Psalm 139:23-24 – Grits with Grace

Family, fear, friends, Grace, gratitude, life, prayer, school days, Scripture, Southern born, thankful, Trials

What Lurks Beneath the Surface

Posted on February 21, 2024February 19, 2024 by Dewayne Taylor

Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me.” Psalm 139:23-24

There was something stinky right below the surface. There were a lot of things I just didn’t know or understand growing up, but that was ok because my world was low key. Looking back, maybe, perhaps those were some of my favorite memories in this journey called life. This was especially true in the years before junior high. As an elementary age kid, it was sunup to sundown adventures. Little did I know that something was brewing right beneath my feet.

We lived in the country which meant no city water or sewer. In fact, I think I can safely say I didn’t even know there was such a thing. We had a well and pump in our backyard and that is where our water came from, and I thought that is what everyone did. We also had something called a septic tank. That handled all the, uh, waste, from the Taylor Tribe. There were two things I didn’t know. First, I didn’t know we had one and second, I didn’t know it was right under our back porch. All that changed when one day a big truck pulled into our yard. It turns out they were there to “pump out our septic tank.” Now anything that was big and mechanical I was all about. I watched in amazement as they moved some dirt and pried this huge, heavy slab of concrete off an equally huge tank thing.

It was just about then, I decided to back up because whatever was in there was not cool. They put a big hose in that tank thing and began to suck it all out. Now I know this is a bit gross but stay with me. So, the tank was empty, and they slid the lid back in place and off they went. Well, soon I forgot the big truck and forgot about the thing under our porch. Months later, I was playing in our backyard, and I noticed that water was bubbling up from the ground…not in one place but several. Soon, my nose took me back to what was under the porch. It turned out that thing under the porch had what was called a drain field…and it wasn’t working. And because it wasn’t working…what was hidden beneath the ground soon wasn’t. The stinky was revealed.

Well, afford it or not, like it or not, they came and dug up a big part of our backyard and replaced the old clay tile pipes with new ones. It was all pretty interesting and soon the holes were covered up and the equipment moved on and magically, the stink was gone. Looking back, I think it was funny that something so funky and yucky could be right there beneath my feet and I never knew it…until it came to the surface. And once it started to bubble up…what was hidden no longer was.

I’ve lived long enough now to know what was true in my backyard is true in life. So often we allow some foul stuff to hang around in our lives. You know, secret sins, bad habits, and destructive addictions—stuff rolling around in our minds or banging around in our hearts. We manage to keep it all under control, “under the ground,” until one day…it bubbles to the surface, and you find yourself wondering, “Where did that come from?” Worse than that, people start wondering about the same thing. You can take it to the bank that secrets often don’t remain secret. Moses, yup, the guy who led God’s people out of Egypt, said that we can be sure our sin, or our habits, or our addictions will be found out…they will eventually come to the surface.

What I learned about septic tanks as a kid is true today too. They needed regular maintenance and sometimes repairs to function correctly. We need the same. We need to regularly examine our heart and our conscience to see if there is anything we need to get “pumped” out. If we are God followers, we need to have the courage to ask Him to check out what lurks below the surface of our lives. One of the writers of the Psalms in the Old Testament part of the Bible said, “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me.”

Some prayers are harder to pray than others…and this is one of those. Search me, know me, try me…know my thoughts. Giving God permission (though He really doesn’t need it) to pry into your stuff is hard but profitable. I mean, the prying isn’t for Him…it is for you. It helps you be a better you. Oh, and don’t worry…you can’t surprise Him. The big surprise is when you hear Him say, “Oh all that stuff, no problem. I’ve got this.”

Family, forgiveness, friends, Grace, gratitude, life, love, Scripture, thankful, Trials

Braces Not Dentures

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

Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns. See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the everlasting way.” Psalm 139:23-24

Dentures…not exactly what I meant to say. So as a public speaker I have had plenty, and I do mean plenty, of misspeaks. Since I wasn’t sure misspeak was a word and given today’s story, I decided to check it. Yup…it is a word and yup…it sure does fit. A misspeak is when you fail to express yourself insufficiently, clearly, or accurately. They probably invented that word just for me—or at least people like me. My most famous misspeak will remain a guarded secret. Even though it happened very publicly I would rather it not be shared again publicly until my funeral.

