tongue – Grits with Grace

communication, fear, life, Scripture, travel

Wildfire

Posted on September 10, 2025September 9, 2025 by Dewayne Taylor

“A word spoken at the right time is like gold apples in silver settings.” Proverbs 25:11

Nothing could have prepared me. When my wife Judy and I traveled out west a while back we witnessed what we had only seen from afar on the news. The devastation of a wildfire. It seems like everyday this time of year there is a story of yet another fire gone wild. Sometimes, too often, they are in California but this one was in Colorado. While we didn’t actually see the fire, we were engulfed in its affects.

As we drove on I-70, we traveled some of the very same places we went when we traveled with Amtrak going west on the California Zephyr. It was interesting to see from the car what we had seen from the train. Part of that route had been the victim of a wildfire a year or two before. While much of the ground cover had recovered, many of the ravaged trees were still there reminding those who saw it of what had happened there. At least there was a glimpse of life from the greenery that covered the ground. It seemed to say, “There is hope.”

When we arrived on the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park we saw something totally different…something that said anything but hope. I wasn’t sure exactly when but it was obvious a much more recent wildfire had consumed what it had taken nature hundreds and hundreds of years to grow. Acres and acres, in fact, hundreds upon hundreds of acres had been burned to the point that only a black char remained. As it turned out, in October of 2020, a fire had swept through a vast portion of the park. Sadly, it appears to have been started, not by something, but someone.

The ranger said that the fire was driven by winds of hurricane force as it swept over the hills and through the valleys. And yet, there was a miracle. Right before it would have consumed the town of Grand Lake, a moisture laden fog moved in and saved the town. For the lush forests, it was simply too late. In a matter of 24 hours, that part of the park was horribly scarred for the foreseeable future. The power of the wildfire that I had seen on the news suddenly became very real and personal.

It made me think. It helped me remember. You see James, the half-brother of Jesus, wrote in the Bible book that bears his same, about another kind of wildfire. He was writing about the tongue and the damage it can cause when he said, “But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire and among all the parts of the body, the tongue is a flame of fire.” A.Flame.Of.Fire. There is nothing else quite like the tongue. A harsh word casually spoken, a criticism thoughtlessly thrown, a sarcastic comment—in a moment in time just as the fire consumed the beauty of nature so our words can scar the people-scape around us.

While a word thoughtlessly cast can destroy, a word of kindness can have the opposite affect. Proverbs, a Book of Wisdom in the Bible, tells us, “A word spoken at the right time is like gold apples in silver settings.” What a strong contrast. Our words can be like a fire that destroys or a gentle fog that holds the fire at bay—like the one that stopped the fire that October evening.

Destruction or delight, ravaging or restoring…the choice is ours. Today, as we journey, let’s be “word aware”…understanding that we hold in our words the power to destroy or heal. I know my past holds some painful memories of word abuse and for that reason I am very grateful for grace. Today ask God to help you hold your tongue when needed and release it for good when the opportunity arises. Need a little help? Not a problem. Simply ask God and He will be there to help you make the right move…the right choice. Rest assured…He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

Family, friends, gratitude, life, loving others, Scripture, spiritual battles, thankful, travel, Trials

Cuttin’ Wood…Or Not

Posted on September 3, 2024August 28, 2024 by Dewayne Taylor

Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.” James 1:19

Someone was out working real early. Some good friends of ours had invited my wife Judy and I to stay in their Villa down in Nashville. Well, since I am now retired, what would have been a pipe dream became a reality. So, we packed the car and headed South—where grits are a regular staple and people talk right. We stayed a few days and enjoyed the opportunity to just relax.

Each morning, I would rise early, get a cup of coffee and go out on the back patio and say good morning to the new day and thank my Dearest Daddy for making it possible. As I was sitting there rocking and enjoying it all, I heard a sound that I knew. Even though it was very early and even though it was Sunday morning, I heard what sounded like a table saw cutting wood. I thought it all a little strange but not too strange because they are still building homes in the area.

Well, before long, Judy came out and joined me and I called her attention to the fact that someone was cutting wood on a table saw. She agreed that is what it sounded like and then just like that—they quit. Well, it must have been time for a break or whatever. The rest of the day, when I would go rock on the back porch, it seemed no one was working. Until the next morning.

