His eye is on the sparrow and I know He watches me.
Some days I just KNOW I require a higher level of His tender care.
Today was one of those days. Nothing followed my plans and it became quite obvious that things were humming along at someone else’s pace. This day was not unique. Actually, it seems to be the norm lately. The days have been coming in rapid succession, fully equipped with their share of trouble.
I chuckled to myself today as I imagined all of heaven being put on hold for me. I can see Him put up His hand to quiet the clamoring requests for His attention. I see Him peer with amusement down into my little frantic world. (OK, I know it’s not theologically sound; just go with it.) “Wait,” He says, “I think she’s going to need a little extra help from Me today.” And He walks with me, right through the thick of it.
Here’s a glimpse into my day.
We rely on a meager woodstove to heat our home from September to May. This stove devours wood like nobody’s business and it requires a huge stash to make it through. We do have a good supply of wood; the only problem being that is has to be transported several hundred miles. No small feat when you don’t even own a truck or trailer.
So, my wonderful husband arranged to borrow a friend’s trailer. Only he had to pick it up from another friend to whom it had been loaned. Well, this friend had put the trailer through some strenuous labor and the brakes and lights all needed to be repaired (after being chipped out of hardened splashes of concrete).
No worries for my manly man. He quickly bought the appropriate parts, repaired the trailer and swung by the house to pick up one of our boys to make the trip with him. After grabbing some snacks, making sure our son had visited the bathroom, he kissed me goodbye and left.
I settled in for a cozy day of schooling our other boy and snuggling my girl in the front room next to the warm stove. Deciding it was a perfect occasion for hot cocoa, I headed into the kitchen to make some, only to see the Suburban still in the driveway with the hood raised. Not an encouraging sign.
After much frustration and several calls to our mechanic, it was decided that we had a bad fuel pump. A friend towed the truck to a local shop and we were told it would be ready in several hours. Not enough time for my man to make his trip.
Even though my husband’s day had been shot, mine still held a chance. I had several errands that I figured I could get done as soon as the truck was out and still make it to church in time to teach lessons. It was not to be.
Long story short, two hours before I had to be at church, I found myself boarding the city bus with my two boys to make the 10 mile (90 minute!) journey to church (for the second time in the last month). Daddy stayed home with our girl to hash things out over the phone with the mechanic. Ultimately, he hoofed it down to he auto supply store, bought the fuel pump himself and had the truck towed by a friend to a different shop. He plans on having things buttoned up sometime tomorrow.
Back at church, I used a friend's pet rat to help the kids experience the difficulty of relating to something so different from themselves…one girl thought the take-home was that God loved us so much He became a rat. Needles to say, this was a major blow to my teaching confidence (I'm still waiting for the phone call from the parents). So, after trying to explain God becoming flesh and dwelling among us to nearly 30 children, my day ended on a high note when a lovely family from church offered, no insisted, that they drive my boys and I home, sparing us a late night adventure on the city bus system. It really was a sacrifice of love considering they live on the other side of the planet from us and they had three very sleepy kids under the age of four. I don’t think they know the encouragement they were to me at the end of a very tiresome day.
So, not an extraordinary day, I’m sure many of you had worse, but when a day like this is just one in a string of many…
I’m left with a choice to make. I can either let my days be a tool in the hand of my Maker as He molds me into His image or I can stiffen and resist His tender touch. My prayer is that it would be the former.
As we hummed along on the bus, my spirit rehearsed this hymn:
Why should I feel discouraged, why should the shadows come,
Why should my heart be lonely, and long for heaven and home,
When Jesus is my portion? My constant friend is He:
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.
Refrain
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.
“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.
Refrain
Whenever I am tempted, whenever clouds arise,
When songs give place to sighing, when hope within me dies,
I draw the closer to Him, from care He sets me free;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.
Refrain
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