CHOICE - MY MOTHER ALSO MADE A CHOICE

I am unsure how many of you are aware that MY MOTHER ALSO MADE A CHOICE. Therefore I am here today, God's having blessed me with a good life of well past "threescore and ten years." Though she had been told HAVING ME COULD KILL HER, to my mother, my daddy, and the rest of the family, THERE WAS NO SUCH THING AS CHOICE. The choice was already made. With a plan for not only my life, but also for the lives I'd be part of in the future, I was implanted in my mother’s womb by the hand of God . Once they realized I was enjoying the water bed provided, my mother chose to lay ten weeks in early pregnancy in order to carry me, my dad moving her each morning from the upstairs bed to the downstairs couch, the reverse order each night, my aunt coming in to stay because help was necessary with my brother who was 3-and-1/2 years when I was born. The older brothers, 13 and 15, had school, sports, and each had jobs as golf caddies, scrapers of barnacles from boats, whatever they could find for odd jobs. I was a family project, and my being born in September of 1939, the same month and year of the actual start of WW2, life in our household was very soon to change with more drama than just what was going on on that island off the coast of Maine. Within two years those two teens were forced to grow up awfully fast, one being called to serve even before his junior year in high school was completed. Change was in the air for my daddy as well. He was able to move the family from his work as a truck garden farmer (yes, I am a farmer's daughter) inland to a small village where my first memories are mostly happy one and where he added his machinist talents to the war effort by making airplane parts.

Throughout  my life, I never knew a healthy mother. The advice she never should have had her third child was one thing, but you see I was the fourth, and as it turn out, the only girl . . . with curly hair besides! As I grew into womanhood, I knew I was special, and though my mother said they didn’t spoil me, I always say, “Ask John!” (my husband).  . . As to the being spoiled, in some ways, I am sure I was, but can we blame my mother’s health issues (weary and giving in rather than battling one more time some days, perhaps?) but “when push came to shove”, there was no compromise . . .rules were definitely NOT made to be broken. There is no question but that I was taught obedience and for that I have always been truly thankful.  While my daddy and my three older brothers, my grandparents, my aunts and uncles all had influence on my life, I have to say I am exceptionally thankful for the tremendous love given when my mother chose to literally lay down her life to give me a chance to live. To lay there ten whole weeks and have neighborly visitors offer such helpful comments as,  “Why don’t you just take a bicycle ride and get rid of that problem?” while my mother looked across the room to see my toddler brother, “Busy,” as another neighbor described, “as a spider!” must have presented sour and sweet moments somewhat akin to those of Job.  My mother didn’t need to read or to see today’s available images of the horrors of abortion to understand such was anathema to our Creator. She only knew she and He were partners together in this marvelous act of creation; all she had to do was look across the room - she had proof in that gorgeous dark-eyed, deep-dimpled busy boy. Lifting her eyes, she could look outside and see her two teens, one a blondish-tempted to have a touch of red in his hair, blue-eyed, slight-built boy, who spent a lot of time following his big brother lots of places, yet was his own person, too. Also in her vision, she could see her firstborn, the other dark-haired, dark-eyed, almost an older twin figure to the little one also growing up too fast.  And so she lay there knowing that ten weeks was not long, not long at all in comparison to the life she was seeing all around and the life she had opportunity to nurture within. Thank You, God, for the choice my mamma made. She’s not here today for me to tell her, “Thank you,” but throughout hr life, I believe my life was thank you enough because though I often heard her say “I have three sons,” by my being her only daughter, I could smile because I knew I was the exception, the one and only, the only girl . . . and the girl with the curly hair, too!  She and Daddy couldn’t have made a better choice - a wiser way to complete their family!

M Sue Moore

10-21-2016

THE BARGAIN

    Bargains ~ I’m so often searching for bargains that, although he has yet to either accuse or verbalize it, my husband may be convinced I am a (dare I even say of for fear I’ll be repeated?) a “hoarder”? Goodwill has become my place of relaxation and if (I hope, I hope) I happen upon a bargain (or two or three, or even four), well then, I can think of dozens of ways I can use it (them), but frequently not just for me. Therefore there’s good justification in that it’s not selfish at all! Yesterday was just such a day, and while I must admit, THIS was quite selfish, THE BARGAIN was still not purely selfish and has turned out to be something even I had not bargained for! J

