There are several things I love to do when God awakens me
in the morning. I love sharing time with Him; it’s a divine
appointment that edifies me and blesses my day. I love preparing
breakfast for my wife, Belinda, who does more to benefit me than words can
convey. And I love taking pieces of bread out on our deck to feed
the birds. Squirrels stop by to dine also. I know this
might seem odd to some. Allow me to explain.
As a young boy, Mama occasionally gave me an occasional and
unusual task. She handed slices of bread to me and told me to tear
them into tiny pieces. Then, she directed me to take those bread
crumbs to the back yard and spread them on the ground to feed the
birds. There are several reasons this seemed somewhat strange to
me. I was a child and my first thoughts were rather
selfish. There were twelve mouths to feed in our family, and I
wondered (silently I might add) at the necessity and wisdom of doling out ‘our
bread’ to random sparrows. Secondly, it never occurred to me that it might
be ‘our job’ to feed nearby birds; I thought nature handled such
matters. After all, it seemed logical to me that birds have their
own buffet of bugs and worms at mealtime. Finally, it seemed
patently unfair for Mama to ask ME to
don winter coat, hat, boots and gloves and head out into the icy cold and snow
to handle this aviary meal matter. The depth of her concern about these
birds puzzled me to no end.
One day, I decided to inquire (respectfully) about
it. Mama responded, rather matter-of-factly, “God made the birds,
and everything God made is precious in His sight.” I had no way of
knowing that a full-fledged ‘Sunday School lesson’ would be
forthcoming! Indeed, Mama was my Sunday School teacher; so, she
opened her Bible and read slowly so I could glean an important lesson about our
caring Creator.
Luke 12:6-7
Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is
forgotten before God? But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than
many sparrows.
And then, without further commentary, Mama started singing
the chorus of a song I had heard a thousand times: “I sing because I’m happy, I
sing because I’m 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.”
Then, Mama explained that God created
everything. Afterwards, He made us stewards
over all of creation. Suddenly, it all made perfect sense. If the
birds could not find an adequate supply of worms due to the wintry weather, it
was indeed our job (as good stewards) to supplement their diet and sustain
them. In that way, all of us have significant participation and
partnership in the ongoing creative activity of God. Wow!
Mama took time to emphasize a powerful point that Jesus had
made in the aforementioned scripture passage: “If God cares that much for birds, just think how much He cares
for us? If God meets the needs of such tiny and
seemingly insignificant creatures, how much more will He take care of us and supply all our
needs?” From that point on, I did not mind so much sharing our
bread, or venturing outdoors to feed God’s birds, regardless of the
weather. All of this has stayed with me. I can still hear
Mama’s voice, and by extension, the voice of our Creator: “Feed the
birds.”
Admittedly, I don’t know if bread is the healthiest diet
for birds. Undoubtedly, bird seed would
be a better alternative. I must buy
some. Thank you for this important
life-lesson, Mama. And thank you, JESUS, for your constant care.
Mrs. Mary Watts Bass,
Happy Mother’s Day in Heaven!
Your absence is still felt by your offspring, but we will surely see you
again – in The Rapture.
Sisters and brothers, be continually
blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON
COMING KING. Maranatha!
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