Yup, so the next morning I once again made my way the back patio, coffee in hand, and sat down and once again heard the saw going to town. I sure admired the work ethic of whoever was sawing all that wood. The day before I had talked to one of the guys who oversaw maintaining the lawns and I thanked him for doing a good job and he told me how he worked seven days a week. He and the guy cutting wood certainly knew about hard work. So, on to the back porch that early Monday morning. Judy came out, we rocked and chatted as the unknown worker continued to cut wood. And, it was just about then, that I figured it out.

You see, the house behind us had a sprinkler system that turned on each morning. Well, that sprinkler system had one sprinkler head that was put so that as it watered the yard the water would hit the metal fence and when that high pressure water hit the metal fence…it sounded like someone sawing wood on a table saw. How about that? Turns out there wasn’t a hard worker cutting wood way too early but rather just a water sprinkler doing its thing.

Now, I was convinced of what I heard but as sure as I was—I was wrong. My big takeaway that morning taught me that you can’t believe everything you hear…no matter how real or how probable it sounds. We have all heard things about situations and people, and it sounded so possible we just bought it as the truth. And all too often…we find out that we were wrong…and sometimes tragically wrong.

Let me suggest that we all memorize or at least imprint the truth found in James 1:19 into our hearts and lives. It says, “Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.” In other words, learn to listen carefully and accurately, be slow to spread what we think we know and very slow to get mad when we are proven wrong. It’s no accident that God gave us two ears and one tongue. Just remember, when you think you know something, check it out with your Dearest Daddy—after all, He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

Family, forgiveness, friends, Grace, life, loving others, prayer, Scripture, Trials

Not a Good Night

Posted on May 20, 2024May 19, 2024 by Dewayne Taylor

Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” Proverbs 12:18

There is pain and then there is pain. We know that some people can be a pain in the neck…or worse. We also know about different levels of pain. There is the pain a woman must bear to bring a new life into the world. There is the pain that a person endures when they have a kidney stone. There is the pain of being hit by a semi-truck going sixty-five miles an hour. And then there is the pain I experienced one night.

My wife Judy and I go to bed at different times, but we are usually within a few minutes of each other. So, it is not uncommon for one or the other to walk into a dark room. It’s not a big deal, really, because we have a light in the hallway that casts a little light into the dark room. And perhaps that is the reason we do it. “It” is we put a small pillow or some other something in the doorway to keep the door from closing all the way. It is more a habit than anything though in the summer it ensures good air circulation. And that night, it was a setup for a painful good night.

Judy was in bed and the room was dark. Uncharacteristically, the door was closed all the way so when I entered the room I couldn’t see very well. I knew she was still awake, so I asked her, “Where’s the pillow?” It was understood I wasn’t talking about the one for our heads but the one for the door. I believe she responded, “I don’t know.” Well, I looked in the dimly lit one side of the room and could see it wasn’t there. So, I began to walk over to the dark side of the room and that, dear friends, is when it happened.

As I walked over, in the dark, to look for the pillow that should have been in the doorway, I hit…no, I sledgehammered, my shin and foot into the end of the bed frame. Let me explain. Our bed frame is designed so you can attach a footboard if you want to. Well, a long time ago we wanted to and then one day we removed it because we didn’t want to. That left the bracket just sitting there waiting to cause pain. Part of the bracket got my foot and part of it got my shin. And when flesh collided with iron…it hurt, and it hurt bad.

I’ve never had a baby, but I have had several kidney stones. I’ve never been slammed by a semi-truck going sixty-five, but I am almost certain that none of that hurt as badly as my shin and foot did. I hollered…maybe even screamed! I hollered, well, I’ve already said that, and then I blamed…not me, not the iron frame but poor Judy. My pain filled logic was it had to be her fault because she didn’t put the pillow in the door. Well, I did find the stinking pillow and I did put it in the stinking door. And I did one more thing.

As my shin and foot throbbed, as Judy apologized for what clearly wasn’t her fault and as she prayed for God to take the pain away…I realized I needed to apologize…and I did. It was all fine in a few minutes as we drifted off to sleep…gratefully not mad. Well, the next morning I looked at the wounds again and there were two gashes and one bruise. Ouch. Did I mention a semi-truck doing sixty-five miles an hour or having a baby? Judy stuck her head in my home office a little later and I showed her the bruise and apologized one more time for good measure…and I meant it.

