His Eye Is on the Sparrow (Part 1)
by Toni Weisz/Spiritual Disciplines

Scripture References: Matthew 10:29-31, Isaiah 61:1-3 and 1 John 4:7-8

Matthew 10:29-31
Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from Your Father’s will. But the very hairs on your head are all numbered, Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

Isaiah 61:1
The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;

1 John 4:7-8
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.

On Monday afternoon, June 5, 2023, while taking my dog for a walk, I came across a baby bird. Poor little thing didn’t even have feathers yet, and its eyes were closed. I immediately brought the dog in and called my daughter about what I should do. When I sent her a picture of the bird, she said, “Mom, it’s a crow.” She and I both hate crows because of the way they travel in a group called a “murder” to prey on all the helpless baby birds.

I called many animal agencies and one suggested making a nest in the tree where the original nest was and the parents will feed it. So, I scrambled trying to find my makeshift nest and put it in the tree. Then to my surprise, a pair of mockingbirds came several times and fed the baby bird. I thanked God for sending them.

I hate to see the weak, vulnerable, abandoned taken advantage of and abused or killed. I hate the fall when all of nature and humankind fell into sin. I long for that time when there will be no more sin, death, pain, sorrow or tears. I thought to myself, “This little thing will be lucky if it makes it through the night,” but it did to my amazement.

On Tuesday morning, I looked out the window and saw a red-headed woodpecker near the nest, and I darted out the door to chase it away. I thought to myself, “This is crazy, you can’t do this all day; you will drive yourself mad with panic every time another predator comes. Toni, you need to give this to God and surrender.”

A little while passed and I noticed the nest had flipped out of the tree, so I searched and found the little bird and put it back in the tree. The mockingbirds were flying overhead to keep me away from this bird. I tried to assure them, “It’s ok.”

I cried and came in the house and wrote these thoughts:
“Lord, I cannot help everyone and everything. I cannot save anyone. I can protect and help those that You bring to me, as best I can, but ultimately, I need to surrender all to You, whether it be an abandoned bird, my son’s health issues, a woman You bring to the ministry or a family member’s salvation. It’s all in Your hands Lord; I relinquish control to You.

Watching the mockingbirds take care of a crow, their enemy, I heard the words of Jesus, “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you.” (Matthew 5:44)

These birds working together to protect and feed this little one reminded me of the body of Christ working together to help the vulnerable, the weak, and the wounded in this world. In this ministry, we want others to see the Father’s heart towards them. We want them to experience His great love and compassion and to care for them the way He would.

The whole time I was holding this little bird in my hands, I was thinking of the old hymn, His Eye is on the Sparrow. The Bible passages this hymn was taken from are in Matthew 10:29-31; “Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from Your Father’s will. But the very hairs on your head are all numbered, Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.”

I just want you to know, dear one, that God sees you and He knows you so intimately because He created you. And He knows how many hairs are on your head.

Come to Him and bring your broken dreams, your broken heart, your broken life, and He can make something beautiful out of it if you are willing to trust Him.

Questions to take to heart:

1. Have you been able to love your enemies?
2. Have you experienced a time when the body of Christ worked together to minister to others? Can you give an example? How did that feel?
3. How can we pray for you?

https://youtu.be/ku2RUdcku_w
His Eye Is on the Sparrow, Selah

I pray you know the love of God in your innermost being because when you do, it will radically change your life forever. Please reach out if you need to talk. Email me at: toni@myashestobeauty.com.

You are loved,
Toni

His Eye Is on the Sparrow (Part 2)
by Toni Weisz/Spiritual Disciplines

I had to make plans to put my dear loyal friend to sleep. We had Mozzie for 12 years. He was my constant companion and my protector; he really loved that role, lol. He was almost blind and deaf, and he could not walk very well. I knew in my heart to keep him alive would be selfish on my part. He had fulfilled his purpose on this earth. It was time for me to let him go. I gave myself a few weeks to grieve and to let go.

On September 1, 2023, I drove him to the vet, and while in the waiting room, the Lord brought the song, His Eye Is on the Sparrow, to my mind. With tears in my eyes and my voice cracking, I sang the song to Mozzie while I was holding him in my arms and rocking him. It was a sweet moment and I thank God for it. I wasn’t planning on being with him until the end, but I guess God wanted me to be there with him. I stayed with him until his eyes closed and his little heart stopped beating. I thanked him for being such a faithful friend. I thanked God for the gift of Mozzie.

The next morning when I got up, I sat down at my computer to start my morning devotions. The Lord whispered to my heart, “I am proud of you for the way you showed kindness and how you took such good care of him. It blesses my heart when you love my creatures.” I smiled and my heart was filled with His love. I want to please You, Lord, in every area of my life.

Please reach out if you need to talk. Email me at: toni@myashestobeauty.com.

You are loved,
Toni