Not even a sparrow, worth only half a penny, can fall to the ground
without your Father knowing it. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to him than a whole flock of sparrows.
Matthew 10:29 (NLT)
One of my favorite stories growing up was one that my mother often told me. It took place when I was a young child and circumstances in Mom and Dad’s life were especially tough. They were in the midst of terrible trials and felt the heavy burden of being very alone. My mom was making frequent trips into town. Along the way, she passed a fence and on it hung the lifeless body of a bird. To fully appreciate the impact this had on my mom, you have to understand that she hates birds. For as long as she can remember, she has had an incredible fear of them. And so, her eyes seemed compelled to search out the dead bird as it dangled from the barbwire fence.
without your Father knowing it. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to him than a whole flock of sparrows.
Matthew 10:29 (NLT)
One of my favorite stories growing up was one that my mother often told me. It took place when I was a young child and circumstances in Mom and Dad’s life were especially tough. They were in the midst of terrible trials and felt the heavy burden of being very alone. My mom was making frequent trips into town. Along the way, she passed a fence and on it hung the lifeless body of a bird. To fully appreciate the impact this had on my mom, you have to understand that she hates birds. For as long as she can remember, she has had an incredible fear of them. And so, her eyes seemed compelled to search out the dead bird as it dangled from the barbwire fence.
One evening, laden with the cares of the day, she again saw the bird’s body sprawled in suspension from the sharp barbs. She distinctly remembers crying out to God, “Lord, You say that You care for me so much more than You do the sparrows. You say that You see each one fall and yet You don’t even have the decency to remove this one from the fence! How can I trust You to care for me?”
Mom continued on her way. I don’t know how she felt as she managed to get through the commitments she had that night. But the next day, as she once again passed by that old barbwire fence, I know that the bird was gone. It’s absence struck my mom in a profound way. It was like God’s voice could be heard saying, “I saw that little bird. It didn’t escape my notice, but I needed you to notice it so that I could use it to show you how much I care!” You see, if my mom had never seen that dead old bird hanging from that cruel old fence, those words “So don’t be afraid” may never have come to her mind. That promise “the very hairs on your head are all numbered…you are more valuable to him than a whole flock of sparrows.” would not have been so profound. And the peace of God, which comes from truly resting in His sovereignty and power, may have been a whole lot longer coming.
Isn’t it ironic, that the Lord often uses the ugly and disgusting things that we hate, to gain our attention so that we don’t miss His blessing? We want His blessing so badly that we often miss it just because it doesn’t come in the packaging that we expect. Oh Lord, please help us see Your blessing even in the midst of things that make us want to turn our eyes away!
There is a little song that we sang all of the time as children. It has always been inextricably tied to this story for me.
God sees the little sparrow fall.
It meets His tender view.
If God so loves these little things,
I know He loves me too.
He loves me too. He loves me too.
I know He loves me too.
If God so loves these little things,
I know He loves me too.
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