racquetball – Grits with Grace

Family, fear, forgiveness, friends, Grace, gratitude, life, prayer, school days, Scripture, Trials

Scars are Stories

Posted on August 21, 2024August 17, 2024 by Dewayne Taylor

When Jesus stood up, He said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” “No one, Lord,” she answered. “Neither do I condemn you,” said Jesus. “Go, and from now on do not sin anymore.” John 8:10-11

It’s a great setup. I’ve written several times about my early morning routine. It involves coffee, the weather report and Jesus. I am a creature of habit, when something messes with my habits, and it messes me up. But sometimes I do something a little different that just works better. Last year I tripped and fell as I was going onto our patio and messed up my hand, my wife Judy donated a little lap desk to help me study and write. Well, I liked it so much I bought one of my own. I also found out that this little desk made a great addition to my routine as it is a great place to put my iPad and my coffee cup. Boom. Things just got better.

Well, one morning I was sipping coffee and using my iPad to read a couple of devotions. The guy I was reading wrote about scars and as I was reading…I was looking. You see, my hands have several scars, and each one is a story. On my right thumb is one that reminds me of the ten-year-old (or so) Dewayne who was cutting watermelon and ignored his daddy’s advice about how to use a knife. On my middle finger of my right hand, right on the knuckle, is an inch long scar caused by my careless use of an X-Acto knife I was using to build a model car or plane.

Let’s look at my left hand. On my index finger are two scars…close together. One was when I was riding with my sister and her then boyfriend in his car. The car in front of us stopped…and he didn’t. This was before seatbelts and when I headed for the windshield, I threw my hand up to protect my head. I guess it worked, but I did cut my hand up in the process. The other scar was a woodcutting thing. I didn’t cut it with the saw, or you might be calling me “Three Fingers.” No, a piece of wood that I was cutting was in a bind. It slipped and whacked my hand leaving a nasty gash.

There are a couple of smaller scars on both hands, but their birth didn’t garner a memory. I do have a couple of scars in other places, like the one by my eye which happened on a racquetball court. A guy hit me with his racket on that one. But by and large most of my physical scars are on my hands because that is where all the action is. In other words, whatever you put out there in life will probably get scarred…like our hearts. All of us probably have some scars left when we put our heart out there and someone wounded us. It’s just life.

But now for the bigger story. Remember that scars may be a sign of a painful wound…but they are also a sign of healing. The scars that are on my hands were bleeding and painful when they happened but gradually, the bleeding stopped, and they healed over. That’s a good thing. Now you know and I know that wounds on our heart are a whole different animal. They may heal but it often takes more than some antibiotic cream and a Band-Aid. They say that time heals all wounds and that might be partially true. Time does help but time can’t always heal. The good news is there is something…Someone…who can heal, and His name is Jesus.

My friend Jesus is a healer of hearts. When He walked the earth, He amazed the people in many ways…twice He gave everyone a free lunch. But countless times He would take the broken, the castaways and lovingly put their lives back together. I love the story when a woman was caught in adultery. The religious people wanted to stone her, but Jesus chose to love her. I suppose in my life, and in yours, there have been some stoning opportunities but here is one thing I know. Jesus isn’t a rock chucker—He is a heart healer, and He wants to help heal yours today.

So, how about it? Do you have some wounds on your heart that time just hasn’t taken care of? Are you still hurting from a train wreck in life years ago? Why not give Jesus the opportunity to help? “How” you might ask? Well, why not try asking? It is called prayer and trust me it is worth a shot. The other key element is faith—believing that He is there listening. Don’t be surprised if one of the first things you hear is Him asking you to forgive. Why? Because forgiving others always helps heal our own wounds. So, when you are done reading, why not start praying. He is waiting and He is willing. He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

Family, forgiveness, friends, Grace, gratitude, loving others, Military memories, pride, Scripture, Southern born, thankful, Trials

Me and Major Hobbs

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

Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28

I knew the outcome…I thought. The list of the things I enjoyed while serving in the Air Force is long and varied. Somehow, which I’m sure God arranged; I was assigned to work in the command section at all my duty assignments. It all started when a guy named Master Sergeant Johnson picked me up at the small airport in Minot, North Dakota and casually said, “I think I’m going to let you work for me.” He worked in the command section of the Combat Support Group and so it began. Each new duty assignment found me working for the commanders and first sergeants of each unit. It was awesome. So many of those leaders left their fingerprints on my life and helped mold me into the person I am today.

