I love to watch sparrows. They hide in the bush outside my front window and set my cats to cackling. They fight over feed in my backyard, little comprehending the strength their unity could have against the bully blue jays and starlings.
Months back, I heard a thud at my front door and saw a hawk fly away. Peering from the window, I saw a motionless feathered bundle. It didn't take long to realize life had left my poor little friend.
Have you ever held a sparrow? Yes, they may be common, but they are beautifully designed. Death is part of life, and yet it still seems so unnatural when death masks a face that moments before life animated.
My heart grieved for the loss of life and beauty, but a comfort came remembering Jesus words in Matthew 10:29-31.
"Aren't two sparrows sold for a penny? Not one of them will fall to the ground without your Father's permission. Every hair on your head has been counted. Don't be afraid! You are worth more than many sparrows."
God also grieves the necessity of death that sin brought into the world. Yet it does not happen haphazard. God is still in control, and, what's even greater, He cares what happens to you and me. He knows us so intimately that He has numbered every hair on our heads.
If you've grown up hearing this, it may sound cliche'. But think about it. Who else loves you that much?
Next time you see a sparrow, remember: God is watching over you in love, and you can trust Him with your life, because He holds it.
30 August 2009
23 August 2009
Hiraeth
I have a new favourite word.
I became acquainted with a singer, who, unbeknown to me, is also one of my brother's favourite tenors--Bryn Terfel. The title song is We'll Keep a Welcome. In this sentimental piece, he sings of welcoming home someone, who has been away, and kissing "away each hour of hiraeth."
Hiraeth is a Welsh word for longing. The way it is described in books and definitions make it clear it is not a simple wish or an inconsistent desire, but a deep, insatiable longing. A longing only fulfilled by coming home.
We all have hiraeth. C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, in their conversations together, concluded these longings are a result of our being "exiled from Eden." Our roots were planted in a perfect garden. We have been exiled from that paradise, but we can have hope for another.
Sadly, for those who get through life as best they can--this is it. The hiraeth will be eternal and worse.
We accrued a debt in Eden. This debt was too large for us to pay. The debt of sin. Jesus paid this debt, but it is only received by those who will accept the payment written in His blood. If we snub His gift, we will pay our own debt. And, what we were created for, what the longing inside of you is reaching for, will never be touched.
If, however, you accept the payment, you have a promise of something greater than earth's small pleasures. No matter how many small longings are fulfilled today or tomorrow, there will always be that one deep-rooted hiraeth. That longing for a Home, where all traces of sorrow, pain, parting, and craving will be satisfied. When we look on the face of the One who we have longed for all our life, then, and only then, will every hiraeth of our heart be kissed away.
Whatever your hiraeth is today, you may find temporary fulfillment in what you think you want, but the longing will not die away completely while in exile.
As the chorus of the song "Finally Home" describes it:
I became acquainted with a singer, who, unbeknown to me, is also one of my brother's favourite tenors--Bryn Terfel. The title song is We'll Keep a Welcome. In this sentimental piece, he sings of welcoming home someone, who has been away, and kissing "away each hour of hiraeth."
Hiraeth is a Welsh word for longing. The way it is described in books and definitions make it clear it is not a simple wish or an inconsistent desire, but a deep, insatiable longing. A longing only fulfilled by coming home.
We all have hiraeth. C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, in their conversations together, concluded these longings are a result of our being "exiled from Eden." Our roots were planted in a perfect garden. We have been exiled from that paradise, but we can have hope for another.
Sadly, for those who get through life as best they can--this is it. The hiraeth will be eternal and worse.
We accrued a debt in Eden. This debt was too large for us to pay. The debt of sin. Jesus paid this debt, but it is only received by those who will accept the payment written in His blood. If we snub His gift, we will pay our own debt. And, what we were created for, what the longing inside of you is reaching for, will never be touched.
If, however, you accept the payment, you have a promise of something greater than earth's small pleasures. No matter how many small longings are fulfilled today or tomorrow, there will always be that one deep-rooted hiraeth. That longing for a Home, where all traces of sorrow, pain, parting, and craving will be satisfied. When we look on the face of the One who we have longed for all our life, then, and only then, will every hiraeth of our heart be kissed away.
Whatever your hiraeth is today, you may find temporary fulfillment in what you think you want, but the longing will not die away completely while in exile.
As the chorus of the song "Finally Home" describes it:
Just think of stepping on shore,
and finding it heaven
Of touching a hand,
and finding it God's
Of breathing new air,
and finding it celestial
Of waking up in Glory,
and finding it Home.
16 August 2009
The Puzzle
Today I pulled out a puzzle and began the process of piecing it together.
Have you ever noticed how many times the shapes fool you? You think for certain you've found the perfect match. You put it in, hardly noticing there is a little stiffness in the fit. Suddenly, you find the real location for the piece. You have to wrench it out to put it where it belongs.
Unlike us, God knows where each of the pieces of life should fit. As you lay down one small decision after another, Jesus knows the whole picture you can't see.
You may think you've found the perfect fit. If you're determined enough, you may even make something work by pushing your will, cutting corners, ignoring patterns. The problem is, this mars the perfect picture. God can forgive and complete a plan for your life, but you'll always bear the scars of the wrong fit.
Whatever choices you're facing now--whether it's a job or a house that seems built out of dreams or someone you've met who seems made for you--remember to check with the Artist of your life. Don't force events, but pray, wait, and only act as God leads. It may seem to your mind that you know the solution, but wait on God's timing and seek His will.
Nothing is a good substitute for the best fit.
Have you ever noticed how many times the shapes fool you? You think for certain you've found the perfect match. You put it in, hardly noticing there is a little stiffness in the fit. Suddenly, you find the real location for the piece. You have to wrench it out to put it where it belongs.
Unlike us, God knows where each of the pieces of life should fit. As you lay down one small decision after another, Jesus knows the whole picture you can't see.
You may think you've found the perfect fit. If you're determined enough, you may even make something work by pushing your will, cutting corners, ignoring patterns. The problem is, this mars the perfect picture. God can forgive and complete a plan for your life, but you'll always bear the scars of the wrong fit.
Whatever choices you're facing now--whether it's a job or a house that seems built out of dreams or someone you've met who seems made for you--remember to check with the Artist of your life. Don't force events, but pray, wait, and only act as God leads. It may seem to your mind that you know the solution, but wait on God's timing and seek His will.
Nothing is a good substitute for the best fit.
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