Embracing Your Story

This summer at West Ridge, the ladies have been meeting to study and discuss the book, “One Thousand Gifts” by Ann Voskamp.  I’ve gotta say, I have really enjoyed reading this book! Ann takes us on a beautiful journey as she learns eucharisteo – to live fully – understanding and embracing grace, finding joy, and practicing thanksgiving in ALL things. 

First of all, I love to read! I thoroughly enjoy a great page turner and I can zip through books pretty quickly.  But this one, oh, have I slowed down!  I’m reading and rereading chapters. Highlighting sentences, paragraphs even!  Which is sooo not me.  Normally, I dare not to even smudge pages of books (respect for the printed page, lol!).  But with this book, I’m just trying to soak in all I can and letting my yellow highlighter run rampant!

There is a quote though, right from the very first chapter, that I simply haven’t been able to shake.  Now, I don’t want to ruin the book for anyone who has yet to read it, so I don’t want to share too much.  But after I read this quote, I haven’t been able to escape this thought…

“Maybe you don’t want to change the story, because you don’t know what a different ending holds.”

I’ve read that sentence over and over these last few weeks. Mulling it over in my head.  How many times have I ever thought to myself…

“If I only had made this decision instead of that one.”

“If only this had happened instead of that.

“If I would have only taken this path instead of that one.”

I could go on.  I’m sure you can relate.  Ever get caught traveling down memory lane, pondering how life would be different if you had made different choices or if situations had different outcomes?

This book has had me thinking about my life.  Wondering if I had done something differently, would my story have been different? Or, if a certain situation that I thought was bad at the time would have turned out differently, would my life be what it is today?  When I get stuck in those thoughts though, I go back to Scripture:

“For he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.” Ephesians 1:11b (NLT)

And I can confidently say, no.  No, I would not want to change the story, because I don’t know what a different ending would hold. I would not want to change the story because it’s God’s story!  It is His story of love and redemption.  It is a story of how He can take what was meant for evil and use it for good.  It is a story of His grace and beauty.  All those heartbreaking and dark times, all the times of pain and desperation, all the times of bringing me down low, if they were erased, where would I be?! What would my future hold?

I would never have needed a Savior.  I would never have known real, true, extravagant love.  I would never have learned who I truly am and how God sees me.  I would not be the woman I am now, on this amazing journey with my Lord! 

I love how Ann goes on in Chapter One to come to this thought, “There’s a reason I am not writing the story and God is.  He knows how it all works out, where it all leads, what it all means.”

I want to encourage you today, to embrace your story. I’m not saying we should live in the past or repeat our past sins.  But to realize that your story – all the ups, downs, everything – is His story.  The pain you have experienced or the hurt you are going through, God knows.  He has a purpose for it and He knows what it all means for your life.  And we can trust Him in it.  He knows how it all works out and He’s got you in the palm of His hand. To quote Ann one last time, “God is always good and I am always loved.”

Ladies, take your story – His story – and give thanks for it! I dare you to see through all those things you wished would have turned out differently and realize God has or will redeem them.  Be thankful for them, even the ugly and painful parts.  Because God IS always good! And you, sweet friend, ARE always loved!

“You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” Genesis 50:20 (NIV)

“Give thanks in ALL circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (emphasis mine)

Ladies, we love you and are always here for you! Please email us at: women@westridge.cc with questions or prayers...

Post by: Marcy Gates

What To Do When You Doubt Your Purpose

God has been teaching me about purpose and what it means for my life and I think it applies to all of us. I would love to encourage you by sharing some of that journey today...

Over the course of my Christian walk, I have listened to plenty of sermons on purpose: finding your purpose, the purpose driven life, living out your purpose, etc. I thought I had it all figured out. I knew what it meant to have purpose, I knew God created us for a purpose and I thought I knew what my purpose was. I was in college in this season of my life, bright eyed and bushy tailed, dreaming dreams of dreamers.

