was being selfish…at least not much. I’ve learned that when an opportunity arises…especially one that costs under fifty bucks and is 75% off…you need to jump and jump fast. But wait…all of that pales when you think about the best deal ever—the one that gives you eternal life.  God offers all of us “whosoever wills” His forgiveness and love and all we have to do is a “life 360” and believe in His Son.  Now that is not only a deal…it is the best deal ever.  Need more info? Just read His Book, the Bible, and then take some time to talk with Him—that’s called prayer. What you will discover is just like everything else…He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Christmas, Family, friends, gratitude, life, love, loving others, priorities, Scripture, sovereignty of God, thankful, wisdom

Time…Our Treasure

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

Lord, You have been our refuge in every generation. Before the mountains were born,

before You gave birth to the earth and the world, from eternity to eternity, You are God.” Psalm 90:1-2

I glanced back in the rearview mirror and watched it disappear, just like that Christmas came and went.  It never ceases to amaze me how quickly time passes.  At one time there was a saying that said, “You are slower than Christmas.”  Well, at least for me that simply is not true anymore.  It seems like yesterday that we were talking about another new year, another new month, or another new week and now it is time to start it all over again.  In a very few days we will be celebrating January 1st and the start of another New Year. Amazing.

As you know Christmas fell on Sunday this year. For most folks the day of the week Christmas arrives is not that big of a deal.  However, for us preacher-teacher types it certainly is a big deal.  It is a definite shift to go from ho, ho, ho and opening presents to “Holy is the Lord.” It is almost like shifting a car from forward to reverse.  Christmas on Sunday normally occurs every six or seven years but guess what? Because of the way Leap Year falls next time, it will be eleven years before we celebrate Christmas on a Sunday again.  Eleven years.  For me, that means I will be knocking on eighty—loudly.  For some of you, it means your seven-year-old son or daughter will be knocking on 18. Is that crazy or what?

The crazier part of all of this is that those eleven years…if we get to see all of them…will pass so very quickly.  It is such a good reminder that we need to savor each day the Savior gives us.  We need to remember how precious every minute, hour, day, month, and year are.  The Bible has a lot to say about time and how we handle it. First, Moses tells us in Psalm 90, “Teach us to number our days carefully so that we may develop wisdom in our hearts.” That is such good counsel.  Like a cook carefully measures the ingredients in whatever they are preparing, so we need to carefully measure the value of each day. And when we do, if we do, we will discover the wisdom of the God of the ages.

Another great scripture is found in the New Testament of the Christian Bible.  Paul was writing to a group of Jesus people in Ephesus.  He said to them, “So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days.”  Make the most or squeeze everything you can out of each day.  There are two things we need to remember about days. First, they all belong to the Lord…we are just managers and second, each day is a gift from Him.  No matter how difficult or how easy—each day is a present from Him to His children.  So, we should handle it with care and use it wisely.

Two of the things I love about God is His is generosity and wisdom.  He gives and guides and then helps us to make the most of every day…every gift.  As we look forward to our next installment of time—no matter how much or little we get to experience—always remember that there is One who is standing close just waiting to help us.  No matter what—He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, friends, gratitude, life, loving others, Scripture, thankful

Coach

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

A man who has friends must himself be friendly.” Proverbs 18:24

We have a new staff member at 217. If you are a regular reader of “Grits” you know a lot about the Taylor tribe.  Included in that information is the fact that my wife, Judy, and I have an Airbnb on top of our garage.  It is a classy two-bedroom apartment that we rent out as a short-term vacation rental.  We have lots of people stay and well, it is quite fun.  Our staff is small at 217.  There is Judy who manages everything and trust me that is a big job.  She also helps with the cleaning when needed.  We have a great lady who does the bulk of our cleaning, and she is awesome!  She is always willing to go the extra mile and when Judy and I need to be gone she makes sure the water fountains stay running and flowers keep blooming. My job is to serve as the occasional handy man and the guy who mows and trims the grass. It is not the most important job but trust me in grass growing season I am definitely the man.

So that is the staff at 217…or at least it was.  About a year ago a new and unexpected member was added to the team.  His name is Coach. So, here’s the deal.  Last year our neighbors, who are also awesome, decided to get a cat to make sure no unwanted rodents took up residence in their garage. So, they got a cat and named him Coach. Now to be honest I am not a big fan of cats.  Most of them are a little bossy and arrogant so at first, I was pretty cool to the idea of a new feline friend.  And then it happened.

