Proverbs 3:5-6 – Grits with Grace

Family, life, priorities, Scripture, Trials, volkswagen

Out of Alignment

Posted on October 7, 2025October 6, 2025 by Dewayne Taylor

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; in all your ways know Him, and He will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6

Something told me I was a day late and a dollar short. A few years back we bought a “new to us” car. It was a 2014 Volkswagen Jetta. I drove all the way up near St. Louis to look at their lot full of Jetta cars. Volkswagen had gotten in trouble about emissions and recalled all their diesel cars. It took them a couple of years to get them fixed and rerelease them to the market. Mu wife Judy and I decided to dive into the diesel market and get one.

So, off I went to St. Louis. When I arrived, I saw dozens and dozens of VW Jettas. However, the problem was most of them were in pretty, rough shape. Apparently as the owners turned them in, they decided to treat them like an unloved dog. Even after they cleaned them up it was pretty apparent they had lived a hard-knock life. With my trusty salesman by my side, I went from car to car to car—with no luck. I’m pretty particular about cars and these were not making the cut.

Finally, after checking almost every car in my price range, we found one that was not as perfect as I wanted but it was the best one available. I drove it and liked it and before long it was ours. Driving it home I noticed that the VW emblem on the steering wheel was not pointing straight up. Hmmmm. But trying to control my perfectionism I chose to ignore it—for a while.

So, even though it was “Judy’s car”, the crooked emblem had to go. I asked my super mechanic, Chris, if we could pull the steering wheel and straighten it up. He said, “You don’t have a steering wheel problem, you have a front-end problem. You need a front-end alignment.” Well, what about that? I had noticed the car was not wanting to stay straight on the highway, but I didn’t think too much about it. I should have.

A few days later we got the front end aligned and sure enough there it was—the VW emblem was straight up and down. Yay—I said. Problem solved…and it was. However, the problem was that I had waited too late. I noticed a little later that my front tires tread on the outside was virtually gone…outta there. My choice to ignore and live with a problem ended up costing me nearly $500.00 for new tires. Bummer. Big bummer. Oftentimes, procrastination can be very expensive.

Life can be like a car out of balance. It got me thinking. What in our lives might be a little misaligned, out of balance? What habit, what misplaced priority, what sins are we hiding, ignoring, or choosing to not take care of? I know, it seems easier not to worry about it, but truth be known, the longer we wait the more it costs. The longer we wait the bigger the consequences and the greater the regrets. It has been said that if you aim for the moon and are less than one degree off you will end up somewhere, but it won’t be the moon…it might be Mars.

Solomon, one of the smartest guys in the Bible, said it best. He said that we should learn to trust in the Lord with everything we’ve got, and don’t try to figure it out on our own. He goes on to say that in all our ways check with Him and He will make our paths straight. Make.Our.Paths.Straight. In other words, if the steering wheel of our life is crooked, He can give us the realignment that we need. He can make our lives straight.

Well, I don’t know about you, but I think I will save the $500.00 next time and head to the alignment place as soon as I notice something’s going wrong. I think I’m gonna do the same thing with life. When my “VW emblem” is a little crooked or I find myself pulling away from the One who loves me most—I’m gonna head to the Master mechanic and let Him check me out. I can trust Him. The Creator always knows His creation best. I’ll rest in the waiting room while He works. I know He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

communication, friends, gratitude, life, love, prayer, priorities, Scripture, spiritual battles, thankful, Trials

Riding With Jesus

Posted on November 26, 2024November 25, 2024 by Dewayne Taylor

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6

How about that? One of the newest rages in communities everywhere is electric bikes. Long before we took the plunge and started our next chapter, we talked about buying a pair of these bikes so we could ride and ride together. Well, we finally took that plunge too. These bikes are not cheap, so we decided to use the individual love gifts you gave us to purchase them. Now…every time we ride, we will think of you all.