That’s right I had a plan! Oh yes! I was going to graduate earning my Master’s degree, get married, become a school social worker and live happily ever after. I was certain I knew my purpose and that was to be a social worker. This was my calling and my ministry. And in my young girl mind, it was set in stone. Looking back now I can hear a sweet southern voice chime out, “Well, bless her heart!” (You know how they say that in the South when they feel pity for someone else... That is what I would have said to me back then!)

You see somewhere along the way I caught on to the notion that you have only one purpose and you have to find that purpose then live it out. For some, this rings true! But for me it wasn’t that simple. For me, each turn of rejection meant I wasn’t fulfilling my purpose. Each dead end social work job felt like failure. It didn’t take long for me to walk around looking defeated and feeling frustrated. I begin to feel like I got it all wrong. Like I heard God wrong, maybe social work wasn’t my purpose at all?!

Have you been there? Have you felt the heavy weight of lies that scream failure?

God says:

“For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

Seven years later, I am still not a school social worker but I can assure you I am fulfilling my purpose. We all go through seasons and God appoints a time for everything…

“There is a time for everything,

    and a season for every activity under the heavens:

    

    a time to be born and a time to die,

    a time to plant and a time to uproot,

    a time to kill and a time to heal,

    a time to tear down and a time to build,

    a time to weep and a time to laugh,

    a time to mourn and a time to dance,

    a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,

    a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,

    a time to search and a time to give up,

    a time to keep and a time to throw away,

    a time to tear and a time to mend,

    a time to be silent and a time to speak,

    a time to love and a time to hate,

    a time for war and a time for peace.”  Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (NIV)

A time for everything.

Recently I was having a particularly rough day, I felt high strung, frazzled and was losing focus. There was an event for work that evening and I was all out of sorts. I drove home to pick up a few items and change for the event. While at home I tried to regain focus. I didn’t want to show up at the event with my grumpy face on, so I prayed. I got back in the car and turned up the worship music, when I was reminded of a quote I had seen earlier in the week…

Photo courtesy of Daystar

And so I asked God, “What is my purpose here tonight, Father?” He answered in three simple words “Grace, joy, light.” I repeated His answer all the way back to work. Grace, Joy, Light. My purpose that night, for that event, for those people, was to pour out God’s grace, walk in His joy and to be His light. I asked, God answered, and He set my heart right.

That night God showed me that maybe I didn’t need to follow and pursue only one purpose, but many. He showed me that in this season, my purpose can be different each day and for each moment. Now, I wake up every morning and ask God, “What is my purpose for this day?” Because if I can walk out my purpose each day, then I go with confidence. Rather than continue to question my purpose, God has shown me to trust Him for my purpose.

The Word tells us that God’s purpose prevails. Our purpose is living, breathing, and transforming to fulfill God’s purpose. For some, it is that one thing. For others, like me, it is the daily asking of God how He can use me. Social work may have been my purpose for a season, it brought me to right now, right where I am supposed to be. Each step of this journey was appointed and not in vain.

“Many are the plans in man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” Proverbs 19:21 (NIV)

Do you wrestle with figuring out your purpose? Ask God how He can use you today. Ask Him to reveal what His purpose is for you right where you are and at this very moment. You may be surprised with God’s answer…

Post by: Jimmie Lee

You're Doing It Wrong

Last weekend I took my three girls on a road trip to visit with family.  They were so excited to go because they were going to Grammy and Pappy’s house - yay! Also while we were there we were going to be attending a Mother Daughter Banquet held by their grandparent’s church. Dressing up and sitting at a big, fancy table with many forks at your place setting equaled great excitement for them.  Our evening was made even more special because my sister-in-law and their aunt, was the guest speaker.

My sister-in-law, Melanie, gave an inspiring message to all of the mothers in attendance that night.  She talked about motherhood, heritage, and raising kids in a Christian home.   She stressed to all the mothers in attendance that our greatest mission field is our children.  Then she said something that has stuck with me in the days since, “Our goal is not to raise the most popular kid in the class.”