Misspeaks can be quite funny. I had so many at a church I previously pastored that when it was time to move on, they came up with a book of “Dewayne-isms.” And fortunately for me most of mine have been funny…just like the one that prompted this story. I was speaking about the fact that Jesus told His followers up front that a life that included following Him was going to be hard. He put it like this, “In this world you will have trouble. But be of good cheer because I have overcome the world.” There you go…crystal clear. Too often though you will hear Christian speakers making some pretty big promises on God’s behalf. It usually includes the fact that if we choose to follow Jesus…the rewards are enormous. It is about then that I list a few. They usually include things like you will never get sick. You will always have a job and never lose said job. Every promotion at that job is a guaranteed thing and on and on and on.

Right before I end the list, I always throw the kids in. They will all be handsome and attractive, be superstar athletes and never, ever need braces. Well, that is what I meant to say but instead of saying braces, I said dentures. So flying out of mouth came, “And your kids will never need dentures.” Ok, I know and you know that dentures is not even close to braces so where it came from…who knows? But it took about one second for the crowd to catch it and have a good laugh. Of course I corrected it right away and even added a bit to add to the unexpected humor. We all had a good laugh, and I can only imagine the next time braces or dentures come up in a conversation, someone just might say, “I remember when…”

Misspeaks—it is a love/hate relationship and as I said often quite funny…until it isn’t. I suppose you, like me, have said things we wish we hadn’t. It’s the kind of thing that happens when you say something and you instantly wish it hadn’t. It’s the kind of thing that we call a slip of the tongue but then you wonder, “Where did that come from anyway?” And these misspeaks can sometimes leave a scar—the size of Texas. Jesus said one time that these kind of misspeaks come from the heart. He said, “It is out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” He was saying that often our words reveal what is lurking in the heart.

Now these are not the funny things we say like dentures and braces, no, these are those unkind and hurtful things we say about people…even those and often those…close to us. Typical topics can include weight, appearance, fashion, cooking, housekeeping, oh, and the need for dentures…I mean braces. You might be wondering, “How do I prevent these things from happening?” Well, speaking of housecleaning, maybe we need to do some “heart-cleaning.” The best way to keep the tongue under control is to keep our heart under control. There is a scripture in the Old Testament that says, “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns. See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the everlasting way.”

Boom…there you go. We need to ask God to give us a day-by-day heart checkup and if He finds anything that doesn’t belong there…ask Him to take care of it. Often that will include leading you down a different path…a better path…a right path. One thing I have learned about God is that He really does want to help us do the right thing…including managing our hurtful misspeaks. If you are like me and sometimes struggle with what you say, just ask and He will help you…every time…anytime. He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

Family, forgiveness, friends, Grace, gratitude, life, love, prayer, Scripture, thankful, Trials

The Owner’s Closet

Posted on July 1, 2022June 30, 2022 by Dewayne Taylor

Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends You and lead me along the path of everlasting life.” Psalm 139:23-24

It’s the one place. My wife Judy is a really smart person and one day she proved that so clearly. The place where we live has a two-bedroom apartment over the garage. Off and on through the years, various members of the tribe have stayed there but finally it was just sitting empty. Not only was it not earning its keep…it was costing us. It has its own utilities so every month we wrote a check. And then Judy had a great idea. She researched and found out there was a pretty new company called Airbnb. It helps owners of properties rent them out as a short-term vacation type rental. She wanted to give it a try…and she did.

On a shoestring budget and by watching several YouTube videos she turned that little apartment into a beautiful short-term rental. I told her it wouldn’t work. A couple of businessmen who attend our church told her it wouldn’t work. After all, who comes to Harrisburg…a small town in Southern Illinois. Well, we were all wrong and she was all right. Since 2016 when she opened for business, hundreds have stayed and instead of draining the check book, it now helps supplement our income. Amazing.

People, book the place for a fee and we give them full access to the property. They get the apartment, and trust me…it is very nice. They also get to enjoy our beautiful garden (another Judy thing), the hot tub, and a nice patio area. It is quite the deal if I say so myself. Like I said…Judy had a really good idea. However, there is one place, one small room that the guests don’t have access to…the owner’s closet.

You see, in the hallway of the apartment, there is a small walk-in closet that we keep locked. No matter how much they pay, they can’t go in there. They can have everything else…but not that. No, nada, period. Why? Well…there are a couple of reasons but the main one is that it is filled with owner stuff. It’s the storage closet where extra linens, cleaning supplies, mops, cleaning rags, decorations, things we don’t need and well, just things. If the guests were to see it, they definitely wouldn’t be impressed. They might even say, “How can the rest of the place look so beautiful, and this look so…boring?” And they would be right and that is why it is locked.

