regrets – Grits with Grace

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

Nip it in the Bud

Posted on May 24, 2023May 23, 2023 by Dewayne Taylor

Everyone who commits sin practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness.” 1 John 3:4

Leave it to Barney. Some of you might remember Barney Fife from the old television show, “The Andy Griffith Show.” He was one of the iconic characters and played the town deputy under Sheriff Andy Taylor. Barney was a little off-center most of the time. One of my favorite memories was that they only trusted him with one bullet, and he had to keep it in his pocket. He may have been a bit off-center but every once-on-a-while he would come up with something insightful. One of those was his saying that we should “nip it, nip it in the bud.”

He knew (at least every once in a while) that an ounce of prevention was better than a pound of cure. Now he didn’t always follow his own good advice but who does? Truth is we would all be better off we did, “nip it, nip it in the bud.” The other day I went to the skin doctor for my semi-annual skin check. Twice a year I have them look and make sure something isn’t growing on my skin that shouldn’t be. Some of that skin stuff can get pretty nasty. Like I’ve said before I’m ok with dying…I just don’t want to die stupid.

So usually, I am an A+ patient. Besides the usual assortment of old people stuff, she always tells me I have good skin. Well, that didn’t quite happen this time. As she checked my forehead, she found two spots that were kinda rough and she said, “Dewayne, these might be pre-cancers so it would be best if we burned them off.” So, she wasn’t sure if they were but, in her opinion, it was better to be safe than sorry—and I agreed with her. Let’s “nip it, nip it in the bud”. So, she got out her handy burner-off thing and just like that they were frozen.

“Wait,” you say, “I thought you she was burning them off?” Yup that’s right but she burns them off by hitting them with something so cold it literally burns them off. Ever heard of, “freezer burn?” Same sort of idea. Anyway, it was all over after a little bit of stinging and a few days of everyone asking, “What happened to your forehead?” And guess what? Because we nipped it in the bud, I don’t have to worry about it turning into something a little nastier.

This “nip it, nip it in the bud” thing is good advice. Imagine how many regrets a little nipping could save us! And what about when we nip a “pre-sin” in the bud before it becomes a disaster in our lives? Yup, the more I think about it the more I am sure we owe old Barney a debt of gratitude. So, let me suggest a semi-annual visit to the skin doctor and a daily visit with the Great Physician just to check and see if there needs to be a little nipping on those nasty “pre-sins.” It might sting a little but hey, don’t worry, He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

Family, friends, Grace, gratitude, life, loving others, Scripture, sovereignty of God, thankful, Trials

Remember

Posted on April 21, 2023April 20, 2023 by Dewayne Taylor

I will remember the Lord’s works; yes, I will remember Your ancient wonders. I will reflect on all You have done and meditate on Your actions.” Psalm 77:11

I remember when. It is a line that is heard a lot in conversation. A favorite time. A favorite trip. A favorite memory. It seems the older we get, the more we use those three words. I remember when gas was 18 cents a gallon. I remember when a Coke was 5 cents. I remember when a Whopper was 49 cents. I remember my first new car was $2,795. I remember my friend bragging that he could boil water in a paper cup, and I was introduced to the microwave.

Now would be a good time to tell you that I am not 102 years old. In fact, I am, well never mind. Let’s just say not that old. The ability to remember is one of the gifts that God gave to us as humans. I can remember when I met my wife Judy–boy, she was cute. I can remember when our first daughter was born–boy, she was cute too–took after her mom. First granddaughter–yup, cute too. I remember when.

We all have those great memories. Unfortunately, we also all have those “not so great” memories. Times when we made unwise decisions that resulted in Goliath size consequences in our lives. They usually involved a split moment in time when “the want” outweighed “the wisdom” and we acted. The results were scars, broken hearts, financial disasters, and regret.