How true that is!  Our goal as parents should not be to raise children who are the most popular or the smartest, etc.  Our goal as parents is to share with our children the love of Christ.  To teach them that Jesus is our one and only Savior!  What is truly important for us as mothers, is to love Jesus, allow your kids to see you loving Jesus, and to teach them how to love Him too.

But, how do you do that when there is a nagging voice in your head, questioning your every move?

You’re doing it wrong.  As a parent, I’ve felt that way so many times.  That voice whispering in your ear that beats you down more than you would like to admit.  It can make you question all your parenting decisions…

“You are a working mom and other people are caring for and nurturing your baby all day long…  You’re doing it wrong.”

“You are a stay-at-home mother and what are your kids doing right now? Watching TV! Get it together… You’re doing it wrong.”

“Everybody else’s kids sleep through the night.  My child wakes up almost every night for one reason or another… You’re doing it wrong.”

“Your kid just ate a well-balanced meal hitting all the categories on the Food Pyramid? Nope, my kid refused to eat anything except french fries...  You’re doing it wrong.”

“Those kids have a bunch of Bible verses memorized and can recite them perfectly while I can’t get my kids settled down enough to even listen to a Bible story… You’re doing it wrong!”

I could go on and on.  That voice can make you crazy sometimes! Constantly questioning if you are doing this whole mothering thing right or not.  Kids don’t come with instruction manuals, although don’t we all wish they did?!

Being a mother is the toughest job you will ever love.  And being a Christian mother is even more challenging.  How do you model Christ’s love for us and make sure those little hearts you have been entrusted with grasp that?  How do you extend grace to your children and then humbly ask them to give it to you when you mess up?  How do you raise them up, teaching them God’s precepts, while the world is going against all you have worked so hard to instill in them?

We all have different approaches to parenting.  I’m not endorsing one way of mothering over another.  What works best for one family may not be best for another.  Different moms raise kids different ways and that is ok.  That is a beautiful thing.  I don’t think God intended for all of us to be Xerox copies of each other. 

As a mother though, my heart is for my girls to fall in love with Jesus deeply. My constant prayer is that they will have a strong faith in God that will impact their lives and the lives of others from a very young age and that that faith would grow as they do.  My husband and I only have one chance to raise our children, and we are constantly praying that God lead us in doing that job well.

But I can’t do that well if I am comparing myself to others and questioning every motherly decision I make.  My eyes need to be focused on what lies ahead and not be distracted with what is going on to my left or to my right.  God gave my husband and me the job of raising these three girls because He knew we were the best ones to raise those specific little ladies! 

Your child or children are yours because God entrusted them to you.  He knew YOU were the right mom for the job.  He blessed your life with them!  You, sweet friend, are not doing it wrong.  If you are loving those little ones (or big ones for all you moms of teens & young adults!), taking care of their needs, protecting them, and always pointing them toward Jesus, then you are doing it RIGHT!  Mother them, raise them, and love them in the way God created only you to! 

You’re not doing it wrong : )

“Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6 (NKJV)

“And you yourself must be an example to them by doing good works of every kind. Let everything you do reflect the integrity and seriousness of your teaching.” Titus 2:7 (NLT)

“These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” Deuteronomy 6:6-7 (NIV)

Post by: Marcy Gates

To the Graduating Class of 2015...

Graduation season is upon us! Some are graduating from high school, some college and others graduate or doctorate school! Some, maybe for the first time, others maybe the second time. Some, may have the next 10 years all planned out. Others may not have a plan at all. Some may have great expectations of how their life is about to play out. Others may be happy to make it to next week. But one thing is for sure, these graduates are about to embark on a whole new world! So what is the one piece of advice I have for these beautiful women about to step into their future? Keep reading to find out because no matter where you are at on this journey, you can relate to what I'm about to say…

I actually don't have just one, I have two frames of advice but they go hand in hand!

