welcome home

Family, friends, gratitude, heaven, Military memories, Scripture

Posted on March 16, 2026March 15, 2026 by Dewayne Taylor

“In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents.” Luke 15:10

It wasn’t what they deserved. On any given day, each day is dedicated to this or that. There is National Polar Bear Plunge Day (that was January 1st—seems July 1st would have been a better choice!) Then there is World Introvert Day (its ok…don’t be shy about it.) A personal favorite of mine is National Buffet Day. And then of course there is National Chocolate Covered Cherry Day followed by National Trivia Day (anybody want to guess what day?) Well, on and on the list goes. Believe it or not those are all from the first few days of January.

It turns out the day I wrote this was a very special day indeed and I suppose very few people had a clue about what it was. I know I didn’t until I got an email from the Armed Forces Exchange Services. These folks run the stores that are located on all the Army and Air Force bases and as a veteran I am allowed to shop with them. They sent an email honoring a special group of men and women—the veterans who served during the Vietnam War Era—November 1, 1955, through May 15, 1975. While those who went to Vietnam are an elite part of this group, I think it special they included all those who were a part of the Armed Forces during that period.

These brave warriors never received the welcome home they deserved. Our nation was a hot mess in the sixties and one of the reasons was the war in Vietnam. And, instead of taking it out on the politicians, many, too many, chose to take it out on the men and women who were simply doing what they were ordered to do. They were cursed and spit upon and as if the scars of war weren’t enough—they were subjected to the anger and ridicule of their peers. It grieved my heart then…and it grieves my heart now.

Well, the years have gone by and as the sand slipped through the hourglass these warriors grew older. In days gone by when you saw an older veteran, wearied, and bruised by time and hard times, wearing a shirt or cap signifying their service, you just assumed they were from World War II or perhaps Korea. Now there is a good chance that aged warrior served in the Vietnam era. I know I served from 1972 to 1984 and I find myself reflecting on seven decades of life. Time marches on.

Sadly, the time to say thank you to our World War II and Korean veterans is just about gone. Fewer and fewer of them remain with us and slowly the same can be said for our Vietnam warriors. I hope you took every opportunity to recognize those veterans from World War II and Korea. Now I hope I will, you will, we all will afford our Vietnam veterans the same honor. Not for all but for many there is still time to say, “Thank you for your service.”

No, there simply weren’t enough appropriate homecomings back in the sixties and early seventies but I am glad there is one place where every person can be welcomed home and that is heaven. No, not every veteran, in fact not every person, will receive that welcome because not every person will be going there. You see, the welcome sign is out and the invitations mailed but no amount of service to your country, no amount of being good and doing good can earn you this homecoming. This one comes by believing in the One who fought and defeated sin and death—and His name is Jesus.

Granted it is a narrow way but at the same time it is wide for the invitation to be part of the family is open to any man, woman or child who is willing to believe. Simply put—if you are willing to say yes to Him—He is more than willing to say yes to you. And when you do, if you do, there will be a bigger party than you can imagine. Jesus said, “In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents.” In other words, God wants to throw the party of the century for you. He can’t wait to welcome you home.

So, many thanks to all the active duty warriors and veterans but at least today—a special thanks to those who served during the Vietnam era. And if you went over and you didn’t receive the welcome you deserve then, well, just know God’s got one planned for you when you finally get home. Why not go ahead and say, yes to Him today. Think you’ve messed up too badly? Think God could never forgive…you? Don’t you worry—He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

Family, Grace, gratitude, life, love, loving others, prayer, priorities, Scripture, sovereignty of God, thankful

Concrete Desert

Posted on April 24, 2024April 21, 2024 by Dewayne Taylor

This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” 1 John 4:10

They were all heading straight for disaster, and they didn’t have a clue. One day, I was walking on our local bike path. It was early morning but not so early that the sun wasn’t already hot. It was going to be warm one—especially for Spring. As I walked, I looked down and saw several, no many, earthworms on the bike trail. They were trying to make it across.

I know, you’re thinking, “Why did the earthworm cross the bike path?” The answer is “I don’t know but it sure wasn’t going well.” Some had already bit the bullet and others were in the struggle of their wormy lives. Most were squirming…doing everything they could to make it to the other side. The only thing is, I could see what they could not. They were a long way from home.

I can just imagine one of the worms with the gift of leadership shouting to his friends, “Keep going guys. You can make it. Just a little further.” The trouble is he just didn’t have the whole picture…the view from above. From his perspective the end was right over there. From his perspective just a few more inches and they would be home free. Perspectives from ground level are often like that. That is why we need someone with a better view.

One of the things I love about believing in God is knowing that He has a higher, better view. He can see things that you just can’t see at ground level. And when He speaks…He speaks true encouragement because He knows what is around the bend or a few days down the road. God is really good at helping His kids do life. If only we would learn to listen. If only…

See, I talked to some of the earthworms as I walked. I would say things like, “It’s not looking good, partner.” Or maybe, “Dude, you’re not gonna make it squirming like that.” Then, “Hey, why are you crossing the bike path anyway?” I just had to ask. Well, no one listened and on they squirmed. It was going to be a hard day for most of them.

And then, and this is the truth, I would sometimes stop and pitch one or two of them into the cool, wet grass. It was a random thing that I would do. I would stop, pick one out, and chuck them to the side. While not one of them said “thanks” it was enough for me to save him or her from the dreaded concrete desert. It just felt good to save a life—even if it was just an earthworm. I just hope it wasn’t his cousin I put on a hook last week.

