[Faith-talk] Daily Thought for Friday, March 21, 2014

[Paul]

Hello and good day to all of you out there in cyberspace on this Friday in most parts of the world, at least those who are reading this, though you in Australia and New Zealand are in your Saturday morning.  I hope and pray that, by God's matchless grace and His providential care, that you are all doing well.

Cathy Mogus is a writer living in Canada, and the title of her contribution today is "I Liked the Sparrows Best," rendered as follows:

What the Bible had to say about birds intrigued me as a child.  There was the dove, which gave hope to Noah and his family, the ravens that nourished Elijah, the eagles that inspired the psalmists, and the rooster that prompted Peter to repent.  But I liked the sparrows best.

As much as I admired the beauty and confidence of the eagles, I identified with the sparrows.  I was the youngest child in a middle class family.  A skinny thing with pigtails and thick glasses, I felt small and plain and not very special, just like the tiny brown birds that flitted about our farm.  I often retreated into a fantasy world where I was pretty and loved.

I was comforted by the verse where Jesus said, "Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten in God's sight.  But even the hairs of your head are all counted.  Do not be afraid; you are of much more value than many sparrows" (Luke 12:6, 7).

It was fascinating to think that God keeps close watch over every single not-so-pretty bird--and maybe not-so-perfect me.  I desperately wanted to feel like I was worth something to someone.

Raised in a Christian family, I was also aware of the many scriptures that spoke of God's love.  But deep down, I had difficulty believing God loved _me.

I thought adulthood--and a Prince Charming--would be my ticket to feeling loved and secure.  At age 20, my knight in shining armor did ride into my life, but in a '57 pink Chevy.  We were married two years later in a big Cinderella wedding.  But my feelings of inferiority didn't go away.

Janet Congo, the author of "Finding Inner Security," wrote, "Just because you are a Christian does not mean you are immune from basing your self-esteem on faulty foundations.  It is possible to build your life not on the new foundation of Jesus Christ and His Word, but instead on the familiar mentality that surrounds you.  The familiar, even if counterfeit to Christianity, feels much more secure."

Congo believed the four faulty foundations of making oneself feel secure are performance, possessions, relationships, and appearance.  I had chosen performance.

I felt that if I soared as a wife, mother, church and community volunteer, and writer, everyone would love me.  So when my marriage ended after 19 years, I was convinced that I had failed.  Had I been an "eagle" instead of a sparrow," things would have been different.

But God, who loves ordinary little birds and counts people's hair, kept His eye on me.  For the next five years, God showed me in various ways just how special I am.  God provided me with a job I desperately needed, protected my three teenagers physically and emotionally, and loved me through my family and friends.

God also helped me discover that sparrows only look plain from a distance.  Their feathers, when examined up close, have shades and designs that are quite beautiful.  And other birds cannot sing their song.

God didn't design me to soar into fame and fortune.  What really matters is that I am happy and content with the person He made me to be.  After all, He must love the sparrows because He made so many of us!

And there you have Cathy's article for today, which I hope was a blessing to you.

And now may the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob just keep us safe, individually and collectively, in these last days in which we live.  Lord willing, tomorrow there will be another Daily Thought article for you.  Your Christian friend and brother, Paul