1. Stay True to Who You Are. 
Make decisions based off what you want. What do you think will bring you happiness? Be level headed and listen to what God has for you, of course! But, don't make your decisions based off what you think other people want you to do. Don't makes decisions based off willy-nilly thoughts or whims that seem good at the time. 

Try really hard to picture your life down the road and ask what is going to make you happy. If you want to be a television producer because you think Robert Morris University's studio is pretty cool, envision what that would truly look like for you and if it fits in to everything else you want in life. If you decide you want to help others, ask yourself, how many ways can I make a difference in someone's life? Then pick one that matches your personality. (Oooh, side note: Learn as much as you can about your personality!!! It will help you, I promise!) Really, just spend some time talking it out with God and make decisions based off what God is calling you to and what you actually want rather than what you think other people want from you.  Stay true to who you are. 

2. Remember Who You Are.
I will be the first to tell you, there's a high probability life won't go as planned. Oh you think it will. You think you have it all figured out. But let me just put my arm around you and loving tell you, "You don't.” And then let me pat you right there on the shoulder and tell you "It all works out. And it is beautiful.”  

When you question if you made the right decision (and you will – probably late at night when you are trying to sleep!), remember who you are. When life knocks the wind out of you with the unexpected, remember who you are. When you feel like the world is bombarding you with all of its lies and distractions, remember who you are. When it seems like no one is in your corner, remember who you are.  Or if you are sitting on top of the world and getting some glory, remember who you are. Even if you have to wake up and tell yourself every morning, remember who you are! There will be times when those around you won't know how to remind you, so dear one, remind yourself everyday of who you are. 

You are madly loved by the Creator of the universe!

You are chosen.

You are made in the image of God.

You are beautiful.

You are Holy, Righteous and Redeemed!

You have a spirit of love and a sound mind!

You are filled with the Holy Spirit!

You have been given love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

You are a daughter of the Most High King!

You are seated in Heavenly places.

You were not made for this world!

You are not your own because you, beautiful girl, belong to Jesus! 

You were bought at a high price!

I leave you with these two verses to get you started. Always take it back to the simple things, God! Take those first steps on this new journey with Him, arm in arm with your Father in Heaven. 

“My counsel for you is simple and straightforward: Just go ahead with what you’ve been given. You received Christ Jesus, the Master; now live him. You’re deeply rooted in him. You’re well-constructed upon him. You know your way around the faith. Now do what you’ve been taught. School’s out; quit studying the subject and start living it! And let your living spill over into thanksgiving.

Watch out for people who try to dazzle you with big words and intellectual double-talk. They want to drag you off into endless arguments that never amount to anything. They spread their ideas through the empty traditions of human beings and the empty superstitions of spirit beings. But that’s not the way of Christ. Everything of God gets expressed in him, so you can see and hear him clearly. You don’t need a telescope, a microscope, or a horoscope to realize the fullness of Christ, and the emptiness of the universe without him. When you come to him, that fullness comes together for you, too. His power extends over everything.” Colossians‬ ‭2‬:‭6-10‬ (MSG)‬‬‬‬‬

“I identified myself completely with him. Indeed, I have been crucified with Christ. My ego is no longer central. It is no longer important that I appear righteous before you or have your good opinion, and I am no longer driven to impress God. Christ lives in me. The life you see me living is not “mine,” but it is lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I am not going to go back on that.” Galatians‬ ‭2‬:‭19-21‬ (MSG)‬‬

KEEP LIVING FOR JESUS!‬‬

With Love, 

Jimmie Lee

Not Your Average Dinner Out

I had wanted it to be special.  A fortieth birthday is nothing to shrug off.  But, as birthdays often do, my husband’s birthday snuck up on us both. There was no time for an elaborate, surprise, “over the hill” party or even a little get together.  No, we were barely able to coordinate schedules and get our act together to celebrate with a dinner out.