So, what’s up with an electric bike? Since my early days in Harrisburg, I have ridden bikes on and off. My first thought when Judy mentioned this was, “what is the purpose of an electric bike”? I thought riding meant exercise and exercise meant pedaling and sweating. Well, it turns out that there can be some of that…or none of that. Let me explain. Our bikes have several settings. First, it can be like a good old-fashioned bike. You simply turn the battery part off and pedal your heart out. Now, you need to know that is a challenge because these dudes weigh a hefty 65 pounds. Compare that with a regular bike that weighs about 25 pounds, and you can see—and feel the difference. So pedal if you want—but be prepared to sweat—a lot.

The second setting is something called pedal assist. With this setting you still pedal but the electric motor does a chunk of the work for you. Now this is where I was surprised. I found out that even though pedal assist helps you, your legs and heart still get a pretty good workout. So, you tell the bike how much help you need or want and away you go. But wait—we aren’t done. The third and final setting is when the bike does all the work. All you do is twist a throttle on the handlebar and the electric motor takes you wherever you want to go. In some ways, it is similar to riding a motorcycle, but not. It turns out, the bike will do as much or as little as you desire. And that, Grits readers, is just like our Father.

You see, God is ready and willing to go with us. And how much we are willing to rely on Him is how much easier the journey will be. The truth is, just like the bike, we can tell God, “no thanks” and try to do life on your own. That is simply a poor choice. We weren’t made to live like that. A much better choice is what we will call, “God assist.” We do our part, which often is simply trusting and believing, and leave the rest to Him. In other words, we do life doing what we can and should do, and leave the rest to Him.

The final part is the best. You see, we are constantly assured that we can totally and completely trust in Him. He is more than willing to carry us every day and in every way. Again, all we must do is trust. The only option that should never be an option is thinking that we don’t need God’s help. Like I said—bad choice. But the other two, God assist, and God dependence teach us an important lesson that no matter what—He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

Family, friends, Grace, gratitude, life, Scripture, thankful, travel, Trials

God and Waze

Posted on May 22, 2024May 21, 2024 by Dewayne Taylor

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and don’t lean on your own understanding. Acknowledge Him and He will guide your steps.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Some things just don’t get old…at least not yet. One of the modern marvels that still amazes me is the GPS units that are found in most cars today. The fact that a satellite circling the earth at 17,500 miles per hour and at an altitude above the earth of 12,600 miles can talk to this little device on or in my dash is, well, amazing. The fact that it can tell precisely where I am and exactly how fast I am traveling is even more amazing. All that is made possible by the actual GPS unit and the maps that are stored inside it. But that isn’t all.

Along with the satellite and the receiver are the applications, or apps, that translate the data. One of the most popular, and most amazing, is one called, “Waze.” What’s amazing about Waze is that it is free, and it works in conjunction with most smartphones. What’s more amazing about Waze is that it allows users to input information about traffic and even where police might be hiding. Smile.

Now sometimes the GPS devices just don’t get it right. I remember one time my wife Judy and I were traveling to a funeral in another town. When we finally arrived where the GPS told us to go…we were sitting in the middle of nowhere looking at a corn field. I must admit I was a little put out…as in put out in the middle of nowhere. So, there have been opportunities to throw in the towel on these little wiz-bangs…but that would be a big mistake. You see most of the time it is perfectly right. Let me explain.

A couple of years ago, Judy and I were traveling west on I-40 returning from a conference in North Carolina. Waze gave us an estimated time of arrival and we were cruising. Then, out of the blue, Waze tells me it had found a faster route and automatically rerouted us, but the funny part was the faster route was five minutes longer than the original route. “What?” I said out loud but to no one. So anyway, it said we were to exit off the interstate in four miles and I told Judy that we might as well give it a try. I’m glad we did.