Every short-term rental that I have stayed in has an owner’s closet and I am sure none of them look as nice as the rental itself. It’s just the nature of the beast. But what about this? What about our lives? Do you have an owner’s closet in your life that no one, I mean no one, is welcome to open…to enter? Your spouse? Nope. Your children? Nope. Your friends? Nope. Your parents? Nope. God? Not even God. Maybe especially not God. While the truth is all of us have that secret place, we need to know it can be a dangerous thing. When we are tempted to hide things, well, let’s just say bad things can grow in the dark.

Perhaps it is time we have the courage to unlock the door and let a little light in. I know it can be difficult but as long as the door is locked, we won’t, we can’t change what’s inside. The best place to start is to invite God in. If you are one of His kids, or especially if you aren’t, He won’t be surprised because He already knows everything. In Psalm 139:23-24, a Book in the Jewish and Christian Bible, it says, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends You and lead me along the path of everlasting life.”

Now that is just some great advice. Remember this…if bad things grow in the dark…bad things die in the light. If we will just have the courage to unlock the door, open the door, and even flip on the light switch…well, healing can begin, and help will be on the way. Why not take that giant step today? As you reach out with the key and slip it into the lock and turn the knob on the door, just know this. He is there with you, and He will help you all the way. He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

Family, forgiveness, Grace, gratitude, Integrity, life, prayer, priorities, Scripture, Southern born, thankful, Trials, wisdom

What Lurks Beneath the Surface

Posted on March 11, 2022March 10, 2022 by Dewayne Taylor

Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me.” Psalm 139:23-24

There was something stinky right below the surface. There were a lot of things I just didn’t know or understand growing up, but that was ok because my world was pretty low key. Looking back, maybe, perhaps those were some of my favorite memories in this journey called life. This was especially true in the years before junior high. As an elementary age kid, it was sunup to sundown adventures. Little did I know that something was brewing right beneath my feet.

We lived in the country which meant no city water or sewer. In fact, I think I can safely say I didn’t even know there was such a thing. We had a well and pump in our backyard and that is where our water came from, and I thought that is what everyone did. We also had something called a septic tank. That handled all the, uh, waste, from the Taylor Tribe. There were two things I didn’t know. First, I didn’t know we had one and second, I didn’t know it was right under our back porch. All that changed when one day big truck pulled into our yard. It turns out they were there to “pump out our septic tank.” Now anything that was big and mechanical I was all about. I watched in amazement as they moved some dirt and pried this huge, heavy slab of concrete off an equally huge tank thing.

It was just about then, I decided to back up because whatever was in there was not cool. They put a big hose in that tank thing and began to suck it all out. Now I know this is a bit gross but stay with me. So, the tank was empty, and they slid the lid back in place and off they went. Well, soon I forgot the big truck and forgot about the thing under our porch. Months later, I was playing in our backyard, and I noticed that water was bubbling up from the ground…not in one place but several. And, soon, my nose took me back to what was under the porch. It turned out that thing under the porch had what was called a drain field…and it wasn’t working. And because it wasn’t working…what was hidden beneath the ground soon wasn’t. The stinky was revealed.

Well, afford it or not, like it or not, they came and dug up a big part of our backyard and replaced the old clay tile pipes with new ones. It was all pretty interesting and soon the holes were covered up and the equipment moved on and magically, the stinky was gone. Looking back, I think it was funny that something so funky and yucky could be right there beneath my feet and I never knew it…until it came to the surface. And once it started to bubble up…what was hidden no longer was.

I’ve lived long enough now to know what was true in my backyard is true in life. So often we allow some foul stuff to hang around in our lives. You know, secret sins, bad habits, and destructive addictions—stuff rolling around in our minds or banging around in our hearts. We manage to keep it all under control, “under the ground,” until one day…it bubbles to the surface, and you find yourself wondering, “Where did that come from?” Worse than that, people start wondering the same thing. You can take it to the bank that secrets often don’t remain secret. Moses, yup, the guy who led God’s people out of Egypt, said that we can be sure our sin, or our habits, or our addictions will be found out…they will eventually come to the surface.

