ODJ: every sparrow
June 26, 2011
The Lord cares deeply when His loved ones die (Psalm 116:15).
READ: Matthew 10:28-33
My mother, so dignified and proper for her entire life, now lay in a hospice bed—held captive by debilitating age. Quivering from mini-strokes and struggling for breath, her deathly condition defied the gorgeous spring day that danced tantalizingly on the other side of the windowpane.
I had already played out this scenario numerous times in my mind. Yet all the emotional preparation in the world cannot sufficiently brace us for the stark reality of “goodbye.” Death is such an indignity, I thought. Concerned that my very presence was trampling on Mom’s acute sense of privacy, I diverted my gaze to the bird-feeding station outside the window. The feeder symbolized a simultaneous freedom and dependence that resonated with my spirit.
At that moment, a bird flitted in to help itself to some seed. Instantly, a familiar phrase popped into my mind: “Not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it” (Matthew 10:29). Our Lord said this as He gave marching orders to His disciples for a mission throughout Judea, but the principle He gave regarding the sparrows is universal. “You are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows,” He said (v.31).
Back in the hospice room, my mom stirred. “Muti’s dead,” she announced, flashing back to the Old World parlance of her childhood to speak of her long-departed mother. “Yes,” my wife agreed. Uncertain, Mom continued. “And Joyce and Jim?” she questioned of her sister and brother. “Yes, they’re gone too,” said my wife. “But we’ll be with them soon!”
“It’s hard to wait,” Mom said quietly. —Tim Gustafson
Some versions of God’s Word render Psalm 116:15 this way: “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.” What does God reveal in this verse? How can you view death through His eyes?
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