together – Grits with Grace

communication, Family, friends, life, loving others, Scripture

God’s Symphony

Posted on May 15, 2025May 12, 2025 by Dewayne Taylor

“Now as we have many parts in one body, and all the parts do not have the same function, in the same way we who are many are one body in Christ and individually members of one another.” Romans 12:4-5

What if we could all just get along? Having zipped through four decades of pastoring, you can well imagine I’ve seen and met a whole bunch of people. Some went to church and some didn’t. Some had met Jesus and some were still looking. Some were kind and some, well, weren’t. But one thing I learned is that all of them were people that God created and all of them were precious in His sight. Oh, and I learned this, when the ones who had met Jesus came together in unity and harmony, they were a force to be reckoned with.

A while back, my wife Judy and I attended a jazz concert out at our local college. The band was called, “Courtney Cox and the Little Big Band.” They weren’t a big band, only ten members” but they were so good. Their unity and the harmony that brought made them a musical force–yup–to be reckoned with! Check this out.

A few days ago I received a devotion that talked about how a couple of really smart psychologists surveyed different members of eleven major orchestras. They asked how each section of instrumentalists perceived one another…what they thought of one another. Here’s what they found out. The percussionists were viewed as unintelligent but fun-loving, while the string players were seen as arrogant and stuffy. The brass players were described as loud by many, and woodwinds were viewed as quiet, meticulous, and a bit egotistical.

So here’s the big question. With such different perceptions of one another, how were these orchestras able to make such wonderful music? Well, quite simply, they were able to put their biases aside and look to the leadership of the conductor. And when they all did that, they could make beautiful music together as one orchestra. Wow is that powerful or what? No matter how different–each person and each instrument–were necessary to make music.

So husbands and wives, how much stronger could our marriages be if we followed that example? Hey, how much better could our families be if we did the same thing? Not a church person? Ok, how much more profitable could your business be, your sports team be, your community be–if we followed their example? But let’s bring it home to us Jesus followers. How effective could the body of Christ be if we were to follow that model? Instead of infighting about personalities and methods in our churches, what if we put those differences aside and looked together at the great Conductor? The answer is obvious isn’t it?

Here’s an idea. Remember the church is not designed to be a thing where every person is a clone of the other. No, you see the church is a multifaceted diamond. We don’t need carbon copies of you or anybody. Rather, we need to learn to appreciate the beauty in the diversity of the body of Christ and follow Christ together. We need to let everybody be who God created them to be. Like the orchestras above where violins remain violins and trumpets remain trumpets, we too can create beautiful music. But remember this…it doesn’t come from cloning but from Christ and then together we can create something no member could achieve alone. Need a little help? No problem, just keep your eyes on the conductor and remember this…”He’s got this.” Bro. Dewayne

Family, food, friends, Grace, gratitude, life, love, loving others, marriage, prayer, priorities, thankful, travel, Trials

But the Seat is Empty

Posted on October 16, 2024October 12, 2024 by Dewayne Taylor

He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5b

Well, that didn’t take long. A while back I decided to do something that is unusual for me. I had registered my wife Judy and I for a pastor’s conference. I was thinking one day and said to myself, “Maybe it would be good for me to just get away by myself.” Well, I talked it over with Judy and she agreed. Of course, the fact that she was leaving right after the conference for a mission trip to Puerto Rico probably figured in. With the decision made…I would go, she would stay. Where to go and when to stay and where to eat and when to eat would be my call. It was a good plan.

The day came. We had great services at church, and I had a sandwich for lunch and a quick nap before I hit the road. With a hug and a kiss, I was off on the great adventure. I had satellite radio playing hits from the 60’s, the cruise was set for the speed limit, and I passed the time just enjoying the beautiful day and the slowly changing color of the trees. And then…it began to happen. It started when I caught myself causally glancing over at the passenger seat. Normally it would have held my favorite person in the whole world. It sat empty. No deal…but it was a thought. I would occasionally put my hand in the seat as if feeling to see if she was there. She wasn’t.

After several hours, I arrived at my hotel for the night. I had chosen well. It was very reasonable and very nice. I opened the door and marveled at the room. I wanted to share the moment with her, but she wasn’t there. I called and let her know I was there safely and then planned supper. There was no doubt where I was going. Fazoli’s. They had their pizza baked spaghetti back on the menu and I had been wanting to go…so I did. This was a place Judy probably wouldn’t have chosen but tonight it was my call and honestly…it was very good. That was followed with a visit to a creamery called, “The Lazy Cow.” I picked the place and the flavor. “Not bad,” I said to no one as a went back to my room.

