“What is the price of two sparrows—one copper coin? But not a single sparrow 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 God than a whole flock of sparrows.” Matthew 10:29-31
Well, not all stories end well…and this one didn’t. More than a few years ago, on a Friday morning, Judy left for Oklahoma to visit with Sarah, Blake and the boys. The next morning, I got up early as usual, had some time with God and then went for my morning exercise. When I came back, by our backdoor, was a little baby squirrel. Now I don’t know a thing about baby squirrels, so I can’t tell you how old he was. I can tell you that something just didn’t seem right. He had all of his fur but you could tell he was not very strong and oddly, his head seemed just too big for his tiny body.
He was in the grass, but not far from the flower bed, which is next to our backdoor. He seemed to be eating grass but I suspect he was actually getting the water off the dew soaked grass. He was moving pretty good but again, something just didn’t seem right. I’m not sure where he came from since there was not a squirrel nest to be seen. I went on into the house and when I came back out he scurried into the flower bed. I put out some bird food for him to eat. I knew he would like that because all of his big brothers did their best to empty our bird feeders.
Well, he made himself at home. He was definitely eating some of the bird food and I believe having some of the water. He soon made himself a place to sleep there in the flower bed. I was hoping, just hoping, that my little friend was a big enough fighter to pull this thing off. I would check on him each day and give him food and water. I was doing everything I could for him. But a day or so later, when I came home from work, well he had died. I wasn’t surprised because I really thought something was wrong—something more than food or water could fix—something more than ending up at the wrong place at the wrong time. So I wasn’t surprised, but I was genuinely sad. I wanted him to live and I wanted to be his hero—his savior. Neither happened.
Now I’m not sharing this so we can all have a Debbie downer day…not at all. I’m learning that so many things have a story and can teach us big truths. I think this is one of those times. The first thing that came to mind was that sometimes we can do everything right—everything—and still not get the result that we want. We can be the best husband, the best wife, the best parent, the best employee or the best owner and sometimes the story just doesn’t end well. It doesn’t mean we failed. It doesn’t mean we were somehow to blame. Sometimes, it is just part of this thing called life. And while the story doesn’t always end well—we never have to face that difficult ending alone. Our Dearest Daddy is always there. The Whisperer is always close by and whispers the assurance of His love and His compassion. No matter what—Jesus will still be there.
The other big truth from this is that God really does care about the smallest things. If I told you that God knew today that this little creation died, would you believe me? If I told you that even the smallest detail of your life never passes Him unnoticed, would you believe it? If I told you He never grows weary of our worries and fears and unsettled hearts would you have the courage to believe? Well you can, because Jesus said that not even a sparrow can fall to the earth unnoticed by the Father. He even went on to say that if that is true, how much more do you think He cares about you? How. Much. More?
I know and you know that these are just puzzling times. Everything seems so uncertain. It seems as if we spend our days walking on quicksand—our feet unsteadily walking on shifting ground. But don’t be shaken. The God of the universe who cares when a little squirrel dies cares infinitely more about you. Jesus knows and feels your hurts and pains…and He cares.
So all you tendered hearted readers, please forgive me for sharing a hard story. I hope, though, that the big truths made it worth the read. Why not take a moment and sit with the One who loves you so? Why not get close enough to hear His whispers of love and assurance. I hope you will because when our hearts are heavy and a little frightened—we need to know that He’s got this. And He does. Bro. Dewayne
Grits with Grace 