This unfortunate encounter caused me to realize that we must be careful about pain. You see, whether it is emotional or physical, when we are filled with pain we can say or do things we later regret. Someone said that hurt people hurt people. I know that is mostly speaking of emotional pain and scars, but it is also true when our foot and shin are sledgehammered into the bed frame. In addition to fixing or removing the problem, we need to plan, to practice how we are going to respond when pain walks into the room—or when we walk into pain. We need to plan, or practice hitting the pause button or yanking on the emergency brake of our words. If we do maybe we will stop before we let our hurt—hurt others.

Solomon, one of the wisest men to ever live, wrote in Proverbs, “Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” Those are certainly wise words from a very wise man, but it is encouraging to know that even he didn’t always get it right. And guess what? Despite our best efforts, we won’t either. But the good news is that when we don’t there is a graceful God who’s just waiting to forgive us and help us. So, the next time you run into pain, hang on–He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

Family, forgiveness, friends, Grace, Integrity, life, loving others, Scripture, Trials

Windshields and Words

Posted on June 29, 2023June 28, 2023 by Dewayne Taylor

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.” Ephesians 4:29

Go figure. It was about five years ago when it happened. I was driving back from Evansville, Indiana and there was a school bus coming toward me. Of course, I didn’t think a thing about it…school busses come and go all the time. Well, this one had a surprise waiting for me. Just about the time we met, in opposite lanes, of course, something came flying out of the bus. To this day I don’t know what it was but whatever it was…it was big and heavy. It hit my windshield near the bottom and shattered it there. In fact, it was so heavy, that it almost broken all the way through…there was even glass on my dash.

Well, needless to say, I was shocked. I really wasn’t sure what had happened but it scared the pants off of me. But then, I smiled. You see when I bought the car it was, of course, used and the windshield had a couple of obvious defects. First, it looked like it had been sandblasted and was covered with a zillion small pits. Second, the top of the windshield was a medium to dark blue. The deal had placed on those stickers on the outside and it stayed on long enough to leave a permanent oval-shaped shadow. Being a perfectionist, both of these drove me nuts.

I wanted to replace the windshield but just couldn’t bring myself to do it and then when “it” happened, it was replaced courtesy of the insurance company…and that was why I smiled. Oh, I guess I wish it hadn’t happened but since it did, I was grateful for the new windshield.

The company did a great job installing the new glass and asked me to leave a review for their small town company…so I did. Well, this week I received an email from my friends at Google congratulating me on the fact that over five hundred people had read my review and found it helpful. Now who would have thought at a small town business that so many people would have read and reacted to my review. It made me realize just how powerful and far reaching our words can be.

The Jesus part of the Bible, the New Testament, talks a lot about our words…mostly encouraging us to be careful what we say. Long before Google, Jesus and the rest of the guys who wrote the New Testament realized the importance and power of words. The bottom line was and is…be careful with what you say…it carries more impact than you realize. Someone said, “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.” It is a nice saying but simply not true. Words can hurt a lot…trust me I know.

Paul said when he was writing to the church in Ephesus, “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.” What great advice. That review, depending on what I said, had the power to help or hurt and so do our words. Let’s choose our words carefully. If you find yourself at a loss of words—well, just asked the greatest Word Crafter ever…God…as always, “He’s 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, fear, friends, Grace, gratitude, life, loving others, prayer, Scripture, thankful, Trials

Zone of Fire

Posted on November 8, 2022November 1, 2022 by Dewayne Taylor

And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity.” James 1:6a

Hi Grits Family! Hey, my wife Judy and I are going to be “out of pocket” aka “not available” to write this week—on another great adventure. We decided to send out some of our past stories. I hope you enjoy the ones we selected and look forward to some “fresh Grits” next week. God bless. Bro. Dewayne

It was over in a flash. Well, almost everyone has heard of Johnny Cash and almost everyone has heard his number one hit, “Ring of Fire.” Well, Johnny had his ring, and I had my “zone of fire.” Twenty-five or so years ago my brother decided he would come up and visit with my wife and me. It was a big deal because he is from the deep South and well, for him to cross the Mason-Dixon Line was pretty much a miracle. When we were making plans, he mentioned that he wanted to go pheasant hunting. Well, I checked into it and found that there was a “bird farm” about an hour from where we lived.

