“Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will…Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.” Matt. 10:29-31
I grew up on a farm. Shoved under the eaves of a weather grayed barn hung bird nests. Drab sparrows filled those nests with their speckled eggs, worthless birds in our estimation. They made messes. We called them bird-brained because they often made their homes in unsafe places. Every year new nests were stuffed inside the round metal poles our laundry lines were strung from. Every year the babies fell out of those poles where they became prey to all sorts of animals.
Yet as a child I loved those little birds. I would squint into the round hole of the pole and they chirped at me as if they anticipated my visit. Every year I felt it was my responsibility to gingerly pick up fallen chicks from the ground and coax them back into the hole only to topple out again. Every year I cried when some of them didn’t make it.
I had compassion for the birds because I loved them.
Sometimes I feel insignificant in the grand scheme of things, perhaps you do too. I feel small, as if my life has little meaning, like the sparrow.
Jesus reminds us in Matthew 10 how deep His compassion is for us. He assures us that He knows each detail of our lives. “Don’t worry,” He whispers to our hearts, “if I care about a sparrow how much more I care for you.”
Father, thank you for your care for me today.
Sylvia Schroeder serves as Women’s Care Coordinator at Avant Ministries. Visit her blog, When the House is Quiet, at sylviaschroeder.com.