By Allison Bucher
Writing is one of my favorite hobbies, simply because there’s never a drought. Even when I struggle with writer’s block, there’s always something to write about. There is always something to describe in vivid detail.
For example, right now I’m sitting on my back patio seeking shelter under our faded umbrella while the sunlight mingles with shadows in the yard. A chipmunk, who frequents our bird feeders, is scuttling across the ground while a lawn mower hums in the distance.
You can hear it, can’t you? The soft breeze. The gentle flutter of sun-drenched wings. Songbirds perform while perched on high branches, their choruses harmonizing as the wind gently shakes the tree leaves like a muffled tambourine.
Richard Price, a novelist and screenwriter, talks about the small details. He says, “The bigger the issue, the smaller you write. Remember that. You don’t write about the horrors of war. No. You write about a kid’s burnt socks lying on the road. You pick the smallest manageable part of the big thing, and you work off the resonance.”
I’ve always loved that. Even when we aren’t talking about big issues, small things still make up the bigger picture. That’s kind of how I imagine God thinks about us.
For example, in Matthew 10:29–31 Jesus tells us, “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”
God cares for the birds — sparrows — who, individually, are worth less than a penny. I love the message in the second sentence of that verse: “not one of them will fall outside your Father’s care.” If a sparrow wouldn’t fall outside of our Heavenly Father’s care, we can be confident that we won’t either.
Isn’t it comforting knowing that God not only cares for us but knows everything about us already? He knows every detail about our lives. Every thought, dream, and desire. Every good and bad thing we’ve ever thought or done. Yet He loves us more than we could ever fathom.
My husband and I often have conversations about this strange phenomenon — how sometimes we’ll be driving and suddenly think about how everyone around us is going somewhere different. Some are probably on their way to work. Some may be headed to the store. Or grabbing lunch. Or going to the hospital to visit their sick parent. Or to school. Or maybe to take their kid to the doctor. Everyone has their own completely unique life, their own destination they’re driving toward. Yet God knows each person intimately and loves them unconditionally.
I often have this thought when I walk around our neighborhood — how every house is different. And how no two houses have the exact same things in them because different people decorated them. Different lives are lived in each. Yet God knows each person intimately and loves them unconditionally.
My husband and I had the same thought when we went on our honeymoon. When we boarded our cruise ship, it occurred to us how many people there were and how everyone was from somewhere different. No two people had the same story. It was beautiful to see so many different people, employees included, gathered in one place. And no two people were the same. Yet God knows each person intimately and loves them unconditionally.
“There’s only one you” isn’t a new concept. But sometimes it’s nice to stop and reflect and remember that no matter how small or insignificant you may feel, God knows every detail about you. If He cares for and keeps track of the sparrows, He surely cares for you, too!
Trust me — I know how scary that can feel. I’m not a perfect human. Sometimes I want to hide myself from God. Sometimes I only want to bring God the bright, shiny parts of me and hide the dark, broken, sinful parts. But that’s the comforting thing about God, He wants all of us. And He already knows all of us, thoroughly and completely.
Psalm 139:1–4 reminds us, “You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely.”
The next time you feel insignificant or forgotten, remember that God knows you. He created you. He delights in the small details that make you unique. He made you with intention and purpose. If He cares for the sparrows, you can be sure He cares for you, too.
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