Tag: teacher

Posted in Easter, friends, gratitude, Holidays, life, love, loving others, Scripture, thankful

The Empty Egg

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

And He who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also, He said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” Revelation 21:5

Warning…familiarity ahead.  You probably know the old saying that familiarity breeds contempt. You know, you hear something, you read something, you see someone, you eat something and what used to bring a smile garners a yawn or a wince.  It can happen to the best of us…it probably has happened to all of us and just about this time of year it may happen again if we aren’t careful.  Let me explain.

This past week, I received an email that told a story.  Just about this time of year, it makes its annual appearance in our inboxes or on Facebook. While the story is told with some variation, it goes something like this. There was a special needs 8-year-old boy named Philip who loved to attend Sunday School at his church. The other boys and girls didn’t really accept Philip but thanks to the diligent efforts of the teacher, they were slowly beginning to see him as part of their group.

One Easter Sunday, the teacher brought in a bunch of plastic eggs to class.  She gave one to each of the children in her class and told them to go outside and find something that reminded them of Easter.  They were to place it in the egg and then bring it back in to show the class. After running around outside for about 20 minutes, the children came back into the class and placed their eggs on the table.

Their teacher began to open each egg—one by one – and each time the grand opening was followed by oohs and aahs from the class. They saw things like flowers, leaves, and even a few baby bugs and butterflies emerge from the containers and each one received warm appreciation.  Just about then it happened.

The teacher finally opened one and inside there was—nothing. The children somehow knew it was Phillip’s egg and then laughed thinking he had not understood the teacher’s instruction.  The children’s laugher soon grew to silence.  The teacher gently asked, “Philip didn’t you understand the assignment?”  And in reply, he said, “Oh yes, teacher.  You see my egg is empty because it is Easter, and the grave of Jesus was empty too.” It was as if a holy stillness filled the room.  Oh yes Philip, more than all the others, understood.  The empty egg proclaimed the empty grave of Jesus.

Now by any standard that is a that great story that teaches a wonderful lesson.  And guess what? It will garner one of two responses from most of us.  Response number one is filled with ooh’s and aah’s because in the simplest of terms the beauty of Easter is given.  It also touches the heart because the child who was often ignored and mocked won the day.

There is another response, and it is really the point of our Grits today. For many of us, we read the story…or even the first couple of lines of it…and then think, “Oh, I’ve heard this before.” The familiarity of the story then promptly robs us of the power of the message.  You see, the story was no less powerful than the first time we heard it but sadly…familiarity did indeed breed contempt.  So, what was your response? More importantly, what is your response to the message of this story we call Easter?

Here’s the big truth.  This weekend, people all over the world, some Jesus followers and some not, will pause their world and probably attend a worship service.  For some it will be something they thought they should do because it is Easter. And guess what? Because for them it is something different, they may just get it.  But for others who regularly attend a worship service and who would never miss a service like Easter, well, the story might just garner a spiritual yawn or a casual, “Oh, I’ve heard this one before.” Trust me, as a pastor, I know the struggle of trying to make a very familiar story sound fresh. But honestly…that shouldn’t be the case…not for something like the Resurrection…not for something as big as this.

I mean, a man dying on purpose for me, for you, being buried and then coming back to life—that really is the biggest of news.  It could never deserve a spiritual yawn or a casual “ho-hum.”  Nope, it just flat out deserves a hallelujah.  So let me suggest that no matter how well, or not, the speaker speaks, no matter how much you like, or dislike, the music, how about making every effort to hear and see the Easter story with fresh eyes.  Ask God to make it like the first time—and then watch Him and hear Him say, “Gladly. I’ve got this.”  Bro. Dewayne

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

Bait and Hook

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need.” Proverbs 17:17

His name was Bill, and he was an investor.  When Judy and I landed in Warrensburg, Missouri, via God and the Air Force, we began attending First Baptist Church.  For us, being Jesus followers was an all-in deal, so soon we were singing in the choir, attending church, and going to Sunday School small group. Our Bible Study teachers were Bill and Edith Hensley, and they were a class act.  The time we spent in that class was rich in every way imaginable.  We built friendships and did life together.  It seemed that whether you were in the Air Force like I was or a professor at the local university, or a lawyer, it just didn’t matter.  We were pilgrims journeying with each other and with Jesus, and it was good.

