The Worth Of A Sparrow

Matthew 10: 30-31 -- "And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows."

The face in the mirror just looked at me with a blank stare, so I adjusted my glasses and tried again. Nope, the same face was there, just looking at me. I leaned in, intent on a deeper study and that's when I noticed the change in my hairline.

Are you kidding me?! It's one thing for me to tell my hubby that I think bald is beautiful when he mentions the steady retreat of HIS hairline, but I'M not suppose to lose my hair! No, this is so very different! 

I sighed deeply and stepped back. Well, getting upset is not going to change things. With that thought in mind, I left the staring face in the mirror and set about getting the day started.

It occurred to me that God knows exactly how many of the hairs that end up in the shower drain belong to me and exactly how many of them belong to Steven. I felt a grin spread across my face. My Creator tells me that I'm worth more than many sparrows, and He knows how many hairs I have left on top of this dome of mine. 

You and I might have a little difficulty trying to imagine the worth of a sparrow. We see them everywhere. They perch in the trees at our grocery stores waiting for customers to drop tasty crumbs. They sing loudly near our windows before our alarms go off and they leave us nasty little gifts on our car tops, just far enough out of reach that it drives us crazy. But when Jesus told his disciples not to be afraid, that they are worth more than many sparrows, he was pointing out that not a single sparrow falls from the sky without God's knowledge. While they may have been sold "two for a penny" God could name each an every one of them. Jesus pointed out - are we not worth more than sparrows?

There are days when I sigh deeply at the number of hairs lodged in the shower drain. Days when my focus is on the total loss. But that is such a trivial worry and a horrible place to put my focus. In the book of Matthew, Jesus was "sending out sheep into the company of wolves" and in his farewell to his beloved disciples, he told them to keep their eyes on the goal and reminded them that there would be bad days ahead.- Or in my silly case, there will be days when the drain seems more full of hair than usual.- He then told his followers that they shouldn't be afraid, because they are precious in the eyes of their Creator.

It just makes me think - what if I didn't focus on the lost things? On the mistakes made in the past or on the number of opportunities I miss to shine for Jesus? What if my focus, like Jesus said in Matthew, remained on the Will of God? Jesus said to his followers - as he sent them on their mission to tell every town about Him - "If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet." [Matthew 10:14]

Shake the dust off!! Leave that disappointment/loss/mistake in the dust and move forward! We are worth more than many sparrows. In fact....we are worth so much, that Jesus stretched his arms out wide on the cross for us just to let us come home! We are worth so much, that Jesus gave up his life rather than live without us!