Several years in a row around Christmas time, I and several other folks in the wiregrass area of southeast Alabama produced an event called “Jingle Bell Rock” in Dothan and Enterprise. We would put on a big concert event at the Dothan Civic Center arena to raise money and awareness for a more important event that would happen the following night at The Fun Factory, a giant recreation facility in Enterprise.
At the second event, the Dept. of Human Resources would help us identify dozens, even hundreds, of underprivileged foster children in the wiregrass area for whom we would throw a giant Christmas party — complete with presents, a visit from Santa Claus, and the opportunity to hear what Christmas is really all about.
We would start around late August lining up bands to come play.
One year, a booking agent friend of mine in Los Angeles said he had an up-and-coming band that he believed we should really consider. “They’ve got a song that I think is going to be a smash,” the agent said. “They’d be dirt-cheap for you to bring down to Alabama, but they’re already selling out shows in L.A.”
I told him we lived in L.A., too. Lower Alabama. And it didn’t matter if his band sold 20,000 tickets a night in Los Angeles, people in our area wouldn’t know who they were unless they already had a radio hit or significant MTV airplay. “They won’t work for this event, but what’s their name anyway so I can check them out?” I asked. “OneRepublic,” he replied.
The following month Interscope records released OneRepublic’s first single, “Apologize.” By the time the “Jingle Bell Rock” concert rolled around, the song had become the biggest radio hit in the history of American pop radio.
Oops.
I was reminded of all of that this past week when I finally took the time to dig in to OneRepublic’s new album, “Native,” which was released a couple of months ago. Tedder sticks to a familiar formula in his songs. I’ve heard some people say before that he’s a one-trick pony. That may be the case, but it’s a dang good trick. “Can’t Stop” and “Burning Bridges,” (especially the acoustic version) are standout album cuts to check out in addition to the singles that have already received ubiquitous airplay.
But one other little-publicized song on the album that caught my attention was “Preacher.”
“When I was a kid, my grandfather was a preacher. He talked about God, yeah he was something like a teacher,” Tedder sings in the chorus. I could relate… my grandfather and father are both ministers.
“He said ‘God only helps those who learn to help themselves.’ He was a million miles from a million dollars, but you could never spend his wealth,” the chorus concludes.
The line “God only helps those who learn to help themselves” stuck out to me because it is a quote that is frequently misattributed to the Bible. It was, I’m sure, uttered initially by some well-meaning individual hoping to emphasize the importance of self-initiative.
But is it true?
As I think back to the “Jingle Bell Rock” events, the answer to that question becomes clear.
The most heart-wrenching moments I remember from those events was hearing young orphans and foster children dreaming aloud about the moment — which they believed was just around the corner — when a “Forever Family” would take them home — when they would no longer have to bounce from place to place wondering if anyone truly loved them.
Several friends of mine are going through the process of adopting a child now. Somewhere on the other side of the planet, a little girl doesn’t even realize that a “Forever Family” already has their eyes on her, and the future parents of a little boy, who may not have even been born yet, are filling out paperwork in anticipation of his arrival.
Those children are helpless. They have no family. But unbeknownst to them, help is on the way.
Similarly, we are all helpless orphans who have been separated from God because we’ve screwed up. There’s nothing we in our imperfection could do to deserve help from a perfect God.
So does God only help those who help themselves?
Thankfully, He helps the helpless.
And man is that great news for a screwed up person like me.
Related:
1. PERSONAL BLOG: The Old Souls
2. PERSONAL BLOG: What really matters?
What else is going on?
1. Baldwin Co. GOP chair will challenge Nodine’s candidacy if he runs in AL01
2. Jim Perdue officially announces candidacy for Secretary of State
3. Clear contrast continues at PSC hearings
4. Terri Sewell applauds Supreme Court ruling against voter ID laws
5. Aderholt believes getting too involved in Syria is ‘playing with fire’
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