the fifth sparrow...and other Friday encouragement for those resisting the battle
Praying early this morning, with only the light from my phone, the deep comfort that comes from scripture...from TRUTH...is overwhelming. We are reminded today, sweet friends, that we are to live this life with an unmovable confidence and an unshakable courage, that what we are battling, whatever trial we are facing, is 100% in HIS HANDS, that we are His beloved, that He writes the story, and that we have nothing...I repeat, nothing....to fear.
Oh fear, how great it feels to kick you aside...if my neighbor were not out walking his dog right now, I might open the front door, stand on the porch, and shout out "not today, Satan...NOT TODAY!!!!" But I don't want to freak the guy out.
If four sparrows are sold for two coins, and the fifth sparrow thrown into the bag for free...and God knows every detail about that fifth sparrow, that the sparrow is worth nothing, and still, loves it....are we not loved and known even more? My guess is yes, we are...to unimaginable measure. To an unthinkable understanding. This love of His...I wonder now if I will ever truly comprehend it. Most likely, not.
Especially because what I am discovering this morning is what real love asks us to do. What real love calls us to be. It is not the hallmark version. It is not about mushy feelings. Real love calls us to have faith that goes beyond our emotion, that takes us by the hand and leads us directly... to the foot of the cross. And it asks us to endure the crucifixion. And it asks us to trust in the resurrection. And it asks us to stand strong and brave...right there. At the foot of the unimaginable, the incredibly painful, the most hideous moment ever. But here's the amazing thing. We do not stand there alone. Because our Mother is already there. My friends...this hard love we live out? Mary lived it. Jesus lived it. We live it with them and for them and because God is in each of us, we never live it alone; it is our path to heaven. And who doesn't want heaven?
I have allowed a heavy burden on my heart this week to steal the joy of the overflowing goodness and blessings that God has showered upon me. I have been pedaling backwards for sometime now, trying to walk in the opposite direction that God continues to pull me towards. And avoiding the will of God? Well, it doesn't solve the problem. It prolongs it. And then is steals your joy. My husband last night proclaimed to me that he, personally, was going to remain in His joy, will count the gifts, and will rejoice, regardless of whatever battle we are being called to suit up for. He, his faith, and his courage, are among those blessings that surround me. And I would be wise to echo his ways. Because a life rooted in faith must produce a life lived out in that faith...which means I do not focus on the burden, I do not focus on the worry, I do not fear the what if's and the why's (which only produce more worry and are always the worst case scenario)...because Jesus rose from the dead. The ending? It is already good. He already won. Why on earth do I fight against this and ignore this simple, glorious, victorious, and life changing truth?
I have no idea if you are in a trial, wrapping one up, or have got one waiting around the corner. But I thought I would pour another cup of coffee for the both of us, and share with you just three things that on this new gift of a day, that are bringing me tremendous joy, increasing my faith, and reinforcing my confidence and courage. Seriously, these three right at our finger tip things, that cost nothing, are God's little winks to me this morning, that He will always defend me, and the ones that I love, that I never have to walk this out alone, and that HIS WORD is the only truth I need to hear, and live out. So I share them with you... just to remind you, that you are loved...that you are His beloved...that we are warriors, not worry-ers...and worth so much more than that fifth sparrow.
"we are formed by the things that we hear"- Matt Maher
You'd be a fool to not click on this and have a listen...just saying.
If you are not already a WWP participant, what are you waiting for? As the WWP CEO pointed out to me other night...most of us live lives that GO, GIVE and DO....and we end up depleted. But WWP invites us to live differently...to MEET, PRAY, and LOVE...which always results in fulfillment. We are not a club, we are not an exclusive group...we are your tribe. And we have an empty chair waiting for you. Come broken, come messy, come weary....
Luke 12:1-7 and Caryll Houselander's reflection in Magnificat. She writes in response, "...trust really means that, however impossible it is to realize this emotionally, your will accepts as a certainty that whatever God allows to happen is, in his plan of love, what is really best for you and those whom you love."
And now I am off to echo the truth, repeat the hope, and feed those sparrows....even the fifth one.
