Many Hands Make Light Work

July 1

Mama Said

Matthew 25:37-40 MSG

Mama was raised in a church where they believed and practiced helping others, especially the

poor and those who could not help themselves.

She was also raised to believe if you are able to work…work. She was depression generation

and she was taught work was important.

Literally, that didn’t mean go to work. It meant right where you are at, get up and dig in. She

really didn’t sit down for any length of time until after she turned 95 years old. Even when

she was told to rest, she just could not do it. Her value system was so closely aligned with

work that she felt guilty if she wasn’t working and that especially meant doing something for

someone else.

Matthew 25:37-40, “those ‘sheep’ are going to say, ‘Master, what are you talking about?

When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? And when did

we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?’ Then the King will say, ‘I’m telling the

solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored,

that was me—you did it to me.’”

Mama’s family had always gone to the same church and in that church helping ‘someone

overlooked or ignored’ was very important. No one made judgments about people who

were in need. They figured God knew why they were poor and needy and it wasn’t ‘theirs’

to decide why. They just helped everyone who was needy or hungry.

They knew God provided for them and God wanted them to help others. Mama’s dad was a

mechanic for the railroad. He had a really good steady job and because they had been

blessed they were taught to pass on the blessing.

That blessing included much more than food and lodging.

Because mama’s dad was a mechanic he was really good at fixing any kind of machine.

When others couldn’t fix something they would ask Mama’s dad if he could help

fix it. Mama’s dad was always happen to help. (Besides that, he loved a challenge). He

could figure out just about anything. Mama married an engineer and he went to

college to study engineering, but when he couldn’t figure out how to fix a broken

appliance, he would ask his father in law for help. The two of them loved spending

time in the shop fixing old machines.

Many hands make light work really is true.

Mama’s dad was not much of a talker but when it came to fixing a machine he was

the one others relied on.

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