The room was still nice, but it was quiet…too quiet. I called Judy and told her about supper and the ice cream, but it wasn’t the same as experiencing it with her. After a while we said good night and we both went to bed in different beds, different rooms, and different states. The next morning, she said she didn’t sleep too well, and I told her the same. I told her some plans I had made, and she shared hers. After a couple of minutes, we said goodbye. And that is when it hit me.

It was nice picking what music I wanted to listen to as I drove. It was nice stopping when I wanted to stop. It was nice choosing to go to Fazoli’s and later getting ice cream. All that was nice, but she wasn’t there and that made it all less nice. Oh, it is still a good plan, and I will enjoy my time away. I’m sure the teaching is going to be great and all that, but it will be different. It might, it probably will be less than if she was there. Think about that. Think about something else.

Do we ever think or maybe even act on what life would be like without God? We muse how grand it might be without the rules, to make our own choices and decisions and not have to worry about what He might think. I know for some of you that may be everyday but for a chunk of us that is a far stretch and yet too often we live that very same way. We include God when it is convenient and leave Him at home when it isn’t. I’ve already discovered that while this week will be good for me…it is not something I want to do all the time.

The bottom line is Judy is just too much a part of my life…and that is how we need to make it with God. We need to make Him so much a part of our lives, that when we look around and realize we left Him (He will never leave us) that we are wise enough to go back and join Him. Lord willing this Thursday, I’ll be back home…and home is a good place. God said He will never leave us or let us go and there is a lot of comfort in that. There’s also a lot of comfort in knowing that even when we take a trip and fail to invite Him, He’s still there…He’s still got this. Bro. Dewayne

Family, food, friends, gratitude, life, loving others, Scripture, thankful, Trials

When Things Come Together

Posted on July 18, 2024July 18, 2024 by Dewayne Taylor

And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of His return is drawing near.” Hebrews 10:25

It’s my new favorite! It was a long time ago, but I can still remember my first visit to Cracker Barrel. We were driving back from a trip to the holy land (Georgia), and we were somewhere north of Atlanta when we saw a sign that said, “Cracker Barrel.” We didn’t have a clue about what they served but it sure sounded good, so we pulled in and like they say, “The rest is history.” While I like a lot of what “the Barrel” serves, their breakfast has long been a favorite. Number one used to be the standard eggs, grits (no sugar), bacon, biscuits, gravy with the crown jewel of pancakes covered with butter, syrup with fried apples and whipped cream. Whew—I almost need a nap just typing all that. But like I said that used to be number one. Now there is a new kid in town.

A couple of months ago I was having breakfast with my good friend Jeremy and was just checking out the menu before I ordered just to make sure I wasn’t missing something. Turns out I was. As my eyes went from left to right and up and down the page I saw, “Bacon N’ Egg Hashbrown Casserole.” “Hmmm” I thought and read the ingredients. It said, “Our scratch-made Hashbrown Casserole, hot off the grill and layered with pieces of crispy bacon, farm-fresh scrambled eggs, melted Colby cheese, fried onions, and fresh diced tomatoes. Served with Buttermilk Biscuits.”

Well, shoot that thing! I thought that sounded tasty. So, I customized it a bit (limp bacon instead of crispy and eggs sunny side up instead of scrambled) and waited for this masterpiece to come. Soon enough it arrived, and one bite told me I was in hog heaven. You see while some folks like their food all separate, I am a food mixer and for me that made this a winner. When that spoonful of hashbrown casserole, Colby cheese, egg yolk, bacon, fried onion and diced tomatoes hit my taste buds it was like the Fourth of July all over again and a new Cracker Barrel favorite was named.

So, what made that happen? Well, I like all those different things individually but for me, and I am speaking for me, when all those flavors and different textures came together it really was awesome. You see, with food, it is when things come together that winners are born. Let’s be honest. I’m not a big fan of flour until it lands in a biscuit. I’m not a big fan of butter until it is slathered on a biscuit—and on and on it goes. When food things come together, Katie, bar-the-door. But that’s not all.