When I thought about this whole perspective and rescue thing I just naturally thought about God. Along with His great perspective, He cares enough to rescue us. He wants to rescue every person from an eternity without Him. I mean He loves us so much…and He loved us before we even thought about loving Him. The Bible says that we love Him because He first loved us. He saw all our warts, all our imperfections, all our bad choices and chose to love us anyway. He loved us before we even promised to try and do things right. A promise that we could never keep anyway.

Oh, and one more thing. As I said, I would pick an earthworm to save for no apparent reason. I just picked one. God said, “That will never do.” And do you know what, He loved the whole world…everybody…everyone. Now we still must choose to repent, choose to follow, choose to believe. But when we do…well, the welcome sign is out. Welcome home, son. Welcome home, daughter. And this is the best part. Should we wander back onto the concrete desert, He doesn’t say, “Good grief or good luck.” No, He just reaches out, takes us by the hand and pulls us back into the cool, green grass called His presence. You gotta love that.

Well, I don’t know if you will ever feel compelled to rescue an earthworm or not. But the next time you see one on the sidewalk on a too warm Spring Day, just remember the time He rescued you. Remember the time He didn’t leave you out in the heat to become a crispy critter. No, He reached down and picked you up. Isn’t it great to have a God that cares? That you can rest in? That’s got this. Yup…I know it’s so. Bro. Dewayne

Family, forgiveness, friends, Grace, gratitude, life, love, loving others, Mother's Day, prayer, Scripture, thankful, wisdom

Mother’s Day Redemption

Posted on May 10, 2023May 9, 2023 by Dewayne Taylor

Jesus told him, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” John 14:6

Redemption. It’s one of my favorite words. Yesterday, I shared a story about Mother’s Day and my feeble attempt to honor the mother of our children. It was a story of good intentions with a not so good conclusion. It was a story that should have been about honoring but was really about muttering. It was a story about what was instead of what could have been…should have been. But, well, it turns out it wasn’t the end of the story.

So, without retelling the whole story (see “Mother’s Day—The Hard Way, May 9, 2023 on gritswithgrace.com) let’s just say I lost a blessing. Judy asked for a simple Mother’s Day gift, and I fumbled the ball. I did it but with some (ok, a lot) of muttering. The day ended good with a great hike together and my receiving a reasonable measure of grace. The next day, Becca, our oldest daughter suggested a trip to Pigeon Forge for a few days as recompense. That seemed reasonable and doable and is in the planning stages. But there’s more.

It is the time of year when ladies change their purses. I know Judy has a dark red one that she uses in winter and a cute (did I just say “cute?”) one for spring. Well, the cute one for spring had seen its last hurrah. It had faded like an old leaf on the ground in late fall. She told me she was looking for a replacement but couldn’t find “the one.” It had to be a certain kind, it had to be the same color as last year’s, and it had to be a particular design. She said, “I can’t find what I want. I guess they just don’t make it.” What she was really saying was, “Here’s a chance for redemption, big boy.”

I jumped on it like “white on rice.” I like a challenge and love redemption. Now, I don’t know a thing about purses. Most guys don’t do purses though some have a “man-bag.” This guy doesn’t do either. But I do know about the promised land…Ebay. So, I got my iPhone out, clicked on the icon and entered eBay land. I tried several key searches. I quickly found out that whoever this Vera Bradley person is, she makes a lot of purses in a lot of designs and in lots of colors. But I was determined…I was seeking redemption.

Well, Judy wanders in, sits down and together we continue the search. By the time she got there, I was close. I could smell it; I just couldn’t taste it. And then it happened. There it was. Vera Bradley, coral floral, cross-body purse. The right brand, the right color, and the right design. She wondered if it could be true. She said she would believe it when she could see it, hold it, touch it. The Saturday after Mother’s Day it came in the mail in all its glory. She saw it, she held it, she touched it. Game. Set. Match.

Her smile went from ear to ear and so did mine. Her happiness was so evident and so was mine. She couldn’t believe her prize was in her hands and her “prince” had brought home the bacon. Oh, I was redeemed all right. The epic failure was gone…replaced by the laurels of “coral floral” victory! Then I said, “Wait…I’ve heard this story before.” It is the story of God and me…of God and you.

You see, because of our sin, our failures, we were in a hot mess. We were separated from God and there was no fixing it. It was epic fail 101. Then God made a way—the way for rescue, for restoration, for redemption. And it’s not unlike my Mother’s Day story. I searched for the one thing that would make redemption possible and found it. And we do the same. We long for the one thing. And it isn’t religion. It isn’t being good. It isn’t stopping a bad habit or starting another. It is grace. It is forgiveness. It is Jesus.

You see, Jesus is not a religion…we have enough of that already. As Jesus said, He is “the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” His death and resurrection made it possible for anyone to come home to God. He makes it possible for this epic failure to call God, “Father.” Paul, in Colossians 1:13-14, put it this way, “He has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son He loves. In Him we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

Well, I’m glad the story didn’t end with part one. I’m glad there was part two. I’m glad for redemption. And your story never has to end with only a part one. Whether it is coming home for the first time or coming back home another time, we will always find Him waiting with open arms and a warm embrace.

Guess what? Last Monday I was ok…Judy still loved me. She’s like that. This Monday, well, she thinks I hung the moon. She’s like that too. Today, God waits to welcome you home and guess what? No, He doesn’t think you hung the moon…He did that. But He does love you to the moon and back. So, let go and let Him hold you. Rest in Him. He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne