“What is the price of two sparrows–one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. “
Matthew 10:29 (NLT)
I was sitting in the garden the other day and I noticed a sparrow fly down from a bush and hit the glass of the patio door. It seemed unhurt, but a little dazed. Another sparrow flew down to it and began to feed it. This was obviously a mother and chick. As I watched she flew up to the bush and then back to the chick, stopping to feed him and then flying back again. She did this several times as if she was coaxing him to follow her, but he merely took a few steps and waited for her to return. Maybe this was his first attempt to fly and it had been a painful experience that he didn’t want to repeat. She patiently flew back and forth until finally he plucked up courage and flew after her.
I was so happy to see him fly. I’m sure his success encouraged him to persevere until he became confident in his new life as a mature sparrow.
I thought about God watching the little sparrow too and wanting him to succeed. I thought about Him watching us too. He feeds and cares for us but also coaxes us to rise up and follow Jesus into maturity as sons and daughters. We may get hurt as we attempt this, encountering unseen obstacles just like the sparrow did as he hit the invisible pane of glass, but we must take courage and keep following . The chicks mother knows that a sparrow who does not learn to fly would surely die. He must learn to find his own food and avoid predators. He will one day rear his own young, teaching them, and thus continuing the cycle. We in turn mature in our faith as we learn to feed on God’s word and resist the temptations and attacks of the enemy.
Seagulls nesting on our roof are a different matter entirely. The are not sweet and adorable like the sparrows. They are large and scary when they swoop down to attack you with their sharp beaks. They are very protective of their chick, especially when they are learning to fly. The mother stays near by as the chick attempts flight and watches as he plods around for a while before trying again. If anyone comes near the mother swoops down to chase them away. My family have had a few close encounters!
This made me think of a different side of God. To us His children, He is caring and protective, urging us on and watching over us. To the enemy He is a terrifying force. We may not see Him or feel His presence at such times. We may even think He has abandoned us, leaving us to struggle alone. The chick may wonder what has happened when the mother disappears from view. We hear them crying out for her, but she is never far away.
I have heard wonderful stories about eagles from preachers, but I have never seen one in the wild, so God speaks to me through sparrows and seagulls. In fact all creation demonstrates the amazing God who made it and sustains it. If we have eyes to see, ears to hear and open hearts to understand, then God will speak through all sorts of everyday things, just as He spoke to fishermen about fish and farmers about crops and sheep. Some stories are breathtaking like the eagle, some noisy like the seagull and others quiet like the sparrow. We can hear His voice through them all.
