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Special Edition: The Notorious BMR
June 24, 2020
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 I don't feel like writing a newsletter this week. For the past three years when I felt like skipping a week, I'd remember that my girl, Miss Bertha, was waiting on her newsletter...and so I'd sit down and write. Every week I send this newsletter to hundreds of people. I don't check to see how many of you actually read it because I know that at least one person on the list does. Mrs. Bertha Lean McLean Rodgers or as I've came to know her, "The Notorious BMR."
This week BMR went home to Jesus and I am devastated. I first met her through her daughter, my friend, Cheryl. Over the years, I came to love her through her children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews. However, over the past 8 months we developed our own bond. It's a long story so let me hit the highlights.
After a stroke in November, Miss Bertha had a very long hospital stay. The doctors called her a miracle often. Those who knew her already knew her secret to healing and power—her faith in God. She was strong, faithful, resolute, funny, caring and the list goes on. After about 6 weeks in the hospital, she was getting tired and I saw it in her eyes. On Christmas Day I went to her with a message, "You're trying to go see Jesus and God said it's not time." I'll never forget how she looked me. She had a sly grin and her eyes smiled. She was saying "Little girl, if you don't go sit down somewhere."
Over the next few months she worked hard in rehab...or not... depending on how she felt. When she felt like talking, she did. When she felt like walking, she did. When she didn't, there was nothing anybody could do about it. That's how I gave her the name Notorious BMR.
In March it was just the two of us in the room together for a couple of hours. I held her hand. We talked. We stared into each others eyes having two conversations at once. Mine full of tears as I reminded her that God said he wasn't ready for her so she might as well keep fighting.
"God is not ready for you and you're not going to change his mind."
This week has has been terrible. Her family, friends and loved ones have been in places we don't want to be. We've been doing things we don't want to do— like typing this newsletter right now. We're all down here feeling...whatever the word for the saddest version of "sad" that you can ever feel. Meanwhile— Notorious BMR is exactly where she wants to be. She changed God's mind.
In Exodus 32:14 God changed his mind for Moses. In the Book of Jonah, God changed his mind about the people of Nineveh. I've only known God to change his mind a few times in the history of the world. When He has, it is response to his chosen vessels, his faithful hearts: Moses, Nineveh, and the Notorious BMR.
Let me explain...
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So the Lord changed His mind ...”
Exodus 32:14
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Dear Lord, thank you for the gift of Bertha Rodgers. Thank for for the lessons you teach us today through her life, her strength, and her faith. Amen!
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The morning that Miss Bertha died I cried out to God for something to help me make sense of this. The Notorious BMR was more than a conqueror in her health, faith, and life itself. God made it clear to me in December that He was not ready for BMR. In my sobbing and prayer I was reminded of Exodus 32...God changed His mind. After a few days to pray and meditate I can understand a little better. Here's what I've learned from The Notorious BMR this week...
God Changes His Mind
I was reminded in Exodus 32 that God changes His mind. After all God had done for them, the people of Israel began to worship statues. God told Moses that he was going to destroy the people for their disobedience and Moses begged God not to do it. So God changed his mind for Moses. The same thing happened in the Book of Jonah. Jonah 3:10 says, "When God saw what they had done... he changed his mind..."
Prayer Works.
We know that prayer is effective. James 5:16 tells us that "The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results." It is without question in my heart that Miss Bertha was ready to go. We wanted her here with us for many more years. She had made it crystal clear to me that she was ready to go. I now see that my prayers were a bit selfish to ease my own heart and protect me from from this pain I feel right now. BMR is exactly where she wants to be. She was saved, sanctified and Holy Spirit filled with Jesus. The truth is....
We're sad. She's doing great.
"You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy..." Psalm 30:11
It was God
Miss Bertha had come through...whatever the word is for "a lot" but way more than that. Not just in life, but in the past 8 months with her health. Every time we thought it was bad, she'd come right back. The doctors would call her a "miracle"...again. Then, earlier this week she just went to sleep. No big fuss. No pain. No agony. In complete and total peace, she went to Heaven. I find comfort in Psalm 34:18 "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." We're sad but we are comforted knowing that BMR was faithful enough, prayerful enough, determined enough...down right gangsta enough to change God's mind.
She's outta here. She's not thinking about COVID19 or a racial pandemic. She could care less about who wins the 2020 election. We're crying for her while she's up there dancing and praising not to be down here with us. She's perfect. We're down here still trying to lower our blood pressure, save some money, and keep our jobs. We are reading our Bibles trying figure out WWJD. She's up there with Him.
We'll Carry On
Moses led the people of Israel. Jonah ministered to the people of Nineveh. After Moses died and Jonah left, the people carried on. After Jesus ascended into Heaven to be with The Father, the disciples carried on. After each loss that Miss Bertha experienced, she carried on. Her example gives us the strength to carry on.
Rest Well Notorious BMR — you spiritual Gangsta!
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