What I learned about septic tanks as a kid is true today too. They needed regular maintenance and sometimes repair to function right. We need the same. We need to regularly examine our heart and our conscience to see if there is anything we need to get “pumped” out. If we are God followers, we need to have the courage to ask Him to check out what lurks below the surface of our lives. One of the writers of the Psalms in the Old Testament part of the Bible said, “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me.”

food, life, Scripture

“Pigdemic”

Posted on May 26, 2020 by Dewayne Taylor

Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every hindrance and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us.” (Hebrews 12:1)

I was afraid I had caught it. We have all heard all we need to hear about the corona virus. Regardless of what magazine, newspaper, news program, talk show or person you talk to, eventually, the topic of this pandemic will come up. Nothing has so dominated the public’s attention like this, this, this disaster, this tragedy, this pain in the neck, this maker of our new normalcy…COVID-19. Oh, and I wasn’t afraid that I caught that. Nope…but I was almost certain I had caught its first cousin.

Did you know that the pandemic had a first cousin? Oh yes, it does. It is the dreaded…wait for it…pigdemic. Yup…you read it right. Pigdemic is a new phenomenon that is sweeping the nation. It happens when people are forced to stay at home for extended periods of time, bored out of their minds. In this condition, people eat and eat and eat. They eat things that they love, they eat things they like, they eat things they don’t like and they eat things they have never heard of. The consequences are weighty.

Clothes magically shrink while hanging in closets, mirrors suddenly make people appear shorter and wider, gravity seems to take on added strength when we try to get off of the couch and exercise becomes more difficult, much more difficult. And that is where I made a self-diagnosis. I had the pigdemic. It happened like this.

First, despite my shrinking clothes, I have managed to walk 2.5 miles, five or six days a week at a respectable 14 minute mile pace. Well, this morning, after walking, my wife was going to ride her bike. I decided I would join her. After all, riding a bike had to be easier than walking. So off we went! I was surprised when she was about 40 yards ahead of me and I was panting like a dog on a hot day. “Hmmmm” I said. She had to stop and adjust her seat (for which I am eternally grateful) and I told her, “I don’t know if it is because I walked this morning or maybe it is those pesky donuts but I am tired. This is hard.” She laughed and kindly said it was probably because I had walked. I was sure it was the donuts.

So we kept riding, I kept falling behind and I was pretty sure I was going to die. I was certain I had the pigdemic. I wasn’t ready to swear off donuts but I was close. Well, I had been hearing a noise on my front wheel (which sounded strangely like a pig squealing) but I didn’t think too much about it. I should have. I finally told Judy I was going to stop and check out the squealing pig sound. I did and it turned out my front wheel was off center causing my brake to be about half on. I loosened the front wheel and centered it slightly and got back on. Two amazing things happened. The squealing pig was gone and suddenly I could peddle a lot easier. A whole lot easier.

It turns out I was not about to die from the pigdemic. It was a brake that was braking when it should have been coasting. I discovered it is amazing when you ride a bike how much harder it is when the brake is on…even a little. A little braking can quickly break your spirit. I decided before I ride again I’m going to check my bike out a little closer and make sure there are no squealing pigs on board.

I wonder if that is what the writer of Hebrews had in mind? He encouraged us to lay aside every weight and every sin that might hinder us from running our race or riding our spiritual bike. I think it might be. The weights are things that may not be wrong for us but are just not helpful. It might be like riding a bike and carrying a ten pound rock in your basket…just because you like rocks. Sin, well, we know what sin is. If you are biking it might be like riding with a flat tire. Not a good idea. Whether it is rocks or flat tires, the bottom line is life is harder when we carry stuff that we don’t need or that can and will hurt us.

So, if you are riding your bike and there is a sound that sounds like a squealing pig, it probably isn’t the pigdemic. It’s probably a wheel off-center causing your brake to brake. If life seems a little more difficult, why not ask God and see if you have a rock or two in your basket or worse, a flat tire. Try praying this prayer from Psalm 139:23-24. “Father would you search me inside and out, run some tests on me, and see if there is anything hindering me, hurting me? Would you see if there is something that I’m doing that offends you? Would you lead me in a way that shows others I am on Your path? Thank-you Father. Amen.” Now that is one prayer that God wants to answer. He wants you to peddle through life with the wind at your back, a song in your heart and no squealing pigs on board. And when you get home you can rest in Him. Do you know why? Yup…He’s got this.