His Eye is on the Sparrow. . .

You may be familiar with the hymn - "His Eye is on the Sparrow", for some reason it has been playing on repeat in my mind lately. The world has been in such an uproar and so unsettled lately, my prayers feel so small in a vast ocean of everyone else's.

I like to research - lol, so I looked up the hymn. I find it interesting to learn about songs. It was written by Civilla Martin in 1904 in nova Scotia. She was visiting an ill, bed-ridden friend. Although her friend was very ill, she reminded Civilla that God still had his eye on her. She reminded her of this verse taken from the book of Matthew 10:29-31: "Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows." In Biblical times sparrows were sold 2 for a penny. They were used for food for the poorest of the poor. At home later that evening, Mrs. Martin, thinking of the time with her friend wrote a poem. She later sent it to a famous composer of the time - Charles Gabriel, and the hymn we love was born. It has traveled all around the world.

If you're not familiar with the hymn here is a beautiful rendition -

I was reminded today that there is a power bigger than me in control. We are knee deep in this pandemic. Some people are anxious to get back to normal, others are anxious that it will all happen to quickly. Some refuse to wear a mask, or alter their behavior; others are obsessed with washing and scrubbing and covering from head to toe. There has to be a middle ground, right? But by the grace of God - the facility my dad is staying in has been Covid free - except for 2 staff members who did not enter the building with symptoms. I also learned today that the facility that he had been in numerous times before for rehab, and at one point wanted to stay there if he could not live at home -- I learned that the virus has hit there pretty badly - 40 residents, 16 staff positive - and 14 deaths. It is a small facility. His eye is on the sparrow. . .

Things have been on such a pendulum here in my corner of the world. There always seems to be something happening - things out of our control, trying for sure. Even in the midst of the pandemic - we have had some beams of light in the darkness - but still I wait for the darkness. His eye is on the sparrow. . .

A doctor I see reminds me of this regularly - taken from the book of Matthew 6:25-27, 34

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

There is so much going on these days. It's so hard to separate fact and fiction. If we all do the next right thing, we should all end up on top. Don't forget --- you are worth more than two sparrows! Stay well!

See you next time!