     As usual, I carefully perused the shelves, but this time, I went out of my usual order. Instead of heading directly to the inspirational books, I looked in the office supplies. Careful to choose and place in my cart a couple of the smaller-size 99-cent notebooks (that had I gone to one of the larger chain stores I could have purchased for $2.49 each - I know because I had recently priced them), I went on with a smile on my face, to the area where I generally find the better supply of books to my liking. Indeed I did find one that had a previous bookstore sticker on the back “$20.00” but at Goodwill, because it was a paperback, it was 50-cents, a beautiful, informative coffee table worthy book titled, “YOUR JEWISH HERITAGE”. Being happy with my so-far successful trip, I pressed on to another books sales area, studied the shelved books row upon row, bending this way and that to be sure I didn’t miss any titles, I might want, pulled out my cell phone to compare pictures with a book I picked out but realized I already had, put it back, pressed on, and THERE! THERE IT WAS- a huge book, laying face down on a bottom shelf. When I turned it over, I may have gasped aloud as I saw, JOHN-90 Days With The Beloved Disciple by Beth Moore!  Ever since I’d had DAVID-90 Days With A Heart Like His written by her, I’d secretly wanted to have this book about JOHN, secret even to myself I realized as I held it in my hands this day!

    The book appeared in mint condition so I never thought to look inside and this has become the absolute best part! Not just is Beth Moore’s presentation all that I had envisioned it would be, but there, on the first few pages, is some very precise handwriting in response to the questions posed by the author to enrich personal interaction. Oh, my! Do I read these? Never a question in my mind; however, questions galore filled my mind now! For all intents and purposes, the book was “trashed.” Why, and by whom? The answers show such devotion and intent on following the Lord and His Way. Filled in faithfully for a few weeks by, I assume a young college girl, who got busy with an active daily life, and then, as has happened by so many, myself top of the list, good intentions went awry and the rest of the book is as clean as when it was brand new.

    The book contains a date of the past decade, allowing me to figure the approximate age of this now young woman, and do some imagining of what her life may have become. Did she, unlike her penning answers to the questions in the book, finish college? It appears obvious she was a relatively new Christian at the time of her writing; did she remain faithful or was she caught up in the drug culture? Did she become a successful career woman and /or a homemaker, happy with a husband and family? As I sat there with her book in my lap, I prayed for her. I determined that not only was I given the gift of such a book, but also in the bargain, I had received a precious new gift, someone for whom to pray that I will likely never know, but God does! She is in His keeping, always has been, but now she is also on my radar and my SIMPLE FAITH says God is hearing my pleas on her behalf. How great is that!

    I believe I will hoard this one in my heart!

M Sue 9-9-16

IS "WHAT, ME WORRY?" YOUR STYLE OR, ARE YOU "ON ALERT"?

Today’s thoughts come from Mark, chapter 13, starting with verse 33 through the end of the chapter, where Jesus is not only teaching, but also warning, that we stay alert, since we do not know when “the Master will return.” He has left each one of us in care of the most precious thing(s) ever created, our souls, and what is the attitude with which we have accepted that trust? Are we alert, ever-watchful, eager for “THAT DAY”, or have we become like those who waited for the Messiah, tired of waiting to the point we are “Ho-Hum, it’s not likely to be today anyway, so I have plenty of time to say, “I’m sorry,” or “I can wait a little while longer to say, ‘Yes,’ to God.” 

We have been told He will return as “you have seen Him go”,(Acts 1:11) that the timing will be as “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.”(I Corinthians 15:51ff)  So how we are living our lives? Packed and ready to go? Oh, right! No need to pack! We’ll meet Him in the air if we are still earthlings, BUT are we ready for that, or are we like those who were waiting, waiting, waiting for the Messiah? It HAS been a LONG time since Jesus walked this earth and the promise was made that THE DAY would be coming. In the meantime, have we become complacent figuring, “but not likely in my lifetime”?  Jesus said even HE didn’t know when (Mark 13:32) so who do we think we are to make up our minds to such determinations? Oh, I know we don’t mean to do so, but even the scriptures point out if we knew when the thief were going to break in, we’d be prepared to keep him out, so if we KNEW exactly WHEN, how would we be preparing? Would there be a difference?

Have you observed a farmer? He plants seeds. He waits for what he knows will be the forthcoming crops, but he also knows the timing will be approximately, not exactly. That means he does not plan a vacation during the time the corn’s top ripe picking quality is expected. 