Bill was a lawyer by trade and a disciple-maker by faith.  He believed in Jesus, believed the Bible, and believed in people—including me.  I’m not sure how it happened, but he kinda adopted me and began teaching me about fishing, hunting, and growing in my faith.  He loved to fish.  He would often call the house and say, “What time is it?”  Now it might be time to wash the car or time to mow the grass, but I knew what the answer was.  “It’s time to go fishing,” I would reply, and in about 30 minutes I would be in his pickup truck heading to some pond to see if we could reel in a bass or two in.

That was the case one particularly late summer evening.  We had the boat out in a small pond.  Things had been slow, and the sun was just about to call it a day.  Bill suggested that I make a cast or two more toward the shore.  He pointed out a log that just broke the surface about three feet from land.  I gave the rod a swing and, amazingly, that ole hula-popper landed right up next to that log.  A hula-popper is a soft lure that sounds just like a wounded frog when you pull up on the rod.  I pulled up on the rod and heard the familiar gurgling sound.  Nothing happened.

I gave it another tug, and two things happened.  First, there was a small splashing sound, and second, the lure stopped dead in the water.  At first I thought I had snagged the log, but I then realized I had hooked a pretty good-sized bass.  Now, since it was late summer, the water was a bit cool, so there wasn’t this epic battle—you know, man against whale.  Instead, it was like reeling in a big piece of wood.  Of course there was a tug here and there, but whatever was on the other end of the rod wasn’t up for much of a fight.

Before long the fish was beside the boat and Bill got the net and brought him on board.  It turned out to be a pretty big fish.  It was a 6.5 pound largemouth bass.  I couldn’t believe it.  Bill couldn’t believe it, and I am pretty sure the bass couldn’t believe it.  Well, we snapped a couple of pictures and headed for shore with the bass safely in the fish well.  I asked Bill if I should have him mounted, but he said no because I was sure to catch a bigger one someday in the future.  Well, I didn’t, and honestly I believe he knew (because I didn’t know) my Air Force salary couldn’t handle the cost.

Bill and I enjoyed many more fishing trips before I finally moved out of the area and over into Southern Illinois.  I slowly lost touch with Bill and Edith, and now they are both in heaven.  I am sure they heard “well done” when they got there.  I can only imagine how many lives they touched.  I do know that night I learned a good lesson, and my relationship with Bill taught me another.

The first lesson came thanks to that old bass.  I wonder how many nights he had lain up by that log.  You don’t get to be a 6.5 pound bass in a few nights or by making bad decisions.  So many a night there he lay, and each of those nights he was wise enough to say no when a fisherman came by with a tempting bait.  For some reason that night was different.  It wasn’t that I was an expert, and it wasn’t that the bait seemed that real.  More than likely he just let his guard down and took the bait.  That night he learned a valuable lesson, although it cost him his life.  As Greg Laurie puts it, it’s “better to shun the bait than to struggle on the hook.”  Now that is good advice. In these days that take way too much energy just to do life, don’t get lax and make a really bad decision.  Resist the bait.

The other lesson was from Bill…the man who invested his time, his wisdom, and even some of his resources in a young Air Force sergeant. Bill was simply a good man who loved Jesus.  He was busy, but he wasn’t too busy to pour his life into mine.  The Bible says, “A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need.” Bill was that to me, and I know that I am a better person for knowing him. So, again, in days like these when it seems the top priority is survival, don’t get so self-absorbed that you can’t invest in the folks in your world.  There are plenty of people like me who need someone a little wiser to speak into their lives.  Why not be that voice?  That voice may be whispering, “Don’t take the bait,” or it might be encouraging someone to trust in the One who is worthy…to trust and rest in the God who made it all.  I think Bill was one of the ones who spoke into my life and helped me believe that I could trust God because “He’s got this.”  Thanks, Bill.