His Eye is on the Sparrow

     Hello everyone, this is Jack and Nancy’s daughter, Sarah.  Two weeks ago today our world took an unexpected turn. We were on our way to see the Broadway musical, “Annie” when I believe God intervened.  I had some small concerns about my Mom, but when she spoke of a significant headache we knew it was time to see a doctor.  Thankfully we were near a rural hospital and within minutes we were speaking with a doctor.  Upon first examination, he said my Mom looked perfectly healthy and he didn’t see why we wouldn’t be back on the road to our see the play.  However, after a CAT Scan he quickly came back into the room and informed us we would not be going after all.  “The scan is not normal…”  He said there were multiple masses present and they needed to send us on to a larger hospital.  One of the first things my Mom said was, “God’s got this…” I know that will be a theme that rings in my heart as we journey through this process.   My Dad and I followed behind the ambulance and I had to chuckle as she would occasionally send us a text, “I’m waving at you!”  Her faith has always inspired me, but even more so in these tender moments of tremendous upheaval.

     She was admitted to the Neuro ICU. They did multiple tests and a few days later preformed a brain biopsy. We are currently waiting on the results.  It has been a lot to process and yet we have been so blessed with the undeniable peace and presence of God.  We trust that He has a purpose in all of this even if the future seems so uncertain.  We hope to receive the results soon and get a plan for moving forward.

     In the meantime, I am thankful for a renewed focus and desire to savor each and every single moment we are given on this earth.  God knows our day.  Every morning we wake up with breath in our lungs He has a purpose for us.  Moments like these have a way of giving laser sharp focus to what is truly important.  After we learned of the tumors, I’ve had a great desire to do what my Mom and I have done so often over the years…SING!  This week we want to share “His Eye is on the Sparrow.”  Such a beautiful reminder.   I know so many of you are facing difficult things.  Just this week we learned some tragic news of a friend who unexpectedly passed away.  Others are dealing with devastating health issues.  Some are facing trials with work or relationships.  Doesn’t this broken world feel too much at times?  Yet, we are thankful to have hope that transcends the here and now.  Hope in knowing we have a Savior who cares intimately about us and will carry us through difficult days. 

My Dad painted this painting years ago and it fits so perfectly…

 Fear not, therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows. Matthew 10:31

     Let’s focus on the tiny little sparrow in this quiet, peaceful, serene place. As it sits on the edge of the broken limb the sparrow may be wondering how he can make the journey to the other side of the creek, especially if he is weak or tired. The Bible tells us that God knows when a sparrow falls and if you look closely you will see that His eye is on the sparrow. Jesus is not only watching and waiting, but it is actually His hand that holds the end of the broken limb. The little sparrow can reach the other side without ever depending on his own strength. Many times in our journey we reach a point that seems hopeless and overwhelming. We may not see at first that Jesus is “in the picture” but He has been there all the time… watching, waiting, caring.

We are more precious to Christ than many sparrows,
and as we find the image of Him lovingly watching
over this one little bird, we can say,
“I know He watches me!

We pray this song and painting would encourage you today… He cares for us!!! What a wonderful thought!!!