He Sees Each Sparrow Fall

~During these last few tumultuous years in our family, when we were concerned, nay, terrified our son might be lost in battle in Iraq, or his daughters lost to the court system in California..a system which seems not to care about children but more about earning income from court systems and officials who do NOT seem the least concerned about the real safety and well-being of very young and vulnerable children, well, a lot of kind and well meaning people would quote to us the verse"are not two sparrows sold for a cent ? And yet not one falls to the ground apart from your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Therefore do not fear; you are of more value than many sparrows." Matthew 10:29-31 ~I will tell you, these verses were of NO comfort to me because being the pessimistic and negative person I am ,I would immediately remind myself that hey, the sparrows still fall! There is NOTHING in those verses that tell me the sparrow was saved or preserved...no, the sparrows fell, and stayed down, and probably died. That is what happens to sparrows that fall to the ground. There is almost always a predator to snatch the poor bird up and devour it. So here I was , already worried about 4 very young and vulnerable little girls the court system and even some so-called 'child advocates' would give wholeheartedly to a mother who has given herself up to the very worst things you could imagine ( yes, the worst!Believe me, there is legal documentation to prove this!) in spite of a father who has given up everything in an attempt to save his daughters ( that would be our oldest son who is legally provably moral, kind and honorable). Where exactly is the comfort in that verse? And because I am an avid bird watcher who spends too much money keeping our bird feeders full , that verse comes to mind almost every day. And when Miss Marple, our cat, will leave the small feathered corpses of the birds she has caught..why, I think, HAH! Another fallen sparrow, dead. Just......dead. And Who saw the poor bird fall? ~Does this sound like a positive or uplifting post? Does this seem right? Do not get me wrong. I know God is in control and He is the One who truly loves us, but I felt that maybe we did not really matter so much in the grand scheme of things. After all, many thousands of little ones are killed legally in this world before they are able to be born. Many others are killed soon after, and many others live lives that make me think it better for them they never were conceived. In fact, I think our country cares more for animals than human babies and children. Our little sparrows are falling in amazing numbers, aren't they? So what exactly is the comfort I am to derive from these verses? ~Well, there have been many things our family has learned from these trials, but those verses have bothered me. I finally found a book by John Stout, ' THE BIRDS, OUR TEACHERS' and he says ..."Jesus did not mean that God's children are guaranteed protection against all accidents. True, he said that not one sparrow can fall to the ground without our Father's knowledge ( Matthew 10:29). But sparrows do fall to the ground, for example when chicks fall out of the nest, as Jesus knew perfectly well. Human beings also fall and injure themselves. And sometimes aeroplanes crash. What Jesus promised is not that the law of gravity will be suspended for our benefit, but rather that nothing can harm us without our heavenly Father's knowledge and permission." So, this really did give me comfort. God has allowed into my life, my son's life, my granddaughters' lives, these bad things..NOT caused, but allowed, and He really is in control.He does see and attend to the details of our lives as he sees fit. How this will all work out is still a mystery. But God has protected these little girls and our son. You would be amazed at what they have come through and been protected from. Thus far.Evil is still fighting , and causing much trouble and distress, but this reminds us that we must be constantly on guard and in prayer. ~So for whatever reason, He has allowed the current situation in our lives, our country, and world wide. What I need to be asking myself is how am I to live in the midst of trials, how will I praise Him and allow Him to use me?How can I, or you, be an encouragement to others in this time of distress?

~Woodpecker hole in snag on Cedar pond~

~With all these thoughts still mulling around, and then to find out precious family has found out they have lost their job, and read Miss Linda's post concerning her work situation, I realize there are many , many reasons and excuses to wallow in fear and doubt and be anxious. However, our relative was calm and remarked that he was not worried. God has always taken care of them and He will continue to care for them. Miss Linda is faithfully trusting God in all things. There are many other inspirational people whose blogs I have been reading who have gone through and ARE going through some pretty awful trying times, and yet they remain steadfast in their faith in God and His wisdom . Thank-you all so very much for posting your thoughts throughout. ~"Be anxious for nothing , but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving , let your requests be made known to God, and the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6,7