“Toughest Ole’ Bird!”                      “6-8 Christ arrives right on time to make this happen. He didn’t, and doesn’t, wait for us to get ready. He presented himself for this sacrificial death when we were far too weak and rebellious to do anything to get ourselves ready. And even if we hadn’t been so weak, we wouldn’t have known what to do anyway. We can understand someone dying for a person worth dying for, and we can understand how someone good and noble could inspire us to selfless sacrifice. But God put his love on the line for us by offering his Son in sacrificial death while we were of no use whatever to him.”  Romans 5:8 The Message (MSG)

My grandmother Nelly used to always tell me “God helps those that help themselves”. 

While not scriptural, it was a philosophy, in part, created by her upbringing.

She survived the bombings in England during World War II as a teenager.

She lived through devastation and poverty. 

She met my grandfather, an American soldier in England, and her life in Rural Maine with a family of 12 sons and daughters wasn’t much easier after settling in the US.

She was so tough I couldn’t even compete.  No use in trying, really.

One time, when I was about 10 or so, I was afraid of a hornet flying in the kitchen.  She bluntly told me I was being a wimp and that I needed to not be afraid of a little bee.  She told me a story of one of the night bombings and then proceeded to kill the wasp with her palm.  She washed her hands and went back to making desserts.  I thought, you are the toughest ole bird EVER and I love you so much!

She was a strong and fierce woman. Even though she said God helps those that help themselves and she had to find a way every day to feed all those kids, she always found food enough to feed any of the neighborhood kids in need.  Her generosity was unmatched.

I miss her dearly and wonder what she would say during this crisis we are in. I imagine she would tell me another non-scripture based saying she always used “God won’t give you more than you can handle”.

I am reminded of her mental fortitude, toughness, and resiliency all around me in this community and communities across the globe.  

Our scripture reading today from the Message Bible is a reminder that God actually does help us, even when we can’t help ourselves.  That God’s prevenient grace is abundant and it is sufficient.  We don’t have to become qualified to receive it, we don’t have to check any boxes, we don’t have to know a certain number of verses…God doesn’t wait for us to become the best versions of ourselves.  Thank God for that.  Amen?

I pray for you this week as you find yourself challenged in new and old ways.  I pray for those of you facing financial uncertainties and difficulties.  I pray for you who are vulnerable and at serious risk for COVID-19.  I pray for those of you extroverts yearning to see and touch and talk to and hold each other and all of us introverts who are learning that even our introversion has limits.  I pray for this Church and churches in this community that we may come back stronger and more robust when we are able to gather again and if we don’t, patience and trust in God until we relearn how to be the Church.

May it be so,

Rev. Lou Ward