So, what do you do with this memory thing? We all can remember back before the COVID thing was a thing…when things were…normal. Want to go out and eat? Sure. Want to go shopping. Sure. Want to go on vacation? Sure. Want to go to church? Sure. Then came that long stretch when things were anything but normal. Gratefully, now, we are beginning to taste, at least, a variation of normal. But the question remains, “What do we do with yesterday? What do we do with the regrets? What do we do with yesterdays that leave us longing or weeping? What do we do with fear of the unknowns?”

Saul (aka Paul) had to deal with that. He had a long history of regrets. As a young man climbing up the corporate ladder, he made his living imprisoning people for believing in Jesus. People who followed Jesus would quake when he walked into town. It usually meant someone was going to jail. Or worse. He once stood by as a mob stoned a young man named Stephen. He nodded his approval with each sickening thud as stone met flesh.

So, what happened? He met Jesus and he was instantly and forever changed. He went from Jesus hater to Jesus follower. The only problem was people have long memories and he was a people. Every look in the polished metal mirror reminded him. Every trip to a new town carried the dread that someone would say, “Hey, isn’t that the guy?” Ever had that happen? Ever dread that happening? Well, Paul did too, and he gave us some mountain moving advice in Philippians 3:13a-14.

He wrote “This one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus.” There you go. He says, “I am not going to let my past control my present or my future”. Paul accepted one amazing deal. Grace. God had forgiven him of all his messes in the past and he finally made the decision to live in grace rather than regret.

So, as we continue our journey through these days of a new different, we can long for the old days, or we can live in gratitude and grace. As memories of mistakes the size of Everest sneak their way into our present, we can sink, or we can swim in His grace. As we look in the mirror, we can see what might have been or believe what God says is. The author of Psalm 77 said, “I will remember the Lord’s works; yes, I will remember Your ancient wonders. I will reflect on all you have done and meditate on your actions.”

You need to know and believe that He’s pretty keen on you. He’s not ashamed or afraid to call you His. There is never a hint of regret for His decision to let you in the family. Hey, believe that. Rest in that. He’s got you. He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

Family, food, friends, Grace, gratitude, life, Scripture, thankful, Trials, wisdom

Cooking Class: Beans & Burns

Posted on April 13, 2022April 12, 2022 by Dewayne Taylor

Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant.” Galatians 6:7

It was the best of times. It was the worst of times. Oh wait–that opening line has already been taken. Well, it was just over twelve years ago now, but I well remember the night. Judy was out of town, and I was at the church. We were sponsoring a dinner for the football team. I wanted to help but, well, it didn’t go to well. It is a known fact that I can’t be trusted with a power tool of any sorts. It just doesn’t go well. Apparently, you can add all things kitchen to that list.

I love being a fixer. When one of my grandkid’s toys would break, they would bring it to Papa—their fixer. I love being the hero. And I love to help. It’s in my DNA. WelI, that night I volunteered to help the head cooker person get a large pan of baked beans out of the convection oven at church. It was in one of those pans made of formed aluminum. When I volunteered, I could see the concern in the head cooker person’s eyes. For an expert this was no deal…for a preacher who wasn’t allowed to use power tools—it was Death Valley.

“Dewayne”, she said, watch the bottom of the pan—it can collapse if you aren’t careful.” She went on, “You might want to put a sheet pan under it for support.” Well, Mister “I -Know-It-All” said, “No deal, I can handle it.” So, I reached up, I lifted it and in a moment of time…a moment that will live in infinity…the pan collapsed, and my lower left arm was baptized in a tsunami of scalding, hot baked beans. The pain was instantaneous, and it was intense. Can someone say “ouch?”

Well, I immediately used my other hand to wipe some of the beans off (not too smart since I burned that hand too) and ran to the sink and started running water over it. The bottom line is I ended up with second degree burns, a working knowledge of how not to take beans out of the oven and several other good life lessons added to my repertoire of knowledge. You might say I have “bean” educated.”

