I have shared with you before how blessed I was with an amazing mom. She wasn’t perfect…but her example was one which I have strived to follow.
She took her last breath on earth and her first breath in heaven in 2009. Her health had begun to fail 10 years prior when we noticed the first signs of dementia, which later turned into Alzheimer’s. We noticed her nerves being on edge and her thought processes were not clear. She would easily become agitated which was not at all her normal personality.
What followed was something I would never wish on any family as we watched her slip away from us, one inch at a time, over those years. There were, of course, good days and bad days as she knew her mind was failing and there was no way to stop this dreaded disease.
There were times though during those years when God would speak to me through her even when her mind was not clear. It is one of these moments that I was thinking about recently.
Mom had become ill and needed to be hospitalized. She was very confused and somewhat agitated as I sat next to her bed. Our conversation was not centered on reality, but the things that were in Mom’s mind were very real to her and were causing her distress. I knew not to disagree with her or tell her that her fears were unfounded because that would only cause her to become more upset.
But suddenly, I noticed her begin to relax and calm down. She looked at me and said, “Oh, do you hear that? Do you hear that beautiful music?” Unfortunately, I heard nothing but the hustle and bustle of the hospital corridor, along with the machines which were monitoring her, but it was obvious that in Mom’s mind she was hearing something. Curiosity overtook me at that moment and so I said, “Yes Mom, I hear the music, but I just can’t quite figure out what song it is. Can you?” She smiled and said, “Oh yes, it’s ‘His Eye is on the Sparrow’ and that’s one of my favorite songs.”
Even in the dark abyss of Alzheimer’s, God could calm his dear child. Even when nothing else that Mom said was based in reality, her precious relationship with her Savior could give her peace. Why? Because she had spent a lifetime focusing on her Lord. I’m confident that many times in her years on this earth, the words from the scripture that this hymn is based on, brought peace and comfort to her soul; “What is the price of two sparrows—one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.” Matthew 10:29- (NLT)
This verse is a reminder to me by my Savior that there is no reason for me to ever fear or be discouraged. No matter how dark days may be or how overwhelmed I may feel, His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.
Are you discouraged today? Are you experiencing a valley that is dark and seems unending? I want to encourage you today to fill your mind with God’s promises. If He cares about every sparrow that falls, how much more must He care about you. He is watching you and is your constant friend…never leaving you alone. So, take hold of His hand today and draw closer to Him…He cares and can set you free…because His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He is watching you.
Why should I feel discouraged,
why should the shadows come,
Why should my heart be lonely,
and long for heav’n and home,
When Jesus is my portion?
My constant Friend is He:
His eye is on the sparrow,
and I know He watches me;
Civilla D. Martin 1905
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