After arranging for the kids to spend the night with the grandparents, we had the task of picking a restaurant and making reservations.  My husband and I love to try to new places to eat.  Since, my husband is in the restaurant business though, a dinner out is rarely just enjoying the company and the meal.  He notices all those little things people who have never worked in the business would miss.

We picked a place that was new to us but not certainly not new to downtown Pittsburgh. The last thing we wanted to do after dropping off the kids was wait an hour and a half to eat dinner.  People, we are old.  We are in our late thirties/early forties but some days it feels like late seventies/early eighties!  Three kids, packed schedules, and 80 hour work weeks, had us feeling like maybe it was time to start considering the early bird special at Denny’s, then head home and go to sleep.

Our desire for an evening out that didn’t come with a kid’s menu and free babysitting (thanks Gammy & Pap-Pap!) won out.  We parked our van in the parking garage and headed towards the restaurant.  As we strolled down the city sidewalk, I thought of everyone who kept asking why we chose the place we did.  Didn’t we want to try somewhere flashier? Trendier? Somewhere up and coming? We couldn’t explain why, we just both felt like the restaurant we picked was where we needed to eat that evening.

But as we walked in to the run down building and headed into the restaurant, I was silently having some doubts about our choice.  The décor was late nineties, at best.  The carpet had seen much better days.  The room was packed though and we took it as a good sign that what the ambiance lacked, the food must make up for.

We sat at our table and as my hubby often does, he surveyed the room.  He noticed that most of the tables in the room were full but there were only two servers.  And those two servers were, as those in the restaurant biz call it, “in the weeds”.   They were slammed. They were stressed.  These two waiters were hustling from table to table, apologizing to customers for their meals taking so long and refilling drinks.

My heart sank.  When my husband said the kitchen must have crashed, I knew our experience was not going to be the best.  I felt so disappointed.  I really, really wanted this dinner to be great.  Not just for me (even though I did get dressed up, had makeup on, and fixed my hair – this doesn’t happen every day!) but to be a true celebration of my husband’s birthday.  And now, well, now it seemed like it was going downhill fast.  

Our server finally managed to make it over to the table and he was sweating! This was not just a little “hey it’s kinda hot in here” glow.  It was profuse, “I’m working as hard as I possibly can” SWEAT. He explained they were running a bit behind but he’d be back to get our order as soon as he could.  My husband and I exchanged glances and we both knew this was going to be a loooong meal. Then my hubby told me about how he felt bad for our server.  This man was working so hard, he was breaking a sweat.  To make it worse, the other customers waiting for their meals were complaining. Loudly.

Now, I was starting to feel bad for the guy too!  When he came back to take our order, I made sure I was the nicest customer he had had all evening.  I wanted to make waiting on our table easy on him! He took our orders and headed off to get our drinks.  

Our waiter returned quickly with our drinks and as the other diners meals started coming out, things got less crazy. You could feel the tension dissipating in the room.  When he came by to drop off our bread, we got to chat with him for a minute.

He told us how crazy it had been there that night.  How he was really tired.  Not only had he been working hard that day but he had been spending all the rest of his time at the hospital.  

“Oh no, what’s wrong?” I asked.  

Our server paused, then spilled his heart out, “My finance was in an accident and she’s in intensive care.  She has head trauma real bad.  I’m all she has here so I’ve been spending all my time at the hospital.  She never wants me to leave.  But it’s hard.  I have to come to work here and take care of stuff at home too. I haven’t done laundry in days.”  

My husband and I questioned him further and talked with him about what had been going on.  His story tugged on our heart strings. The poor guy was going through a really rough patch.  Having a stressful evening at work wasn’t helping him either.  He headed off to the kitchen and left my hubby and me there to digest his story.