Perhaps the first lesson is this. No matter how well you do something the wrong way, it probably isn’t going to work out for your benefit. When King David and his crew were moving the ark in the Old Testament, they decided to use a cart instead of doing it God’s way. The result was the oxen stumbled and a man reached out to steady the ark and was instantly struck dead by God. Now don’t blame God—the rule was you don’t touch the ark. Period. But when you do something in a wrong way you open yourself up to a whole bunch of circumstances.

Second, listen to the experts. The head cooker person I was helping was a professional cook. She knew the danger–I didn’t. I was a he-man, bean toting pastor–that is until “I spilt the beans” (pun intended!) I thought I could handle it—and I could not. I’m not sure why we wrestle this around but isn’t it funny how God, the ultimate expert, offers us advice–and we tend to ignore it. And the pain that it causes can rival or exceed second degree burns. Listen to God. He knows best.

Finally, get ready for the lasting effects of the consequences. I burned my arm on a Tuesday and it took days, lots of days, to even begin to feel normal. Oh, and did I mention that I didn’t go to the doctor because I was going to tough it out? You see, pride is a bad deal. I guess I was embarrassed enough, and I just didn’t want to explain to the doctor about how unwise I was. So, I just dealt with it. Fortunately, I did bump into him later and he saw the bandage, checked it out, asked the inevitable questions, and gave me some awesome medicine for burns. It did heal and left only minimal scarring to gently remind me to listen before I act. It taught me that whatever you sow…you reap. It taught me that—every bad choice we make carries some sort of consequences. Choose wisely, my son, choose wisely.

So, twelve years later, there is still a twinge of regret over that fateful Tuesday night. I still shake my head and wonder how in the world I could do something so, so, stupid. Every once in a while, when we are having a dinner at church, I will say, “Hey, head cooker person, do you remember…” and before I can finish the sentence, we both nod knowingly. I was afraid I was going to swear off bake beans forever but that that didn’t happen, but I will never look at a pan of beans the same way. And I will forever have a greater respect for an oven set to 350 degrees.

As you journey along and you are faced with decisions and crossroads and someone suggests maybe going this way or that or doing it this way or that—take a moment, pause, and listen to their advice—especially if it involves baked beans. And if that voice is a gentle whisper from the Whisperer, definitely stop and listen. He will probably be helping you avoid some needless pain or letting you know you can rest in Him. He will be whispering, “I’ve got this.” Bro. Dewayne

Family, fear, food, forgiveness, Grace, gratitude, life, love, loving others, Scripture, thankful, Thanksgiving, Trials

Leftovers

Posted on November 26, 2021November 25, 2021 by Dewayne Taylor

No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead.” Philippians 3:13

One of the best things about Thanksgiving doesn’t happen on Thanksgiving. Well, let’s be honest, for most of us blessed enough to live here in America it is a day to throw the diet out the window, to loosen the belt a notch, to forget trying to bend over. It is the day after the feast. I know for the Taylor tribe we have perfected the feast to a fine art. Each year there are certain items that just must be on the table. There is the most incredible mac-n-cheese in the world, a sweet potato soufflé, oh, and strawberry pretzel salad. And that is the short list. There is also green bean casserole, rolls, some sort of salad and, well, you get the idea. Even a sampling of the feast will cause your belt to shrink a notch or two. Thanksgiving food…you gotta love it.

But here is the best part. Eventually, probably hours but maybe the next day, there will be a hint of hunger. As full as you feel after the feast, you will get hungry again and that’s when it happens. You can go to the refrigerator and start unloading the leftovers. All that joy from the Thanksgiving feast is reborn right before your eyes. And the amazing part is that some of the dishes taste even better than the first time. A couple of minutes in the microwave will have you smiling just like the day before. And the hits just keep on coming because some, not all mind you, but some will make it for day two.