You see God knew that a long, long time before Cracker Barrel. He knew that when His kids come together with Him, even the impossible becomes possible. That is why He tells us not to stop coming together, meeting together, as some people do. When we are together on the same page big things can happen. Now don’t forget that—because I promise you Satan wants us to. He knows apart we will have a come apart. He knows divided from each other and separated from God we are in deep weeds. We need to stay together and close to our Dearest Daddy. So, instead of staying home from church and staying away from God, why not do the opposite. Do you find some people just too hard to hang with? Well, just talk to God about it. After all, He’s got that too.” Bro. Dewayne

Family, forgiveness, Grace, life, loving others, priorities, Scripture, Southern born, wisdom

Gator Mania

Posted on October 22, 2020October 21, 2020 by Dewayne Taylor

One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.” Ephesians 4:5-6

It was Gator mania. To say that Aunt Maryjo was a Gator fan is to say that the Pope is Catholic. Through and through, she loved everything that was University of Florida Gators. I am pretty sure if she had a blood transfusion the blood type would have to be UF. I also am certain that if she was bilingual she would speak Southern English and Gator. When she went to heaven about a week ago, the Gator’s lost their number one 94 year old cheerleader.

The family asked me to do a chunk of her memorial service and I was pleased to do so. The service was all about Maryjo, the Gators and Jesus. We stayed at a hotel in Gainesville and something almost immediately caught my eye. Virtually everything, and I do mean everything, was Gatorized. The primary decorating colors were blue and orange and Gator flags, Gator plaques, Gator pictures, and Gator knick knacks filled the main lobby and sitting area. They even had a ping pong table and the net was not a net at all but a solid wall of sorts painted orange with a Gator carved in the middle.

Everyone knows you wear black to funerals and many folks did. But there was also a large number of blue and orange ties, shirts, dresses, and scarves scattered throughout the crowd. I noticed though several members of my family were not wearing blue and orange. I was kinda surprised. So I asked one of my brother-in-laws, “Why aren’t you wearing blue and orange?” About the time I said it, I regretted it. He boldly said, “I ain’t no Gator.” Yup, there were several there who were Florida State fans and aunt or no aunt, they were not going to wear those stinking Gator colors. Life…go figure.

As Judy and I were sitting in the hotel lobby visiting and drinking coffee and observing everything Gator, she said, “Isn’t it amazing what can happen when we are all pulling in the same direction?” And do you know what? She was absolutely right. If I were to guess, probably 99% of the population around Gainesville were avid Gator fans. The lived it, they believed it, and they were ready to fight for it. They might be different social and economic classes, they might be different skin colors, they might even speak a different language, but one thing, one thing, pulled them together. One thing managed to hold them together—they were fans of the Gators. That singular thing overcame everything else. Amazing.

I wonder what would happen if in a different world other than football if the same thing happened. What if all the different denominations that say they believe in Jesus got together and pulled in the same direction? What if all the churches in a town laid aside their insignificant differences and decided that they were going to pull together for the common cause of Jesus? I wonder how our community, or state could and would change, if we all decided to agree on what mattered—the Jesus essentials—and laid the rest aside long enough to live and share the Good News. Why must we be like the football fans who attend rival schools and absolutely refuse to associate? I wonder.

Well, there is one thing I can tell you for certain. There is one who absolutely loves our division over the things that in ten years won’t matter and that is the devil. Oh how he applauds our pettiness and while he is smiling, Jesus is grieving. I know He grieves because the Bible says we are not to grieve Him. If we are not careful, we are going to lose…and I’m not talking about a football game. I am talking about our communities, our cities, our counties and our country. I am not talking about losing a battle, I am talking about the war for the heart and soul of men, women, children—and the places they—we live.

Oh, I don’t know. Maybe I’m overreacting. Maybe somehow our holy huddles and frail fellowships can pull it off individually. But that’s not how the Bible describes how our relationships should be. There is one body and that is body of Christ. I believe it says, “One faith, one Lord, and one baptism.” One…there is real power when all the ones come together for the One and His soul (don’t worry…intentionally spelled that way) purpose. Jesus came to seek and saved that which was lost and it was something that He was willing to die for. What about you? What about us? Can we, will we, don the colors of the cross—red for His blood, white for our forgiveness and blue for our loyalty, not to a pastor, a church, or a denomination, but to the One who matters—Jesus!

Well, I was raised not too far from Gainesville and my daddy and most of my family were Gator fans, but somehow I went rogue—I pull for Notre Dame. Go figure—a Baptist pastor pulling for a Catholic team. What’s up with that? It’s simply really—I love tradition and I love college football and those two override the other. I am hoping our common denominator—Jesus will do the same. I am banking on the fact that we may lose a battle or two, but in the end—Jesus wins and I’m gonna rest in that. After all, He’s got this.