When our server came by to say our meals were almost ready, my husband told him that we would pray for him and his fiancé.  This seemed to comfort our server and he thanked us in advance for praying. But as I heard my husband speak those words, I felt the Holy Spirit stir inside and tell me we needed to pray right then and now! So I blurted out, “Why don’t we pray right now?”

You guys, that is not typical Marcy behavior.  I will gladly pray with you or for you, if you ask me to.  I will offer to pray for and with my family and friends.  Most of the time though, I will pray for you in private, just the Lord and I aware of it. However, this was the first time, I offered on the spot to pray for a stranger right there, live, face to face.  I was compelled to do it.  I could not ignore what the Holy Spirit was leading me to do.  There were no second thoughts of what other diners would think or if this server might shrink back from our table, he and our food never to be seen again! 

And so we prayed.  In the midst of people eating their dinner and in the middle of the restaurant, my husband, our server, and I held hands and prayed for his fiancé.  I prayed for her healing and complete recovery.  Led by the Spirit, I asked God to strengthen and comfort this man, who we were now on a first name basis with.  When I finished praying, I think we all had tears in our eyes.

I looked around the room and realized it was empty.  We were the only diners left.  Our server went off to the kitchen and came back with our meals.  Since we were the last customers in the place, we had the whole restaurant to ourselves.  

We ate our dinner and chatted a bit more with our waiter.  The meal itself wasn’t anything fancy.  The food was good but the meal wasn’t anything special.  We paid our bill and said goodbye to our waiter.  My husband and I smiled, then left the restaurant hand in hand.

As we walked along the sidewalk back to the parking garage, we realized it was no accident that we had dinner at that restaurant.  Lots of little things here and there tried to sidetrack us and make us change our minds and pick somewhere else.  Even as we walked in at sat at our table, we could have gotten up and left what looked like a disappointing and uncomfortable situation.  Yet, it had felt to both of us that that restaurant was where we needed to be.

How often do you experience those situations? How quickly do we shrug off those promptings by the Holy Spirit because we are afraid of how people will react?  I want to encourage you today not to fear. Don’t worry about what other people will think.  When God nudges your heart, pay attention to it.  Be obedient to what He is leading you to do.  I promise, you will not regret it. 

“Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.” Ephesians 6:18 (NLT)

“I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone.” 1 Timothy 2:1 (NIV)

“Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” Galatians 5:25 (NIV)

Post by: Marcy Gates

A Royal Mess or Royalty?

“Isn’t it funny how day by day nothing changes but when you look back everything is different” - C.S. Lewis 

When I consider many things in life, I find a common thread among them all and that is, process. Most things in life have to go through a process to get to an end or a level of completion. The process typically takes time. Some, more time than others, but time is always part of the deal. It takes time to become something. 

In our culture, we don’t like waiting. We are almost trained to want things ‘right now!’ We get impatient, frustrated, bored, or angry. I am guilty of all of these things and as much as I try to have patience, often times I do not. I get especially frustrated when I don’t understand why I am going through the process, why it is taking too long, or when the results are not what I envisioned. I try to control things or rush them. In the past I would give up or run from the process of becoming. Can you relate to these things? 

I will admit, rarely was my first reaction to trust God. 

And when I choose that way. When I choose to take my eyes off of Jesus and put things into my own hands, I royally mess things up. So now not only is the process hard or confusing, it’s messy. And I get messy.

If there is one thing I have learned from messing up the process because I don’t want to wait, it is that God ALWAYS works everything out for the good of those who love him! (Romans 8:28)

“Remember how far you’ve come, not just how far you have to go. You are not where you want to be, but neither are you where you used to be.”- Rick Warren

Remember I said I would run from becoming? In those days, I would picture God up there wagging his finger at me with his angry face on. Then I would feel like a failure. Like I had to make up for the mess I just made. 