And then there is the turkey. Mr. Turkey must be related to the cat because it seems to have nine or more lives. After the initial onslaught of Thanksgiving and the day after, there always seems to be more turkey. What should we do? Well, some might be given a quick trip to the freezer, but some will be reborn in a myriad of creative and tasty recipes. Who knows the multitude of ways Mr. Turkey can be reborn in the days following Thanksgiving? You see, in some ways, Thanksgiving is the holiday that just keeps on giving. Just ask your waistline.

I realize that some folks aren’t fans of leftovers. I knew one guy who simply refused to eat them and of course that is every person’s choice. But as for me, I say bring them on. Whether it is a Thanksgiving feast or a leftover burger from some fast-food place, it is all waiting for a second chance to satisfy that hunger pain. Now to be fair, sometimes those leftovers are better left alone. What might have been a crunchy delight one day can be a soggy mess the next, so you must choose your leftovers carefully. Sometimes, it’s better to let that tasty dish go on the first go around.

Do you suppose that is true in life too? You know, our choices and actions can be like those leftovers. Some choices are worth savoring for days, weeks, and months or maybe even a lifetime. Trusting Jesus…now that was a good decision that will last forever. Marrying my wife Judy…check. Forty-five years later and I’m still humming, “We’ve Only Just Begun.” Having kids? That’s a good one too though there have been times in their teen years when I pondered checking the return policy. The truth is all of us, if we look, will discover there are some great leftovers that spill joy into our lives every day.

Truthfully, and painfully, there are some leftovers that still cause our hearts to hurt. A broken relationship left unattended, a harsh word spoken and left hanging without an apology, poor health decisions…yes, there are painful leftovers in every person’s life. While we can’t just make them disappear like fog burning off in the morning, we can do what we can do and that is to seek and receive forgiveness. First, let it start with God. Let Him know how you regret and repent or turn from whatever it was. Then, if an apology is due, give it. Even if the person is no longer around, you can apologize. Maybe write a letter and then burn it. And lastly, we need to forgive ourselves and that, by the way, might be the most difficult thing to do. And then, take the sad leftovers and take them to the trash…where they belong.

I love what Paul the Bible writer said. He said we should forget the past and look forward. He wasn’t saying we should forget because that probably isn’t possible. He was saying we should not allow a past that is forgiven to own us in the present. He was saying we need to get rid of those old, rotten leftovers and that is something we can do. So, savor the good and ditch the regretful. Sound difficult? That’s ok because there is a Dearest Father who will help you. In fact, listen carefully, even now He is whispering, “I’ve got this.” Bro. Dewayne

Family, gratitude, life, loving others, Military memories, prayer, Scripture, Southern born, thankful

Unkept-the Look

Posted on May 14, 2021May 13, 2021 by Dewayne Taylor

Guard your heart above all else, for it is the source of life.” Proverbs 4:23

It was unkept…but it was cool. Ok, let’s just lay it out there. I am just a tad on the old school side. I was a teenager in the late sixties and early seventies with a daddy who wasn’t fond of anything countercultural—and that included longer hair. That was phase one. Phase two was twelve years in the United States Air Force. They and my Daddy would have gotten along really well- since they weren’t fond of anything countercultural either. Phase three was being a Baptist pastor. Back in the days, Baptists were pretty much not fond of anything countercultural either. Suits and ties were the norm and facial hair was basically a no-no. So, you can probably understand that I wrestle with some of the new fashion norms. It’s not that I don’t like them—it’s just that I don’t understand some of them.

As an example, part of my morning routine is having a time with God. Part of that is watching a short video of someone speaking. This morning it was a pretty successful young pastor from somewhere. As the video began I noticed a couple of things. First, his hair had the now fashionable “unkept” look. It was like he got out of bed, ran his fingers through his hair and went to work. Again, that’s cool. Hang with me. Second, he sported the wildly popular beard stubble look. I mean, if you don’t have a stubble… you’re not ready to rumble. He had a good stubble. Hey, that’s cool. I wish the Air Force had discovered that when I was in. Again, the cool “unkept” look.