A “bird farm” is a business that owes a ton of land and then raises birds to be released into the wild for the purpose of hunting. When the day came, we drove up to the bird farm. When we got there, it was me, him and a couple of other guys. We checked in and the guy said that we would have a dog hunt with us. That was strange since we didn’t pay for one but hey, ok. We headed out with the dog and the guide. The way this works is you form a line, straight across, and about fifteen to twenty feet apart. Then the dog works the area in front of you as you move forward. If the dog goes on point (which means he found a bird) then the guide scares up the bird and someone, or a lot of someone’s, shoot. So, we hunted, and hunted and hunted. The bottom line? I was pretty sure there wasn’t a bird within a hundred miles of that place. The dog never went on point.

From there things went downhill. The owner came and said that he had accidentally given us the dog and we had to give him up…so we did. That meant we were totally on our own. We would walk through the fields saying, “Here birdie, birdie.” Ok, not really but we did walk through the field just trying to scare up a bird. It was beginning to look like a continuation of the time with the dog when it happened. As we walked through the field, and with no warning, we scared up a bird. It was a beautiful male pheasant and he just exploded off the ground about thirty feet in front of me and slightly to my right.

I can’t tell you how fast this all happened. He leapt into the air, I raised my bird gun and fired. It really was over in a flash, and it was a perfect shot. Just like that the bird was down and everyone was excited. I had shot pheasant once or twice before but honestly it was a great shot…all except one thing. Not once, not for a millisecond did I think about my “zone of fire.” Basically, the zone of fire is the predetermined area where it is safe for you to fire your weapon. It obviously includes where there aren’t any people. Now, it all worked out just fine. I was within my zone of fire, but it was not because I intentionally did it—it was just luck.

While I don’t personally believe in luck, I do believe in a God who takes care of us…even when we are just a little—careless. Truth be known, if that bird was a little closer to the line of guys, I could have wounded one of my friends and that would have been unbelievably tragic. When you have a weapon, you need to be sharp, you need to be focused, and you need to be careful. You must always be aware of your zone of fire.

That truth doesn’t just apply to weapons, you know. We need to apply it anytime we are with people. You see, we carry a lethal weapon with us all the time. That would be our mouth. And if we are not careful, a situation may come up, and before even thinking, boom…someone is wounded or hurt. And the crazy part? It can happen in a flash just like that pheasant exploding off the ground in front of me. In a moment of time, we can fire words from our mouth that will leave a lasting, and sometimes permanent scar, on the heart of someone around us. We just need to be careful.

James, the half-brother of Jesus said that the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. We all know the stories of the wildfires in the West—the grave property damage and the tragic loss of life. And James says in the same way the tongue can cause that kind of damage in the lives of people. What can we do to prevent that? The same thing when we are using our weapons around others. We need to be sharp; we need to be focused, and we need to be careful. Now, I have a friend who is a weapons expert and a great hunter. If he had been there that day, he would have given us a safety briefing which would have included our “zone of fire.”

We have an expert with our tongues too. He is our Dearest Daddy and because He made us, He knows the destructive power of the tongue and can help us control it. As we walk through each day, He will be by our side, and He will guide us and help us. He will whisper the guidance we need to be safe and not hurt others. He is a guide that can be trusted and depended on. And because of that…He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

Family, forgiveness, friends, Grace, gratitude, life, love, loving others, prayer, Scripture, thankful

Thermostats

Posted on June 29, 2022June 28, 2022 by Dewayne Taylor

Adopt the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 2:5

It just looked hot. The other day I was lying on the couch in my living room. It is one of those nice long couches with plenty of room. Even though I am not extremely tall, you might say, “height challenged,” it’s nice to know there is room to spare. Our couch sits in front of a bay window, so I had a nice view of the trees outside and the clear blue summer sky. It was good. I knew from a thermometer that registers the outside temperature that it was hot outside…really hot. And, as I was lying there, I was just thinking how grateful I was for the guy who invented air conditioners. Air conditioning is one of those things we take for granted and having been raised down south with only a window fan…well, let’s just say I’m grateful.

We are blessed at our house to have central air conditioning. I have this thingy on the wall called a thermostat and it talks to my air conditioning…they are good friends and speak their own special language. So, I tell the thermostat what temperature I like, and it tells the air conditioning. When it is needed, the thermostat prods the air conditioning and says, “Hey, we need some cool air” and just like that he fires up (no pun intended) and cools the room down. It is a great relationship. Both are needed and I am grateful for both.