More recently God has shown me in a grand way that he’s not up there with his angry face on. No, not all. In those messy times when I feel like a royal failure, God is right beside me. He is there next to me, loving me through it all. He is there next to me saying, “Sweet daughter, please stop trying to control this. Trust me. Rest in Me.” And then He wraps His arms around me like only a father can comfort his daughter. In that moment I remember, I am not a royal mess, I am a royal princess! 

Dear sisters, the process isn’t always easy or understood but when you keep your eyes on Jesus and you trust Him for your comfort, guidance, and wisdom then the process is so much sweeter. Turning the page can be a beautiful thing! 

“You may not always end up where you thought you were going. But you will always end up where you are meant to be.” -Unknown

Post by: Jimmie Lee

Why the Sparrow?

I’ve been bird watching lately.  Well, more like sparrow watching.  From my kitchen window I can check out sparrows feeding at the bird feeder that I have hanging in my yard.  My husband teases me that I have a flock of sparrows out there sometimes!  Some people are bothered by sparrows. They see them as pests, driving away the other prettier birds.  But I enjoy watching them act up by the feeder, flitting and flying about.

Sparrows are not the most attractive birds.  Their feathers do not stand out.  They are kind of boring with their plain, neutral colored feathers.  The Hebrew word for sparrow means a small bird and they certainly are not majestic in size or even the song they sing.  They are very common.  So common, in fact, they are largely overlooked by humans.

Every time I see them outside my window though, I am always reminded of the Bible verse, “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one will fall to the ground apart from the will of the Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” Matthew 10:29-31 (NIV).  How comforting that verse is to me.  Sparrows, so plentiful in nature, so common they go unnoticed by most people are important to the Father.  He knows each sparrow, and trust me, there are a lot of sparrows around. As for me, well, to Him, I am even more valuable than the sparrows.  So important, in fact, that the Lord knows EVERY hair on my head!  My husband, my mother, even my stylist can’t make that claim!

As I watched the sparrows flick seeds out of my bird feeder to their buddies on the ground, I started wonder, why sparrows? Why did Jesus specify them in Matt. 10:29 and not a blue jay or woodpecker? There had to have been a reason.  So I decided to do a little research the sparrow.  (Ok, I confess, it was more of a Google search, lol!)  I felt like there was something to be learned from them.  

I found out that sparrows are wise. They are mentioned in Psalm 84:3, “Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young-- a place near your altar, LORD Almighty, my King and my God.” (NIV) From this verse we know that sparrows were not driven away from the nests they built in the Temple.  What smart birds! I don’t know about you but I want to make my home in the Lord’s dwelling place. I can think of no better place to raise a family!

I discovered that sparrows have powerful beaks as well.  From chirping to breaking open seeds, their beak contains power.  How true that is for us humans too.  We have power in our mouths, our tongues, the words we speak.  Our mouths have power to sing a song of worship or break open a heart.

Then my search came across the lyrics to a beautiful old hymn, “His Eye is on the Sparrow”.  These words stuck out to me…

“Let not your heart be troubled,” His tender word I hear,

And resting on His goodness, I lose my doubts and fears;

Though by the path He leadeth, but one step I may see;

His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;

His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

I sing because I’m happy,

I sing because I’m free,

For His eye is on the sparrow,

And I know He watches me

It is so easy to allow the troubles and stresses in our lives to overwhelm us.  But when we remember His awesomeness, His faithfulness, His promises to give us a hope and a future; we can rest in how good our God is! Even when we can’t see but more than one step in front of us, He is with us.  He is leading us with His rod and staff just as a Good Shepherd should.  

In all of that, we can rejoice and be at peace.  We can sing because Jesus has set us free!  We are free from worry, free from striving, free to be all He has created us to be!  His eye is on the sparrow, yes.  But even more precious than that is that His eye is on me too.  He is smiling over me, delighting in me!

The next time you glance outside and see a sparrow, think of these words and remember the lessons of the sparrow – His eye is on the sparrow and I know He watches me!

Post by: Marcy Gates