Another fashion statement with the “unkept” look are jeans with holes in them. They are crazy poplar. When I was growing up jeans with holes were tossed out and people who wore them were poor. Now, people pay big bucks to have jeans with holes. Hey, just buy a regular pair and give them four years—bam—another cool “unkept” look. And you save a few bucks. Another “unkept” look that is popular with the “we don’t own an iron” crowd is the wrinkled look. You just grab your shirt or whatever and throw it on and you are in. Again, totally cool—totally in.

I’ve even seen this in yards. There are folks who have unkept yards because they just don’t like to mow grass or trim their yards but there is another group that simply loves that look. To them unkept is “unkept—the cool kind.” To some folks an “unkept” yard is all about nature. I really liked that when I was young—my Daddy did not. It just wasn’t his thing.

So, what’s up? Well, through the years different things have come and gone. It’s just the way culture works. Things are fashionable for awhile and they move on. I know there was a time I couldn’t imagine preaching without a tie. I even said one time that I didn’t think I could preach without a tie. Now days, I usually preach with an open collar. Things change. Right now “unkept” is cool and one day it probably won’t be and I’m good with it either way. But wait.

While “unkept” is cool, fashion wise…it is not cool or healthy to like an “unkept” life. You ask, “What is that?” It is a life that is lived solely in the moment. In the sixties it was the “if it feels good, do it” thing and each decade has had its version of that thought pattern. But the bottom line is that when we live “unkept” lives there are usually consequences and regrets. I said this morning to my wife Judy that “success is not accidental, it is intentional.” That almost sounds deep. I also think that God’s peace, and joy, and happiness, and a host of other things that make life worth living aren’t accidental either…they are intentional.

For me, as a Jesus follower, that intentionality involves checking in with God on a regular basis to see what He thinks about my day…my life. For me it is a daily dose of His Book, the Bible. Trust me on this one…there is a reason why it remains one of the best-selling books of all time. The truths and teachings of Jesus are found in the second part, the New Testament, and they were groundbreaking two thousand years ago and they still are today.

Ok, so I don’t know if I will ever do the “unkept” thing or not. It took me a long time to figure out I could teach without a tie. But I do know this. When it comes to life, a “kept” life is just better—fewer consequences—fewer regrets. That is probably why the Book says, “Guard your heart above all else, for it is the source of life.” God really wants what is best for us…He loves us that much. If you find yourself in an “unkept” mess, just remember that He is there waiting and no matter what it is, “He’s got this.”

Family, fear, forgiveness, Grace, gratitude, life, love, loving others, Scripture, sovereignty of God, thankful, Trials, wisdom

Remember

Posted on May 10, 2021May 9, 2021 by Dewayne Taylor

I will remember the Lord’s works; yes, I will remember Your ancient wonders. I will reflect on all You have done and meditate on Your actions.” Psalm 77:11

Now would be a good time to tell you that I am not 102 years old. In fact, I am, well never mind. Let’s just say not that old. The ability to remember is one of the gifts that God gave to us as humans. I can remember when I met my wife Judy–boy, was she cute. I can remember when our first daughter was born–boy, she was cute too–took after her mom. First granddaughter–yup, cute too. I remember when.

He wrote “This one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus.” There you go. He says “I am not going to let my past control my present or my future”. Paul accepted one amazing deal. Grace. God had forgiven him of all his messes in the past and he finally made the decision to live in grace rather than regret.

So, as we continue our journey through these days of a new different, we can long for the old days, or we can live in gratitude and grace. As memories of mistakes the size of Everest sneak their way into our present, we can sink or we can swim in His grace. As we look in the mirror, we can see what might have been or believe what God says is. The author of Psalm 77 said, “I will remember the Lord’s works; yes, I will remember Your ancient wonders. I will reflect on all you have done and meditate on your actions.”