1973 found me assigned to the command section of one of aircraft maintenance squadrons at Moody Air Force Base. My immediate supervisor, the first sergeant and even the commander became friends of sorts—within the parameters of military protocol. All that leads to the point of this story. After joining the service, I learned to play racquetball and loved it. I suppose I was even pretty good at it. Well, my commander, Major Hobbs, also played. Normally, our path probably wouldn’t have crossed at the gym, but this young buck airman kept egging this 20 year my senior, slightly overweight, Major… to play him in racquetball. I assured him that I could take him and then one day, he said, “Ok.”

He told me to get a court time and I did. Now everything assured me that this was going to be a no match…and it was…but not like I thought. On the appointed day and at the appointed time we met to do battle. I was sure I was going to show my commander what a real racquetball player looked like. I served first and I may have scored a couple of points. Then, it was his turn, and that is when I began to learn that the race doesn’t always go the swiftest…or the youngest. Major Hobbs would serve and then move to the center of the court and proceeded to beat me like an unwanted tom cat. He virtually didn’t move because he didn’t need to. He totally mastered the ball with his racket and put the ball, almost every time, wherever I wasn’t.

Well, a set-in racquetball is three games…if needed. We didn’t need them. He finished me off in two games. One player left the court drenched in sweat and exhausted and one left the court without a drop. One player left the court dragging and exhausted while the other left with a strange bounce in their step. You can probably guess which was which. The young buck airman was taught a good lesson that day and it is one that I still remember today. It is not always about how light you move on your feet and how fast you can move. Sometimes it is about strategy…how you play the game.

And so, it is with life. A wise man, woman or child will know that you need to have a plan, a strategy if you will, if you are going to win the game of life. And the crazy part is the best strategy doesn’t depend on talent, wealth, or opportunity. It leans, it is driven by, a close relationship with Creator God. Now don’t miss that. Religion is nice, church is a great idea, but neither are the answer—a personal relationship with God through faith in His Son and the wisdom and guidance of the Holy Spirit is. It is a power team of three and yet One. Amazing. With Him calling the shots, well, life just goes better…a lot better. Jesus invites us to come and do life with Him…and that is an invitation we need to accept.

That day, we left the court differently but there was one thing we shared…a smile. The older, wiser Major smiled because he had helped a prideful, young airman learn a lesson in humility. A lesson, honestly, he needed. And the airman, well, he smiled too because someone wiser than him took the time to teach. God really does want to help us do life and honestly, we need Him. Don’t be pushed away by all the hype in religion. Go ahead and schedule some court time with God and you just might discover how much He loves you and wants to help. You might discover that no matter what…He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

Family, fear, friends, Grace, gratitude, life, love, loving others, Military memories, Scripture, thankful, Trials, wisdom

Me and Major Hobbs

Posted on March 7, 2022March 6, 2022 by Dewayne Taylor

Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28

I knew the outcome…I thought. The list of the things I enjoyed while serving in the Air Force is long and varied. Somehow, which I’m sure God arranged, I was assigned to work in the command section at all my duty assignments. It all started when a guy named Master Sergeant Johnson picked me up at the small airport in Minot, North Dakota and casually said, “I think I’m going to let you work for me.” He worked in the command section of the Combat Support Group and so it began. Each new duty assignment found me working for the commanders and first sergeants of each unit. It was awesome. So many of those leaders left their fingerprints on my life and help mold me in the person I am today.

He told me to get a court time and I did. Now everything assured me that this was going to be a no match…and it was…but not like I thought. On the appointed day and at the appointed time we met to do battle. I was sure I was going to show my commander what a real racquetball player looked like. I served first and I may have made a couple of points. Then, it was his turn, and that is when I began to learn that the race doesn’t always go the swiftest…or the youngest. Major Hobbs would serve and then move to the center of the court and proceeded to beat me like an unwanted tom cat. He virtually didn’t move because he didn’t need to. He totally mastered the ball with his racket and put the ball, almost every time, wherever I wasn’t

Well, a set (win) in racquetball, is three games…if needed. We didn’t need them. He finished me off in two games. One player left the court drenched in sweat and exhausted and one left the court without a drop. One player left the court dragging and exhausted while the other left with a strange bounce in their step. You can probably guess which was which. The young buck airman was taught a good lesson that day and it is one that I still remember today. It is not always about how light on your feet and how fast you can move. Sometimes it is about strategy…how you play the game.

And so, it is with life. A wise man, woman or child will know that you need to have a plan, a strategy if you will, if you are going to win the game of life. And the crazy part is the best strategy doesn’t depend on talent, wealth, or opportunity. It leans, it is driven by – a close relationship with Creator God. Now don’t miss that. Religion is nice, church is a great idea, but neither are the answer—a personal relationship with God through faith in His Son and the wisdom and guidance of the Holy Spirit is. It is a power team of three and yet One. Amazing. With Him calling the shots, well, life just goes better…a lot better. Jesus invites us to come and do life with Him…and that is an invitation we need to accept.