His Eye Is On The Sparrow

I have always loved birds.  I guess it might have something to do with the fact that my mother had a parakeet when I was just a toddler.  The story is that Petey would sit on top of the cabinet where mom was working and say, "baby cry, baby cry".  I've never thought of this, but when I was born, there was a 21/2 yr old in the house.  I have a feeling that he must've said, 'baby cry, baby cry' a lot for that bird to have learned that phrase.

Then, when I was 12, my parents gifted me my own parakeet.  We called him Petey!  Yes, I was really original, wasn't I?  I enjoyed having him around.  He didn't talk much but he did interact with us.  He would land on our head and then slide down our bangs to hang upside down into our faces.  I remember him walking around on our dog's back too and Blackie would just ignore his presence.

Fast forward again many years.   My friend was having a second baby and she asked or I offered to babysit her parakeet.  His name was Rupert and he never went back to their house.   Oh, how I enjoyed Rupert!  He was such a character. But, I don't remember if he spoke or not.  When I would be ready to make dinner, I could say, Rupert, go to bed and he'd fly back into his cage.  Later, we would cover his cage and he'd be quiet all evening while we watched tv.

We got a kitten when we had Rupert and they played with each other on the floor.  Too bad it was before videos on phones!

He would land on my shoulder if I was at the sink, work his way down to my hand and take a bath in the stream of water I would start for him.   He loved baths!

He also got himself into some not so fun for him situations.  I walked into our kitchen one day.  Here he was upside down in a goblet of water! I had a flower sitting in that goblet.  I guess he wanted a drink or a bath and slipped into the goblet!

One day I came home and found out that he had gotten himself into trouble with my husband and daughter!

Darryl was painting the family room.  Rupert landed in the can of blue paint!   Oh, I wish I had a video of that ruckus!  They got him out of the can somehow, and he tried to fly but hit the floor every foot or so.  I guess they gave him a bath, but he kept some marks of blue for quite a while.

There have been other birds too but enough of memory lane just to prove I like birds.  I do!  Very much! I wish I had thought of them back then as a symbol of the refuge we have in God.  I sure do think of them that way now.

These past 6 months have brought many difficult times in our family.  I know we are not the only ones who have struggled.  But I do know that God has helped me get through the day to day.

All through these months, I have been going through a Bible study called Thirty Day Walk with God in the Psalms.  As its name suggests, it is a 30-day study.  However, I have been going through one of those days a week, or so.  And oh how God has blessed this time in his word..  And continually, I've read and been encouraged by all the verses in Psalms that talk about taking refuge in the shadow of his wings, or that he's covering me with his wings. Etc.

I wrote a blog post about feeling like I was safely sheltered under His Wings while the storm raged around me!   I googled images of birds sheltered under a parent's wings.  And when the storm got too much for me, I took a deep breath, envisioned a picture of a chick under its parent's wings and allowed myself to feel God's comfort.  It truly helped me cope.

As I went through my days leading up to one particular week in August, I was working on memorizing Psalm 36:7-9:

How priceless is your unfailing love, O God! 

People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.

They feast on the abundance of your house; 

you give them drink from your river of delights.

For with you is the fountain of life;

in your light we see light. 

During that August week in 2018, I had a difficult trip to take. I was going to leave on Sunday and Saturday night we went to our monthly BoardGame Night.  I was not so nice to my fellow game group members as I was not a very good sport.   I'm ashamed of how I acted.  When we got home, I told Darryl that I realized that my trip over the next two days had me more emotional than I had realized before that night.   He held me and prayed for me.  I wish I could say that I got the emotions under control before I left but I didn't.  However, I was working on them and knew I would find refuge in the shadow of God's wings.  By the time I got to my destination, I was feeling more comfortable.

On my drive, I listened to a podcast that reminded me of the verses in Romans 8: 1;2

 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. 

Then I arrived at my destination in time to worship with a church whose Pastor had reached out to our situation and gave us hope.   During the course of that service, again, these verses were read.

They resonated through my spirit over the next few days.   This pastor and a woman in their church both had offered me housing when I came to their area.   But, the timing of my trip just so happened to be at a time when neither of them could have me visit them.  

I put out a plea to a family member who had once lived in that area.  She contacted her friends once again (it was through her friend we had found the pastor).   The first person she asked already had guests.  But the next two women who were asked said yes.  However, one, of course, responded first and I stayed with her and her husband in their delightful home along a river.   I just knew with the way things were going, that God had a reason for my staying at this particular home. I don't believe in coincidences.  

I'm sure any of the women who were asked would have been gracious and loving.  As was my hostess and her husband.   I just walked into this home and felt loved and cared for as they knew why I was there.  (which is someone else's story).  

When I went to bed that night I took in the decorations of their guest bathroom.  Birds.  Everywhere.  Very subtly there so that it took me a bit to realize that there were tiny birds in a tasteful way decorating that room.  And then, I noticed on the wall one of those written word graphics "His Eye Is On The Sparrow"!  Under it was a wall hanging with trees and birds perched on them.   I was so comforted at that moment, knowing that God had his eye on me and on the other person involved.  

The next morning when I pulled up my destination on GPS, I realized that one of the main roads in the neighborhood I stayed in was Sparrow!   Actually, I even saw an intersection of Sparrow and Sparrow!  

I was able to get through two very tough days trusting that I had found refuge under the shadow of His Wings.   

I ended up staying an extra two nights in that town.  The first one was in a hotel.  We had a very trying day after very little sleep in that hotel room.  I can't describe that awful/wonderful day but suffice it to say, I was exhausted by the time I was free to leave to come home.  It was around 6 pm, stormy and in my exhausted state, I knew I could not go home.  So I called this sweet woman once again and she said, of course, I could come back and stay that night.  God provided me with such sweet fellowship.  We are one in the spirit, for sure!  That is the beauty of the body of Christ!  We are sisters/brothers in Christ with those who also call him Lord.  So, I went back to their lovely home after the most trying of days to be once again nestled in a place that reminded me of God's beloved watch-care over me!  

I was there to be support for someone very close to me and I was able to share Roman's 8:1; 2 with him.  

We both felt God's hand on the situation.   He was more merciful than we could ever have dreamt of asking him to be.  

I went back again 2 weeks later.  I was under the impression that my wonderful hostess was on vacation so again I reached out to the first woman who had offered to house me.   I wanted to meet her, my sister in law's friend and this would be my opportunity.  Again, I landed in a very welcoming, comfortable home.   

I shared with my host and hostess my story of the birds at the first house.  Then, I retired for the night and while on the phone with my husband, I noticed that there were carved and porcelain birds sitting around the room!  Once again, our great God was reminding me of his love for me, just a little sparrow he's keeping his eye on.  

I came home only to be reminded by the birds I have around my house, inside and out, that He has his eye on the sparrow, and I know he has his eye on me too!