Family, forgiveness, gratitude, life, loving others, Scripture, wisdom

Scars

Posted on October 21, 2020October 20, 2020 by Dewayne Taylor

Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead. Philippians 3:13

Gnarled trees stood twisted and broken along the road. Judy and I had to make a trip to Florida to participate in my Aunt’s funeral. She was my Daddy’s baby sister and the last of that generation. It was a long trip but worth the journey. I saw it as a way to honor my father while also honoring my aunt. Like every person her life had its ups and downs and bumps and bruises. And like every person, there were a few scars left along the road.

It was while traveling West in Florida that I began seeing the gnarled trees. Mile after mile of trees that were either broken in two, forever bent over or simply lifeless, like dead men standing. I knew the area had been brushed by a recent storm or two but this damage was caused by something far worse—and not so recently. Suddenly it occurred to me. I had seen this before about two years ago. It was the result of a storm, a terrible storm called Michael.

If you remember in 2018 a compact yet incredibly powerful storm came ashore at Mexico Beach, a small down on the Florida panhandle. It was so devastating that it literally destroyed that small town and the path of the storm with its destruction moved well inland. That is where we saw the scars. When we were here a couple of months after the storm and miles and miles inland there was debris piled everywhere along the highway. What wasn’t broken off or blown over looked like it had been given a perm—twisted and turned. That was two years ago.

The scars of that harsh and horrible day remain today and will remain for many years to come. Only time is going to slow erase the damage as trees re-grow and underbrush hides what has fallen. It looked devastating two years ago when I saw it and today, somehow, it looked even more so. Sometimes the scars are almost as bad as the wounds. Sometimes the memories are worse than what caused the pain.

Many of us have caused scars and most of us bear them. Some are still healing while others, like the gnarled trees, will remain. We are left to wonder what to do…how to heal. The answer I believe lies with creator God. It is He who can give us the strength to forgive and it is He who can lead us down the path to healing. Like a good recipe, it will include a measure of grace, a measure of mercy, and a measure of choice. Forgiveness is really never about the one who caused the scar rather it is about the one who was hurt. When we forgive we truly begin to heal.

Forgiveness also involves forgetting…but not the kind you are thinking. This forgetting simply means that we choose to not allow the past to control our present. We choose to let go, so we can be set free. When we determine that the past won’t reach into our present…we find a freedom. While the scar will remain, slowly but surely the pain eases and we are evently left whole.

This, of course, is a faith path. We have to believe that God can and will heal us. We have to believe that God can forgive us if we were the one who caused the scar. We have to believe either way that His grace is sufficient and do you know what? It is. The scars I saw today along the highway spoke of a devastating storm but it also spoke of hope. You see, at the base of the gnarled trees stood dozens and dozens of new growth trees. One day, someday in the future, they will rise to overcome the past with its scars. That is our hope.

As I stood before that group of people today and spoke of mistakes and regrets. I also spoke of forgiveness and grace which was and is a game changer. No matter how difficult your past and no matter how uncertain your future, His grace will see you through. I hope you will keep trusting Him day by day. I hope you will look up for hope, look around to see that you aren’t by yourself and look down, yes down, but only to see the new life surrounding you. Hey, you can trust Him, you can rest in Him because no matter how hard the wind blows or how long it howls…He’s got this.

Family, life, Scripture, wisdom

Here Kitty, Kitty

Posted on June 16, 2020 by Dewayne Taylor

“Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God—who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly—and it will be given to him.” Proverbs 7:5

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Military memories, Scripture

Minot Memories – Walking on Ice

Posted on May 19, 2020 by Dewayne Taylor

Do not love the world [its ways, it principles] or the things in the world. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride in one’s possessions—is not from the Father, but is from the world.” 1 John 2:15-16

You know, some folks are just slow learners. My time in Minot was short—from October to April—but filled with memories. The base was about 20 miles from town and only a couple of guys had cars. We would load up and drive into town at negative twenty degrees with all the windows down to play “freeze out.” We would see how long we could stand the cold. The radio would be blaring John Denver’s “Take Me Home Country Roads.” Hey, there wasn’t a lot to do—especially in Minot in the dead of winter.

