"God helps those that help themselves "

  All my life I've been richly blessed to have been surrounded by different cultures, traditions, religions and, lifestyles. My natural inclination to be observant [you can call it nosy], has permitted me to be a better listener,to ask many questions about human beings, God/religions, beliefs,  tendencies, galores of why's!  I'd  wonder why my grandma made these her friends and why some she would simply keep them at arms length.  I remember the stories of sufferings they'd always freely open up to my grandma as she cut potatoes and carrots and the dog would bark at some sparrow flying.

I would sit at the counter as these stories would sometimes pour out in a deluge of tears and others with a "gracias a Dios!" {Thank God}  I'd feel like I was invading some sacred confession on occasions and laugh at others when their expressions of "Ave Maria Prisima" would shatter what was supposedly a sad, heart wrenching reminicing.  Grandma would usually say something like, "but you see, God never left you alone!"  They'd nod while blowing their nose and I'd stare at my shoes afraid to look up and cry myself. [It has to be those hormones!}

What I learned then and keep learning now is that we all have not only a story but a cross to lift. [notice I didn't say 'bear' but lift because to me, lifting it takes faith, bearing suggests, to me, letting things be without thought, learning or growing from the situation] Nobody is truly spared from what we came here on earth to do--to prove ourselves worthy, and love each other AS we love ourself!. [often deleted in our thinking].
   In my studies the words in Mosiah 24 reverberated in my ears as I rummaged through my thoughts this crazy week:   Starting on verse 13And it ^acame to pass that the voice of the Lord came to them in their afflictions, saying: Lift up your heads and be of good comfort, for I know of the covenant which ye have made unto me; and I will covenant with my people and deliver them out of bondage.

 14And I will also ease the ^aburdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as ^bwitnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their ^cafflictions.

 15And now it came to pass that the burdens which were laid upon Alma and his brethren were made light; yea, the Lord did ^astrengthen them that they could bear up their ^bburdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with ^cpatience to all the will of the Lord.

 16And it came to pass that so great was their faith and their patience that the voice of the Lord came unto them again, saying: Be of good comfort, for on the morrow I will deliver you out of bondage."

      I quickly held on to the promise of relief, comfort, deliverance, strength and, that repilsive word, patience!  I kept rereading the words until they melted into me and began sensing His closeness, his concern, his desire to comfort, strengthen and add all the needed elements in order to lift, carry the trial to its conclusion.  He never said he'd remove them.  Why not? [my puny understanding asked].  And snap!  Because He was enough to provide the necessary help in that situation as well as in mine and so many of my grandma's friends who, by the way, were never wimps under pressure -- starting with my grandma.

   If we are to rely on God, then He certainly must have what we need in order for us to choose Him.  If we are repeatedly reminded to "ask and knock," to cry out to Him, to beseech and seek Himm, to lean on Him, I figure it's because HE actually CAN and WILL do and be what we need.    But the question always lies in us, "Are you willing to endure, to be trusting, to believe and be both cheerful and patient ?

  

Looking back in the kaleidoscope of afternoons in grandma's kitchen of confessions and storytelling with the smells of Cuban spices, I can now say that most of these multi-faceted lives were the type of souls that carried their cross with great faith, dignity and cheery attitudes. Can I say the same about myself?  I don't know sometimes  Has He removed my cross?  No.  Will He?  Someday. BECAUSE He CAN!  That's a very reassuring feeling and refuge for my thoughts that too often devastate me.

It's an old cliche, "God helps those that help themselves ," my grandma would say every day and often.   Now that I'm fifty, and have lifted my cross a little longer, I need to ask myself, "How am I helping myself?"  Can I rely on his promise to wipe my tears?  Can I trust the affection with a cheerful heart because HE can deliver and will release me from bondage?  Will I be patient through the turbulence and seek for Him walking on the water beckoning me to come? {not literally but symbolically}? I can't give a definite answer since I'm still spiritually a child learning to stand in line.   "Can thy heart endure, or can thy hands be strong, in the days that I shall deal with thee?--Ezekiel 22.14  I think, I believe and trust, like the people in Mosiah, I will take Him at His word and He will take mine.  After all, isn't that a covenant ?