When we arrived at the designated exit, there were several cars and several semi-trucks taking the exit. Apparently, we weren’t the only ones using Waze. As we exited, we noticed an official truck backing up the interstate with one of those big electronic signs. It was flashing this message, “Caution. Stopped Cars Ahead.” Hmmm I began to be very glad we exited. Soon we were on our new route that partially paralleled the interstate where we could see cars and trucks at a complete standstill. After a few miles, Waze had us turn right and we crossed over the interstate and there we saw the problem. A semi-truck and several cars had collided totally shutting down the west bound lanes. We turned left and back on to a now totally empty interstate. My Dearest Father had used Waze to send us a love note and had rescued us in a big, big way. He didn’t save us minutes but probably several hours.

So, what if I had said, “You know Judy, Waze has led us wrong before, how do I know it isn’t wrong this time?” In other words, what if I had ignored Waze and followed my own best plan? Well, the answer is obvious, isn’t it? I would have found myself stuck in a miles long traffic jam. But because, in a moment of faith and clarity, (for once) I listened to Waze and trusted it—I was rescued. How about that? And if you know anything about me from Grits, you know I don’t do traffic jams well…at all.

I know sometimes it is a hard call to know when to trust and when not to…especially when there is a chance that what we are trusting in just might fail or be wrong. But I have good news! While a GPS might miss it sometimes, causing us to have doubts, there is a system that always gets it right. It is, “God’s Providential System.” This one you won’t find in Best Buy, but you will find in the Bible. The word providence means to foresee or foreknow. And since it is God, we can have the confident assurance that He always gets it right. We just need to trust Him because He sees what we do not.

One of my favorite verses in the Old Testament part of the Bible is found in Proverbs 3:5-6. It says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and don’t lean on your own understanding. Acknowledge Him and He will guide your steps.” How awesome is that. Add to that the fact that He always has our best in His heart and that is a winning combination. Oh sure, we can bump along the road of life without Him but if you’ve tried that you probably know it isn’t a really good idea. At least from where I sit, it makes a lot more sense to trust Him each day and in every way. I’ve learned that Waze is a great tool but far more importantly, I’ve found that my Dearest Daddy is a great God who loves me—and you. Oh, and, always, and I do mean always, “He’s got this.” Bro. Dewayne

Family, life, love, prayer, Scripture, sovereignty of God, thankful, travel, Trials

The Paradoxes of Life

Posted on January 19, 2024January 13, 2024 by Dewayne Taylor

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6

It’s a bit of a paradox. There’s a tale about a married couple, both doctors, strolling down the street together. Observers quip, “Oh look, a ‘pair of docs,” or a paradox. Smile. Here’s my own paradox, unrelated to doctors: I love to travel. My wife Judy and I eagerly anticipate our journeys – they’re like life’s sweet treats.

But here’s the paradox – to travel, you must go somewhere, and that inevitably involves potential frustration. Whether it’s a canceled flight, a delayed train, or an unexpected traffic jam, interruptions are part and parcel of the journey. Recently, driving south on Interstate 24, we encountered a slowdown due to ongoing roadwork. However, this time was different. Everyone smoothly merged into a single lane, and we were cruising south at a reduced but respectable speed—until brake lights appeared.

Suddenly, we found ourselves in a traffic jam. The GPS confirmed an accident ahead, yet as we approached, it wasn’t the catastrophic scene I anticipated. Three vehicles were pulled over, minimal damage evident. No police, no ambulances—just people chatting. Once past the scene, life returned to normal, and we resumed our journey.

Here’s what struck me: the choices of those drivers caused a mess, and while a slowdown was warranted—a shutdown wasn’t! It could have been curiosity or maybe people overacted but one thing is sure—it wasn’t the accident. Oh well, things do happen.

And here lies the paradox. In practical terms, travel involves bumps and slowdowns – it’s part of life’s journey. While you strive to avoid them, don’t let them overshadow the things you love. Learn to accept them as part of the adventure. I’m still learning, but it feels worth exploring – imagine finding joy not just in the journey but also in the bumps and slowdowns.

As someone who believes in the teachings of the Bible, I trust that God has His hand on life’s wheel and throttle. There’s a reason for the smooth rides and the bumpy roads. It’s about being willing to trust Him for both. A proverb from the Book of Proverbs says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; in all your ways know Him, and He will make your paths straight.” So, trust Him in the twists and turns of life whether they are expected or not.