So, as a southern boy, this cold weather stuff was all new to me. Some things I just couldn’t get the hang of. One of those was walking on ice. Now I had been walking since I was about 18 months old. The difference was up in Minot you have to learn to walk on ice. The winter of 1972-73 was a great opportunity to do so. I was able to go home for Christmas. I was dreaming of a green and not white Christmas. Up until that time it had been cold, but we had very little snow. That was kinda unusual—especially for Minot.

Well, while I was home for Christmas they had a whopper snow —and I’m not talking about Burger King. Something like two feet of snow fell. But what happened after the snow was chilling—literally. It melted…all of it. Somehow it got well above freezing for a week or so which melted the snow and then it happened. The temperature plunged to below zero and stayed there. Forever.

What was left behind were vast sheets of ice. Everywhere you looked or walked there was ice. I didn’t have a car which meant I had to walk to and from work. So I would put on my arctic parka, my arctic gloves, pull my arctic hood up and take a hike. I would walk one way going and another way coming. Going to work was not a deal. I managed to make it without falling…or at least not multiple times. Going home? Well, that’s a different story.

About halfway there I would have to walk around the corner of a building. So, off I go. I get to this corner and not paying attention, stepped onto a sheet of ice. Bam. In two seconds flat- I was flat on my back. Because of the parka nothing was damaged except my pride. Score one for the ice. Day two. I’m walking home and come to the exact same spot. I eye the ice and ever so carefully step on and in two seconds flat I am flat on my back. Bummer. I crawl back upright, making sure no one is watching, and press on.

Day three. I get to the corner for the third time. I know the ice is there. In fact, we’ve become close friends. I gingerly step on the ice…nothing happens. As I take my second step in two seconds flat -I am flat on my back. Excuse me? Is this Ground Hog Day or what? Anyway, for the third time I crawl off the ice and head on back to the dorm. By this time more than my pride was bruised.

I know what you are thinking. Why don’t you take a different path? Why did you keep doing the same thing and expecting different results. The answer is…I don’t have a clue. Thought I could beat it? Thought it was closer? Thought if I fell enough I would break the ice before it broke me? I don’t know. I was stubborn. I was a slow learner. I was doing the same thing and expecting different results.

Isn’t that what we do in life? Don’t we journey along and come to a decision point and fall flat? Don’t we sometimes do it again on Day 2? Day 3? You know, walking on ice is one thing. However, flirting with disaster, the kind that has big regrets and bigger consequences, that is another. God knows this and tells us not to fall in love with the world—its ways, its principles, its stuff. Remember your mama saying, don’t date someone you don’t want to marry? Same principle. Flirt with the world, date the world and you’ll end up marrying the world.

John—the guy in the Bible—says in 1 John 2:16, “For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride in one’s possessions—is not from the Father, but is from the world.” When you say, “I do” with the world you end of with twins—regrets and consequences. Life is harder…a lot harder. Harder than walking on ice.

So, I finally did take a different route. They say that three times is a charm. It took me four but I did learn. On day four…I didn’t fall. I didn’t fall on day five either. In fact, I don’t remember falling again. Why? I didn’t go that way. I chose a different route and that route, that path, had different consequences—better consequences. They also say that three strikes and you are out. True in baseball but fortunately it isn’t true with God. He keeps picking us up, dusting us off and helping us find the right path—one with less ice. When I fell I would quickly look to make sure no one was watching. When we fall in life we can rest assured someone is watching…our Abba Father. He’s got is His eye on us. So, be careful out there it can be pretty icy but don’t worry you aren’t alone. He’s always there. Rest in Him knowing He will be there to pick you up. After all, He’s got this.