
Artwork by Colleen Sparlin
colleensparlin.com
"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."
—Matthew 10:29
Okay.
Believe me when I say this blog post has been a JOURNEY. I thought it was done many times and then something would happen, and I would have to add more. Please read all of this to get the whole picture.
For months, Jesus’ parables of the sparrows have been resurfacing in my life. I have spent a lot of time outside listening to birdsong and reflecting on Matthew 10:29 and Matthew 6:25-32. Then, the daily Bible verse would be from the same passages. Or someone in church would mention those verses. Things like that would happen, and actually are still happening. THEN, I found a special poem that I wrote a few years ago. I wrote it in response to a strange experience I had, and I knew I had to make a visual for it. So I photographed the birds around my home and planned to use one of those photos for the visual. I was done right? Nope. God wanted to take it even deeper.
My grandmother, Dr. Maryann Rachford, is an amazing multi-disciplinary artist, and she shows her work in the Pomona Valley Art Association. On one visit to the gallery a couple weeks ago, I saw an art piece that just stood out to me. It was the Sparrow you saw at the top of this post. When I first saw it, I thought, “Lord, another sparrow! Out of all things to be in this gallery, a sparrow is here…Thank you for the reminder that you love me.” Well, that sparrow stuck with me for the next week! I felt an infinity for it when it came into my mind, and it came to mind often. So much so that I was determined to see if it was still there, and if it was, I would buy it. It seemed like it was just for me.
I called to see if it was still there, and it was. As I purchased it, a thought came to mind that I should leave a note for the artist explaining my gratitude and how significant it was to my life. I also explained that I wanted to use it as the main visual for this blog post. A couple days later, Colleen Sparlin emailed me agreeing to my use of it and said how glad she was that another Christian had purchased her Sparrow! WOW! It has been so encouraging to connect with another Christian artist and experience God’s intentionality with even these small things. I thought I was supposed to create the visual for this, but God had it already taken care of through Colleen.
Now I would like to show you my poem and explain it:

Once, I held a sparrow as it died,
and I asked God, "Why?"
He looked at me and said,
"Why indeed? I hate death even more than thee, but this is not the end."
The time to bury him came and went, and three days later,
I heard the sweet song of the sparrows again.
-poem by Gabrielle Johnson
This poem was inspired by a very random and profound experience I had a few years ago. I was sitting at home, and I heard a loud thud on the front window. I thought, “What in the world?,” and went to the front porch to see what happened. On the ground was a sparrow, but it didn't look right. It wasn’t really moving, but it was breathing really fast. The poor thing was really hurt. I scooped him up to see if there was anything I could do, but as I spoke softly to him, he passed away.
After the mini shock of realizing this sweet thing just died in my hands, my mind was flooded with verses of God caring for the sparrows and birds of the air. That not one falls without His notice like in the Gospel of Matthew. In that moment, those Scriptures became absolutely real to me. Even though it was strange and a little heartbreaking, the Lord didn’t let this sparrow’s death go to waste. He didn’t answer my, “Why did this happen?,” but He granted me a blessing and lesson amidst the confusion. He showed me a very real fact of life too…which is death. I felt a glimpse of His heartbreak and hatred for death, but also the hope of newness, and the invigoration of Jesus’s power over the grave. That is why in two lines of the poem, death is not the end, and the three days represents Jesus’ resurrection from the grave.
Sometimes He uses weird circumstances to open our eyes to His truths, intentionality, care, and provision. And He connects the dots over time. Sometimes it takes years for us to see what He is up to, but there is always a point where we can stand back and say, “Lord, I can now see what you’re doing.” Whoever and wherever we are, if we trust in Jesus, we don't need to worry about our lives, health, needs, finances, or anything else. He holds all of these things and knows them intimately. As the Psalmist says, “Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I get up; You understand my thought from far away. You scrutinize my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before there is a word on my tongue, behold, Lord, You know it all. You have encircled me behind and in front, and placed Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is too high, I cannot comprehend it.” (Psalm 139:1-6) May we be faithful in life and duty, but free from any anxiety knowing He provides and works out everything in time.
God really does use everything for the good of those who love Him.
Thank you, Colleen, for letting me use your Sparrow.
“For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is life not more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the sky, that they do not sow, nor reap, nor gather crops into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more important than they? And which of you by worrying can add a single day to his life’s span? And why are you worried about clothing? Notice how the lilies of the field grow; they do not labor nor do they spin thread for cloth, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! Do not worry then, saying, ‘What are we to eat?’ or ‘What are we to drink?’ or ‘What are we to wear for clothing?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided to you.”

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