When I saw those brake lights, there was a gentle whisper in my ear – not of frustration or demand, but a familiar reassurance: “Don’t worry, son, I’ve got this.” – Bro. Dewayne

Family, Grace, gratitude, life, love, loving others, prayer, Scripture, sovereignty of God, travel, Trials

Perseverance

Posted on May 2, 2023May 1, 2023 by Dewayne Taylor

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take.” Proverbs 3:5-6

Perseverance…don’t quit. In my inventory of weaknesses this is something that I wish wasn’t. I would like to tell you that I have the perseverance of a thoroughbred racehorse bolting from the gate with only one goal—to finish and to finish first. And while I am not a quitter, I do sometimes, “peter out.” Merriam Webster defines that as “to gradually become smaller, weaker, or less before stopping or ending”.

During my journey there were too many times when I just wasn’t sure I was going to finish well—or finish at all. But that wasn’t always a bad thing because it caused me to look inwardly and upward—to my Dearest Daddy.

During those times when I wasn’t sure of much of anything, it was then that I found myself turning to the One who was sure. When my steps were unsure, I found myself tracking the One whose steps were rock solid and sure. The last several years have taught me something of hanging in there—to persevere—to keep going. While I was out west a while back, I saw it over and over again. First, it was a wildflower blooming in what can only be called dust. The roots had somehow dug deep and found the water of life. I saw it in a small tree as it grew from a crevice in a large rock. It made no sense but somehow that tree decided there was a way to grow in an impossible place.

I saw it too from another small tree growing from a large rock in the middle of a lake. There was no soil to be found and yet it grew…it persevered. It decided that it would survive, it would thrive, even though the odds were totally against success. You see, the Bible is filled with stories of men and women who trusted God against all odds. A shepherd boy becomes a king, another “has-been” shepherd leads a million or so people to a new land—the promised land. A band of eleven men from various walks of life chose to follow a young rabbi (who happened to be the Son of God) and the message they shared changed the world.

All these folks failed at one time or another, but they didn’t quit. They chose to persevere. If you wonder how America has lasted for these 247 years, there are two reasons. The hand of God and the perseverance of ordinary men and women who gave what they had for a cause they believed in. A.Cause.They.Believed.In.

We have survived many challenges over the years—the pandemic of 2020 is just one on the list. However, I am sure the greater enemy wasn’t the pandemic, but rather the division that swept our land like wildfire. Someone wiser than you or me once said that a house divided against itself cannot stand—Jesus said that before Lincoln did.

William Carey, a great missionary, once said, “The future is as bright as the promises of God” and I believe that is true today. But we need to learn from the founding fathers, from the men who stormed Normandy or trudged through the jungles of Vietnam or froze on the hills of Korea. We must learn again to trust the hand of God. The Bible says that we should trust God with everything we have and turn away from the tendency to trust ourselves. If we do that…He will guide us…He will direct us. We also need to learn the lesson of that small tree growing from that giant rock. We will not quit, we will persevere—we will find life in the most unlikely of places. Trust God and don’t quit. That sounds like a plan.

With the pandemic in the rearview mirror, it seems to some degree we have been given a second chance. I hope we will take advantage of this gift God has given us. I hope we will learn the power of perseverance and the power of four simple words, “Love God…Love People.” I may not know what tomorrow holds but I do know the One who holds tomorrow and that is good enough for me. I am certain no matter what, that as always, “He’s got this.” Bro. Dewayne

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

HeartMaker

Posted on February 10, 2023 by Dewayne Taylor

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take.” Proverbs 3:5-6

I watched and liked what I saw. I am a pastor and have been one for just about 41 years. It has been a great ride and I have to admit it still surprises me when I realize just how quickly time and has come…and gone. I have been at my present church for going on 23 years and if the first number was surprising to me…the second is even more so. To be at one place that long…to say hello to so many people and sadly goodbye to others…is eye-opening. It also has been fun watching the kids grow up. The guy who leads worship for us was five years old when I came. Amazing. I even had hair back then…or at least more.

In my 41 years serving as a pastor and in my 22 years here where I serve now, I have bumped into a lot of people. Some of them were nice by nature. You know, always smiling, always optimistic, and always holding the door so someone could enter first. They never forgot a birthday and were always looking for ways to lend a helping hand. When these folks met Jesus, there didn’t seem to be a lot to change…at least on the outside. That’s one kind of people but there is another. Take the opposite of everything I just wrote and meet the other side of the fence. And this is what is really exciting because it so shows the power of the gospel.

I love to hear everyone’s Jesus story but I especially love the ones where the change Jesus brings is like night and day. It’s kinda like when you mow your grass and it really needs it…you stand back and say, “Wow…that looks better.” Now to be sure, every Jesus story is a “wow” story but to see a rough old sinner become a saint by God’s grace is simply amazing. And here’s the deal. Whether it is someone who oozes kindness or someone as rough as a corncob, the truth is they are who they are because of the Heartmaker.

I was officiating at a funeral one day for one of those really good people and I told the audience that we should remember that the person we were honoring that day was who they were because of Jesus. When they met Him, the Heartmaker gave them a new heart…a heart just like His. Tucked away in the Old Testament part of the Bible is a word picture of this. It says, “And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.” That’s what the Heartmaker does for every person who chooses to follow Him.

I’ve said before, “I wish I had that person’s heart.” Oh, I’m generally a pretty nice guy but when I see someone who seems to do Jesus really well, it creates a longing in me to be more like them which is more like Jesus. The good news is that we don’t have to wish…all we must do is ask and the Heartmaker will come to the rescue. But you need to know this…a heart like Jesus doesn’t come cheap…it will mean seeking, surrendering, and maybe suffering…just like Jesus. It means loving the unlovable and forgiving those who hurt us the worse..just like He would.

There is a story about a young pastor who was visiting with an old, respected pastor. The young pastor said he wished he could have the maturity and respect he saw in the older pastor’s life. The elderly statesman said, “Son, those things came into my life through great toil and suffering. Are you ready to pay that price?” Not surprising, his answer was no. We can all admire a man or woman with a great heart but how many of us would be willing to pay the price that comes with it?

The truth is all of us who are Jesus followers can and should have a heart like Jesus…the Heartmaker. I think the path that leads to a Jesus heart is found in Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take.” If you’re interested in having a heart like Jesus, it starts with asking the HeartMaker. Trust me—He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

Family, life, prayer, Scripture, sovereignty of God, thankful, travel, Trials

Paradox

Posted on December 26, 2022December 25, 2022 by Dewayne Taylor

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; in all your ways know Him, and He will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6

Now for the paradox. To travel, you have to have somewhere to go. Whether it is a plane, train, or automobile…you must go and going always involves opportunities for frustration. Whether it is a canceled flight or train or a sudden traffic jam on the interstate, interruptions will and do come. On one trip, we happened to be driving south on Interstate 24. There was a stretch of road south of Paducah, Kentucky that the Department of Transportation had been working on for a long, long time. The two south bound lanes have been reduced to one and that can spell slowdown. But this time it didn’t. Everyone managed to merge to one lane, and we were merrily heading south at a reduced but very respectable speed…until we weren’t.

Suddenly, I looked up and I could see lots and lots of brake lights. So, I began to slow down and quickly found myself in a traffic jam. Well, we managed to creep along at a blazing five or ten miles per hour. I looked on the GPS and it confirmed there was an accident up ahead and that was the reason for the slowdown. It also told me that the mess was somewhere between long but not the longest. After a while the GPS told me that we were nearing the spot of the accident. I was expecting the worse…police cars, ambulances, and destroyed vehicles, but that wasn’t what I found. Pulled off on the shoulder, as in not blocking any lanes, were three vehicles. One had no damage and the other two had minor damage. Apparently they were following too closely and someone hit the brakes and well, the rest is history.

There was no police presence, yet, there was no ambulance—in fact, everyone was standing around chatting and as soon as we passed the scene, it was over. It was back to normal…zooming south again. Two things quickly occurred to me. First, the choice of those two drivers to follow too closely sure caused a mess. If one of them was in a hurry…well, they weren’t anymore. Second, it seemed to me that while traffic needed to slow down, it didn’t need to almost come to a standstill. It could have been curiosity or maybe a case of overreaction. We do that well sometimes, don’t we? The bottom line is…it doesn’t matter…things happen. Period.

And therein lies the paradox. Practically speaking, if we travel, we will have bumps and slowdowns. It is just a part of life—the journey. So, the trick is to do all that you can to avoid the bumps and slowdowns and don’t let them “eat your lunch” or keep you from doing the things you love. You learn to accept them as part of the journey. Now, I’m still learning this, but I have a feeling it is something worth exploring. This goes somewhere beyond knowing the joy is in the journey which includes joy in the bumps and slowdowns. It means somehow, (I’m still working on it), allowing those inconveniences to become part of the adventure. I know that sounds crazy but at the same time it sounds…enticing.

I’m one of those crazy people who believe the Bible and believe what it teaches about life and God, and I am learning to believe that God has His hand on the wheel and throttle of life. He has a reason for cruising free and clear down the interstate of life and He has a reason for the bumps and slowdowns of life. It becomes a matter of being willing to trust Him for both. A favorite proverb from the Book of Proverbs says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; in all your ways know Him, and He will make your paths straight.” Well, there you go. Do life by trusting Him.

When I saw those brake lights the other day and had to slowdown…and even stop, it seems there was a whisper in my ear. It wasn’t shouting frustration or demanding an explanation. It was something I had heard before and needed to hear again. It simply said, “Don’t worry, son, I’ve got this.” Bro. Dewayne

Family, gratitude, life, priorities, Scripture, thankful, Trials, wisdom

Out of Alignment

Posted on August 5, 2022July 23, 2022 by Dewayne Taylor

Hi Grits Family! Hey, my wife Judy and I are going to be “out of pocket” aka “not available” to write for the next couple of weeks. During that time, we decided to send out some of our past stories. I hope you enjoy the ones we selected and look forward to some “fresh Grits” in a couple of weeks. God bless. Bro. Dewayne

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; in all your ways know Him, and He will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6

Something told me I was a day late and a dollar short. A couple of years ago we bought a “new to us” car. It was a 2014 Volkswagen Jetta. I drove all the way up near St. Louis to look at their lot full of Jetta cars. Volkswagen had gotten in trouble about emissions and recalled all their diesel cars. It took them a couple of years to get them fixed and rerelease them to the market. Judy and I decided to dive into the diesel market and get one.

So, off I went to St. Louis. When I arrived, I saw dozens and dozens of VW Jettas. However, the problem was most of them were in pretty rough shape. Apparently as the owners turned them in, they decided to treat them like an unloved dog. Even after they cleaned them up it was pretty apparent, they had lived a hard-knock life. So, with my trusty salesman by my side, I went from car to car to car—with no luck. I’m particular about cars and these were not making the cut.

Finally, after checking almost every car in my price range, we found one that was not as perfect as I wanted, but it was the best one available. I drove it and liked it and before long it was ours. Driving it home I noticed that the VW emblem on the steering wheel was not pointing straight up. Hmmmm. But trying to control my perfectionism I chose to ignore it—for a while.

So, even though it was “Judy’s car”, it had to go. I asked my super mechanic, Chris, if we could pull the steering wheel and straighten it up. He said, “You don’t have a steering wheel problem, you have a front-end problem. You need a front-end alignment.” Well, what about that. I had noticed the car was not wanting to stay straight on the highway, but I didn’t think too much about it. I should have.

After we got the front end aligned and sure enough there it was—the VW emblem was straight up and down. Yay—I said. Problem solved…and it was. However, the problem was that I had waited too late. Then, a little later I was looking at my front tires and realized that the outside tread was virtually gone…outta there. My choice to ignore and live with a problem ended up costing me nearly $500.00 dollars for new tires. Bummer. Big bummer. Oftentimes, procrastination can be very expensive.

Life can be like a car out of balance. It got me thinking, what in our lives might be a little misaligned, out of balance? What habit, what misplaced priority, what sins are we hiding, ignoring, or choosing to not take care of? I know, it seems easier not to worry about it, but truth be known, the longer we wait the more it costs. The longer we wait the bigger the consequences and the greater the regrets. It has been said that if you aim for the moon and are less than one degree off you will end up somewhere, but it won’t be the moon…it might be Mars.

Solomon, one of the smartest guys in Bible, said it best. He said that we should learn to trust in the Lord with everything we’ve got, and don’t try to figure it out on our own. He goes on to say that in all our ways check with Him and He will make our paths straight. Make. Our. Paths. Straight. In other words, if the steering wheel on our life is crooked, He can give us the realignment that we need. He can make our lives straight.

Well, I don’t know about you, but I think I will save the $500.00 next time and head to the alignment place as soon as I notice something’s going wrong. I think I’m gonna do the same thing with life. When my “VW emblem” is a little crooked or I find myself pulling away from the One who loves me most—I’m gonna head to the Master mechanic and let Him check me out. I can trust Him. The Creator always knows the creation best. I’ll rest in the waiting room while He works. I know He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

Family, fear, friends, Grace, gratitude, life, Scripture, thankful, travel, Trials

God and Waze

Posted on May 4, 2022May 3, 2022 by Dewayne Taylor

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and don’t lean on your own understanding. Acknowledge Him and He will guide your steps.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Now sometimes the GPS devices just don’t get it right. I remember one time my wife Judy and I were traveling to a funeral in another town. When we finally arrived where the GPS told us to go…we were sitting in the middle of nowhere looking at a corn field. I have to admit I was a little put out…as in put out in the middle of nowhere. So, there have been opportunities to throw in the towel on these little wiz-bangs…but that would be a big mistake. You see most of the time it gets it perfectly right. Let me explain.

Last week Judy and I were traveling west on I-40 returning from a conference in North Carolina. Waze gave us an estimated time of arrival and we were cruising. Then, out of the blue, Waze tells me it had found a faster route and automatically rerouted us, but the funny part was the faster route was five minutes longer than the original route. “What?” I said out loud but to really no one. So anyway, it said we were to get off the interstate in four miles and I told Judy that we might as well give it a try. I’m glad we did.

When we arrived at the designated exit, there were several cars and several semi-trucks taking the exit. Apparently, we weren’t the only ones using Waze. As we exited, we noticed an official truck backing up the interstate with one of those big electronic signs. It was flashing this message, “Caution. Stopped Cars Ahead.” Hmmm I began to be very glad we exited. Soon we were on our new route that at partially paralleled the interstate where we could see cars and trucks at a complete standstill. After a few miles, Waze had us turn right and we crossed over the interstate and there we saw the problem. A semi-truck and several cars had collided totally shutting down the west bound lanes. We turned left and back on to a now totally empty interstate. My Dearest Father had used Waze, to send us a love note and had rescued us in a big, big way. He didn’t save us minutes but probably several hours.

So, what if I had said, “You know Judy, Waze has led us wrong before, how do I know it isn’t wrong this time?” In other words, what if I had ignored Waze and followed my own best plan. Well, the answer is obvious, isn’t it? I would have found myself stuck in a miles long traffic jam. But because, in a moment of faith and clarity, (for once) I listened to Waze and trusted it—I was rescued. How about that? And if you know anything about me from Grits, you know I don’t do traffic jams well…at all.