As it turns out, Coach has more personality than most people I know.  He is cool and calm and way friendly.  You know how some cats think they own the place?  Well, Coach is satisfied with just working the crowd.  If Judy and I are out on the patio, he will sway his way over and just make his presence known in a gentle way.  It seems he is saying, “Hey, my name is Coach and I just wanted to say hi.” Now really, this cat has it down.  You can’t help but like him.  Now if I am cool on cats, Judy is cold on cats, but not this one.  While she wouldn’t want one of her own, she sure doesn’t mind that he came to the neighborhood.

Now this is the 217 part.  When a guest pulls up at 217 and parks, it is not unusual for Coach to come on over and say hi.  It almost seems that he is just watching and waiting for them to come.  You would think he had peeked at Judy’s reservation book to see when guests were coming.  At first, we were a little concerned that the guests might see him as a bother but not to worry.  He is a hit almost every time.

Earlier this week, I came home from work and there was our guest bending down to pet Coach. At first, I always explained that he wasn’t our cat but belonged to the neighbors. But now that he is a social rock star, I let that go.  I mean if the guests want to think that Mr. Cool belongs to me who am I to correct them?  Way to go coach.  Way to go.

Do you know what?  If I were a cat, I would want to be like Coach.  But wait…why can’t I, why can’t we, be like Coach now?  Why can’t we make a conscious decision to be kind? Friendly? Loving?  Hmmm…the truth is, we can.  Every day we bump into people, dozens of them, and have the opportunity to make them feel special.  Every day we bump into people and have the opportunity to be a friend, to offer a smile, to make their day a little better.  Every day we have the choice.  I like that.  I want that.

I know that all cats are not like Coach, and I certainly know that not all people are like Coach, but I also know we all can be.  Tucked away in the Christian Bible is a book called Proverbs.  In that book is this, “A man who has friends must himself be friendly.” In other words, if we want friends, we need to be one.  If we want others to like us…we need to be likable. I saw a quote today that said, “Our vibes draw our tribes.”  That is so true.  So, let’s take a lesson from Coach and be the kind of person who makes someone’s day.  Need a little help?  Well, the “Head Coach” is just waiting to lend a hand.  He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, fear, food, gratitude, life, loving others, prayer, Scripture, sovereignty of God, thankful, travel, Trials, wisdom

Steak and Shake

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

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

We met when I was just a kid. A long time ago and in a galaxy far, far away (think Star Wars) one of my favorite things to do in the summer was to go and visit my sister and brother-in-law in Daytona Beach.  I lived in Jacksonville and they were kind enough to invite me to spend a week with them.  Trust me…it was like a different world.  Our west Jacksonville neighborhood was half town and half country and the most exciting thing that ever happened was if and when there was a fire call, and we would chase the firetruck.  I’ll write more on that one day.

Now compare that with Daytona Beach.  Can someone say, “Night and day?”  Daytona Beach was a happening place and there was always something to do.  We would drive over to the beach, cruise the strip, and go out to eat.  One of my favorite places to go was Steak and Shake.  Back in the early and mid 60’s, it was not a new establishment, but it was still up and coming.  They were famous for their steak burgers, skinny fries, and milkshakes.  For a ten year old from the westside of Jacksonville, it was heaven.

Steak and Shake was different than most fast-food places.  There, you could actually go inside, be seated and be served, and through the years that is how it has remained.  When I grew up, it was only natural that Steak and Shake was one of my “go to” places to eat.  Oh, it wasn’t an every-week event, but we did go about once a month.  The routine was always the same.  Park, go inside and be seated, order, eat, and leave.  It worked well, but then something called COVID changed things up.  First, and at most locations, you can now only go through the drive-thru.  But in Cookeville, Tennessee we stumbled upon the future—the new Steak and Shake.

At this location, which I am sure will be true for all the rest too, when you walk in, there is not a hostess to seat you and no counter to order at.  Instead, there are several kiosks (computer touch-screens) and from there you can order your food.  Then…you just sit down…wherever you want.  Feel free to go up and get your drinks from the drink station (remember, this wasn’t in Illinois) and finally someone would bellow out your order number and you would walk up and get your food.  Boom—just like that burgers and fries were flying into hungry mouths washed down by delicious milkshakes.  It was new, it was different and I loved it.

I am sure that the COVID mess that we all have disdained is at least partly responsible for their new system, but it also shows that not all the changes are going to be bad.  At our church we are doing Wednesday nights totally different, and it is totally working.  We have a men’s group called “Man Time” (how creative is that); a women’s Bible study (well, not creative but it works) and then something called “The Big A Club” for the kids.  There are people everywhere.  And get this—men are coming to church on a Wednesday night! What?  And it all came about because of the pause that COVID caused.