Now the thermometer and the thermostat are not the same thing. You see the thermometer simply tells me the temperature, but it can’t do anything about it. I could tell the thermometer, “Hey, I’m hot,” but all it can do is confirm the truth. The thermostat on the other hand, has the ability to do something about it…and it does. One instrument tells the condition of the room but the other has the ability to control the condition of the room. How about that?

So, have you ever wondered if you are a thermometer or a thermostat? Well, probably not, but the truth is all of us at one time or another is one or the other. We find ourselves in a room of people and soon there is a discussion that goes south, and the temperature starts to rise. If we are thermometers all we do is reflect the temperature and watch it rise. But if we are thermostats, we can help control the temperature with wise words and kind actions and maybe just maybe keep friends, friends.

Jesus was a great thermostat. The four Books that talk about Him (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) are filled with great examples. One time some rock chucking religious people wanted to stone a woman because she had sinned. They asked Jesus what He thought and He told them OK but the person without sin had to cast the first rock. Boy, that cooled things off. One by one the rock chucker’s stepped away till it was only He and the woman left. He told her he wasn’t going to condemn her and invited her to go and sin no more. Amazing.

Today, especially in these days, we need to be thermostats. Every day there are situations that need a good thermostat and we Jesus’ people need to rise to the occasion. Always be ready to set your thermostat to grace and then spread it around. Anybody can start a fire, or a fight or raise the temperature in a situation. Anyone can reflect the temperature, but we are called to do more. We are called to be like Jesus.

Paul, one of the guys who wrote the New Testament, said, “Adopt the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus.” And what would that be? It was His willingness to always go last instead of first. It was His willingness to forgive and not condemn. It was His willingness to love the loveless, touch the untouchable, and care for the most unlikely. It was being a thermostat. I know that’s not always easy. It’s easier to tell a thermostat what to do than be one! But don’t worry, God is ready and willing to help. He loves it when His kids act like His Son. No doubt…He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

Family, forgiveness, friends, Grace, life, love, loving others, Scripture, thankful, Trials

Not a Good Night

Posted on May 3, 2022May 2, 2022 by Dewayne Taylor

Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” Proverbs 12:18

I’ve never had a baby, but I have had several kidney stones. I’ve never been slammed by a semi-truck going sixty-five, but I am almost certain that none of that hurt as bad as my shin and foot did. I hollered…maybe even screamed! I hollered, well, I’ve already said that, and then I blamed…not me, not the iron frame but poor Judy. My pain filled logic was it had to be her fault because she didn’t put the pillow in the door. Well, I did find the stinking pillow and I did put it in the stinking door. And I did one more thing.

As my shin and foot throbbed, as Judy apologized for what clearly wasn’t her fault and as she prayed for God to take the pain away…I realized I needed to apologize…and I did. It was all fine in a few minutes as we drifted off to sleep…gratefully not mad. Well, the next morning I looked at the wounds again and there was two gashes and one bruise. Ouch. Did I mention a semi-truck doing sixty-five miles an hour or having a baby? Judy stuck her head in the room a little later and I showed her the bruise and apologized one more time for good measure…and I meant it.

This unfortunate encounter caused me to realize that we must be careful about pain. You see, whether it is emotional or physical, when we are filled with pain we can say or do things we later regret. Someone said that hurt people hurt people. I know that is mostly speaking of emotional pain and scars, but it is also true when our foot and shin are sledgehammered into the bed frame. In addition to fixing or removing the problem, we need to plan, to practice how we are going to respond when pain walks into the room—or we walk into pain. We need to plan, or practice hitting the pause button or yanking on the emergency brake of our words. If we do maybe, we will stop before we let our hurt—hurt others.

fear, Scripture, thankful, travel, Trials

Wildfire

Posted on June 7, 2021June 6, 2021 by Dewayne Taylor

“A word spoken at the right time is like gold apples in silver settings.” Proverbs 25:11

Nothing could have prepared me. When my wife Judy and I traveled out west we witnessed what we had only seen from afar on the news. The devastation of a wildfire. It seems like everyday this time of year there is a story of yet another fire gone wild. Sometimes, too often, they are in California but this one was in Colorado. While we didn’t actually see the fire, we were engulfed in its affects.