One of my favorite verses in the Old Testament part of the Bible is found in Proverbs 3:5-6. It says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and don’t lean on your own understanding. Acknowledge Him and He will guide your steps.” How awesome is that. Add to that the fact that He always has our best at His heart and that is a winning combination. Oh sure, we can bump along the road of life without Him but if you’ve tried that you probably know it isn’t a real good idea. At least from where I sit, it makes a lot more sense to trust Him each day and in every way. I’ve learned that Waze is a great tool but far more importantly, I’ve found that my Dearest Daddy is a great God who loves me—and you. Oh, and, always, and I do mean always, “He’s got this.” Bro. Dewayne

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

Paradox

Posted on December 29, 2021December 28, 2021 by Dewayne Taylor

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; in all your ways know Him, and He will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6

It’s rather a paradox. The story is told of two people who were married, and both happened to be doctors. They were walking down the street together, holding hands, and someone saw them and said, “Oh look, a “pair of docs.” Smile. I have a paradox of my own, but it has nothing to do with doctors. You see, I love to travel. My wife Judy and I genuinely look forward to traveling. It is one of our “life candies.” In fact, as I write this, I am overlooking a beach in Northwest Florida. The patio door is open, the early morning sun is sharing its rays with those already on the beach and the sound of crashing and rolling waves fill the room. It is good.

Now for the paradox. In order to travel, you have to somehow go somewhere. Whether it is a plane, train or automobile…you have to go and going always involves opportunities for frustration. Whether it is a canceled flight or train or a sudden traffic jam on the interstate, interruptions will and do come. On this trip, it happened driving south on Interstate 24. There is a stretch of road south of Paducah, Kentucky that the Department of Transportation has been working on for a long, long time. The two south bound lanes have been reduced to one and that can spell slowdown. But this time it didn’t. Everyone managed to merge to one lane and we were merrily heading south at a reduced but very respectable speed…until we weren’t.

Suddenly, I looked up and I could see lots and lots of brake lights. So I began to slow down and pretty quickly found myself in a traffic jam. Well, we managed to creep along at a blazing five or ten miles per hour. I looked on the GPS and it confirmed there was an accident up ahead and that was the reason for the slowdown. It also told me that the mess was somewhere between long but not the longest. After a while the GPS told me that we were nearing the spot of the accident. I was expecting the worse…police cars, ambulances, and destroyed vehicles, but that wasn’t what I found. Pulled off on the shoulder, as in not blocking any lanes, were three vehicles. One had no damage and the other two had minor damage. Apparently they were following too closely and someone hit the brakes and well, the rest is history.

There was no police presence, yet, there was no ambulance—in fact, everyone was standing around chatting and as soon as we passed the scene, it was over. It was back to normal…zooming south again. Two things quickly occurred to me. First, the choice of those two drivers to follow too closely sure caused a mess. If one of them was in a hurry…well, they weren’t anymore. Second, it seemed to me that while traffic needed to slow down, it didn’t need to almost come to a stop. It could have been curiosity or maybe a case of overreaction. We do that well sometimes, don’t we? The bottom line is…it doesn’t matter…things happen. Period.

And therein lies the paradox. Practically speaking, if we travel, we will have bumps and slowdowns. It is just a part of life—the journey. So you do all that you can to avoid the bumps and slowdowns but don’t let them “eat your lunch” or keep you from doing the thing you love. You learn to accept them as part of the journey. Now, I’m still learning this but I have a feeling it something worth exploring. This goes somewhere beyond knowing the joy is in the journey to include joy in the bumps and slowdowns. It means somehow, (I’m still working on it), allowing those inconveniences to become part of the adventure. I know that sounds crazy but at the same time it sounds…enticing.

I’m one of those crazy people who believe the Bible and believe what it teaches about life and God and I am learning to believe that God has His hand on the wheel and throttle of life. He has a reason for cruising free and clear down the interstate of life and He has a reason for the bumps and slowdowns of life. It becomes a matter of being willing to trust Him for both. A favorite proverb from the Book of Proverbs says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; in all your ways know Him, and He will make your paths straight.” Well, there you go. Do life by trusting Him.