First, the car air conditioning goes out (in 105° summer heat). Then the refrigerator starts making noises and does not feel as chilly as it should. Then the crown that the dentist so painstakingly installed meets its match with a gooey gummy bear.
It's natural to curse and whine when things go wrong. To feel slighted if a pal doesn't call back or if a neighbor again parks blocking your driveway. To scream at that guy in the fast lane who is slowing down traffic. To shriek when your favorite coffee mug shatters tragically on the kitchen floor. And to weep when a late-night phone call relays news of a beloved friend's death.
Elsewhere—like in the war-torn Middle East, Ukraine and the Sudan, and Hurricane Helene-stricken areas—these concerns probably would be considered trivial. Knowing this makes us feel guilty. Yet last Sunday, Rev. Stan Henderson reminded us that God cares for all, and all things, and all circumstances. "God's eye is on the sparrow, and I know he watches me." (Matthew 6 25:26) Jesus no doubt chose the sparrow for his example because it is among the most common and humble of birds—just as we, God's people, are, well, just normal kinds of folk. Our individual worries—whether fleeting or ongoing, tiny or seemingly insurmountable—mean something to our Maker. Sometimes it takes courage to believe that we are worth God's attention.
Discounting our own sorrows, anger, frustration and grief doesn't make world conditions any better. Frankly, the more we are able are to come to grips with our own human frailty—and trust that God can heal, can help mend—the more able we are to give our hearts to others. To reach out to those in need. To pray and take action whenever possible to alleviate pain and suffering whenever and wherever we are witness to it.
The sparrow is one of the most widespread and abundant songbirds in the world, resilient and adaptable to its environment. It may be small, but in the eyes of God it is mighty, indeed. Just as we—and our beautiful, promise-filled potential as God's children—are.
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
—Romans 15:13
—Cathy Betts Sapunor