While a word thoughtlessly cast can destroy, a word of kindness can have the opposite affect. Proverbs, a Book of Wisdom, in the Bible tells us, “A word spoken at the right time is like gold apples in silver settings.” What a strong contrast. Our words can be like a fire that destroys or a gentle fog that holds the fire at bay—like the one that stopped the fire that October evening.

Family, forgiveness, Grace, life, loving others, Scripture

Sticks and Stones

Posted on October 29, 2020October 28, 2020 by Dewayne Taylor

“You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:43-45

You’re nothing but a little Hitler. The life of a pastor is always interesting. You really never know what is going to come your way. I’ve been doing this pastor thing for about 38 years now and I know two things. First, generally speaking the sun will come up tomorrow. There is no guarantee but it has a pretty good track record. Second, you are going to step in someone’s mess today. Pastor or not, you are going to bump into someone’s hot mess.

Her name was Sheila. Her mother attended our church and she and her two boys would occasionally visit. I decided one day to go by and just let her know that we enjoyed having her visit. I mean it sounded like a good thing, it sounded like the right thing. What could possibly go wrong, right? Well, I pull into her driveway and went up to the door. I did my gentle, non-threating knock and she came to the door. I gave the standard, “Hi Sheila, I just wanted to come back and let you know we are so glad you are visiting with us” spill. It was pleasant…it was sincere.

I don’t remember everything she said that day. It could be “pastoral amnesia.” That is a defense mechanism that pastors have to guard their hearts when someone decides it is their spiritual gift to break them. It might be PTSS (Pastor Tramatic Stress Syndrome) where the event was so traumatic that you block it out. Anyway…she cut loose and the two things I do remember included something about me running a cult and brain washing people. The last thing I remember was when she said, in all seriousness, “You are nothing but a little Hitler.”

Well, that hurt—a lot. It hurt so much that 30 years later I can still hear her voice, still feel her words, and still wish I had never knocked on that door. Not too long ago I was asked to do her mother’s funeral and it seemed the wall was still there. Amazingly…sad. There is an old saying that is a lie. It says, “Sticks and stone may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” Really? I wonder who came up with that one. They must have been deaf and blind. Words are an incredibly powerful tool or weapon—depending on the sender.

I still am amazed at the emotional energy that chance meeting had for me that day. But it wasn’t chance…it was somehow prescribed by my Dearest Daddy to help me grow to be more like Jesus. He knew (and He was right) that there would be many more awkward moments in the days ahead and I needed to learn how to handle them…like Jesus. This morning I listened to a devotional by one of my favorite writers, Bob Goff. He was talking about loving your enemies…or maybe folks who act like your enemies. He quoted Jesus and here’s what Jesus said, “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven.”

Wow…that is way powerful. Bob told a story about a witch doctor that he took to trial in Uganda. This witch doctor believed in child sacrifice and practiced it. No one before had had the courage to take on these bad guys. Well, he did and he won. Later, he decided to go visit this guy on death row. The former witch doctor, who by then had become a Christ follower, told Bob that he forgave him. This confused Bob because the other guy was the bad guy, not him. But what is important is the former witch doctor was extending grace because he wanted to be like Jesus…like his Father. How about that?

This COVID thing has been a breeding ground for more than germs…it was been a breeding ground for division, unkindness, judging, and hurting. I know it and you know it, too. And, unfortunately, God’s kids have not been exempt. The world is watching and seeing and wondering if this God thing is real or a hoax. One way we can show them that Jesus is the real deal is by loving one another. Just because the evening news is filled with hated and bitterness doesn’t mean it should infect our Jesus world. Remember He said that the world would know we are Christians by our love…not our dogmatism. I put something on the sign at church this week. It says, Jesus first. Before. Everything. Else. Period. I believe that. He is more important than COVID, masks, politics, and everything else. He is first and when He is first…we all do better. Our world does better. Our marriages do better. Our churches do better. So as we continue this journey called life, if you are a Jesus follower, make sure you are following Him closely. Mimic His every Word and every step. And if you are not yet a follower, I hope you soon will be. I know sometimes we Jesus followers don’t get it right—but trust me, He never gets it wrong. You can rest in Him. He’s got this.