Someone from ancient times (I’m not talking about 1950!) said the only thing constant is change and they were right.  Some of the changes are not good.  In fact, some of the cultural changes might be considered dangerous.  But we need to work to accept the good and temper the others.  It gives us a great opportunity to be the salt and light that Jesus talked to us about.  People all around us have lots of questions which should lead to lots of opportunities to talk about faith…and Jesus.

Romans 8:28 remains one of the most popular verses in the Bibles.  It says that for those who love God, He can bring good out of every situation.  We sure like to quote that, but I wonder if we are willing to trust it?  Hey, I’ve been writing three small words for a year and some of you have been here for that whole time—“He’s got this.”  So, as things morph around us, let’s be courageous enough to address the dangerous, but flexible enough to embrace the other.  It might not be easy but if He is in control and we trust Him…it’s gonna be fine.  And, can I say it one more time?  He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne

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

We Shouldn’t Be Here

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?” Esther 4:14

I looked at Judy and said, “We shouldn’t be here.” I know when you normally hear those words you are at a movie and a couple of teenagers are standing in a cemetery at midnight with a full moon with a wolf howling and a guy with a chainsaw standing a few feet away.  That was not the case.

So, as you know we live in a world of cancellations.  Vacation. Cancelled. Conference number one.  Cancelled.  Conference number two. Cancelled. In an attempt to get some refreshment I went ahead and registered for conference number three.  About ten days before it started they called and said due to state regulations (North Carolina this time) they were having to dramatically reduce the number of attendees—from 400 to 110.  Judy and I didn’t make the cut…by a long shot.  We registered in early April and they were cancelling all the way back to December of 2019.

I had gotten used to the rejection notices by now.  Like a struggling actor or writer it seemed nothing was going my way.  So, after my normal foot stomping, “this is crazy” and the all time favorite, “when will it ever be normal” I settled back into life…desperately needing a fresh drink of water from the well.  Then it happened.

Less than a week before the conference was to start I received a phone call on my Dick Tracy Apple watch.  I checked the caller ID and it was the conference center.  I ran to the kitchen to get my phone, answered, waiting to see what they wanted.  She told me that they had been allowed to open an overflow room and would we be interested in coming?  If I could speak ten languages I would have said yes in all ten.

So we arrived at the conference and this is when it got interesting.  The people in the main auditorium (and there were only 110 of them—normal attendance is 400) had white name tags and the ones in the overflow had tan name tags.  We received our tan tags and waited for supper.  I began to notice that there were not many tan tags.  How interesting.  When it was time for the conference to start, the white taggers headed to the main room and tan taggers headed upstairs to the overflow area.  And that was the turning point.

In this room meant to hold 150 people there were 28 of us.  Blue covers draped over the back of 28 chairs showed where we could sit.  It turns out I was member of a pretty, small select group. Totally attendance was only 138 people and somehow I was one of them.  Keep in mind all those people who made reservations before April were in front of me in line and somehow, some way we were here.  That’s when I said to Judy, “We shouldn’t be here.”

The topic for the conference was about rebuilding the church in a post quarantine world.  One of the first things he said was that perhaps each of you are here for a specific reason.  He then told the story of a young Jewish girl who, against all odds, found herself as queen in a foreign land.  A plan had been hatched to kill all of the Jews in the land and her uncle was asking her to go the king on the Jews behalf.  He said, “Perhaps for such a time as this God has put you here.”  For such a time as this.  Hmmm.

I honestly feel that for some reason God has allowed me this opportunity to help lead my church in the coming days.  The speaker made it clear that any thought that things are going to be same are just not true.  It is going to be different and challenging.  It is also exciting.  All of this has caused me to revisit the sovereignty of God in all of this.  I mean, I just believe that God is in charge.  Not circumstances, not government, not me.  That means that He does have a plan that He is working out.  The only question is are we going to trust Him and be a part of His plan or are we going to write our own.  Spoiler alert.  That never goes well.

So whether it your every day, walk around life, or a business, or a church, if you are a Jesus follower, are you willing to let the Whisperer whisper and share with you His plan?  I hope I will have the wisdom and courage to do so.  It will mean stepping out of my “I’ve done it this way for 38 years” comfort zone and perhaps, just perhaps, do something different…perhaps radically different.  Who knows, maybe we, with Him, can change our world. So, we shouldn’t be here but I sure am going to be listening for the Whisperer to speak to my heart.  I know it will be right.  I know it will be challenging.  I know it will be exciting.  I know somewhere along the way He is going to say, “Rest in Me.  I’ve got this.”  He does.