Pretty much likewise with the baker; into the same oven goes the same cake recipe in the same pans as previously used on myriad occasions, but today, for some reason, those cake layers take a little less or a little more time. And one can require still an additional few minutes compared to the other! What’s the difference and does it matter? It may be the room temperature of the eggs and milk used; it may be the humidity in the air; it may be a dozen things you and I don’t have the foggiest notion to explain, but God knows every answer, even about the timing of that cake baking! And, yes, it does matter. If the baker is not alert, all the work of putting the ingredients together can be for naught.

Oh, and what about flowers? Want to explain the timing of the bud opening to full flower? God knows, and it’s fun to try to figure out when the best time is going to be to get the most beautiful of all possible photos of that particular open flower.  In each of these scenarios, to get the best outcome, the person involved must choose to stay alert or live with the consequences.

    Just as God plans for the right time for the seeds the farmer plants, the cakes the baker prepares, and the opening of the flowers from the buds, He has formulated the right time for the coming of Christ. Because He is not willing for any to perish, (2 Peter 3:9), He has given us time to not only be alert ourselves, but also to be an encouragement to others.

Are we EAGER and READY to see Jesus in those clouds?

Do we WANT to be ready, or are we too attached and comfortable in this life?

Facing “The Unknown” is somewhat scary . . . all the more reason to spend more time studying about God and learning how much He loves us. The better acquainted we are with God, the more welcome and wanted is going to be the appearance of our Savior when we see Him coming in these clouds. . .  and He IS coming just as surely as He lived and died on this earth as The Promised One.

    Just look up.

    It is the SIMPLE TRUTH.

M Sue       8-23-2016

NOT ONE OF US IS JUST LIKE THE OTHER

The beginning of a new study of the Book of Romans was introduced to our adult Bible Class this past Sunday am. As part of the lesson, in talking about the apostle Paul, the teacher pointed out God’s very own words from Acts 9:15 to Ananias about him: But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he (emphasis mine-msm) is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel…” Paul had persecuted and killed the Lord’s people and was on his way to Damascus to do yet more . . .but . . .God had a surprise, a very different plan for him. Couldn’t anybody have done whatever God had planned? THAT was God’s decision, BUT from the many people available at that time and in that place, God chose Paul, a particular individual, not just like all the others. Even today as we read and study the New Testament, we find that Paul was, in part, the answer to Jesus’ prayer in John 17: 20-21, “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; 21 that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.” Paul came to believe because faithful men were available to do and to teach God’s will by deed and by word.

The Bible is God’s LOVE LETTER to each individual. Please note: The Simple Truth is that you and I were and are included in that prayer also. God has a plan for each of us.        

But wait! There’s more!

Jeremiah 1:4-5 says,   “4 Now the word of the Lord came to me saying, 5 ‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.’” 

That’s pretty plain, isn’t it? As best you are able, put yourself in Jeremiah’s sandals and think how it must have felt to have the Creator of the whole world (and way beyond!) telling YOU He had this specific plan for you from before He Himself had fashioned your unique body inside that of your mother, and now you were about to live the life He had planned for you. Are you going to say, “Uh, no, I don’t think so. Sounds too complicated. I’d rather stay away from Your plan for me and do my own thing, God.” Some of us do exactly that, in deed, if not in word. Next time you’re tempted to go your own way, remember the words GOD spoke to Jeremiah; actually, try remembering and taking to heart most personally, God’s words TO Jeremiah BEFORE being tempted to go your own way. . .  

And more . . .

. . . “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”    Ephesians 2:10 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Are we going to remember the SIMPLE TRUTH that God, the Creator of the whole world and lover of our souls, designed and created us individually, desired and developed personal plans just as He did and had for Paul, Jeremiah, and others we know by name and character from our Bible studies ? 

Oh-oh, I just heard “Little Voice”: “But they were special people with particular purposes.”

THE SIMPLE TRUTH IS:

SO ARE YOU!

SO AM I!

And until you and I listen to God by studying His Word and hearing what He has to tell us personally, we won’t know what it is He wants each one of us to do. Let’s each decide to personally be the answer to Jesus’ prayer, remembering:

there’s not one of us that’s just like the other.

God has a special plan and place for each one of us.

 “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; 21 that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.”  John 17: 20-21

M Sue       8-17-16

WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?

Seeing her preschool daughter hugging two shiny red apples close to her tiny body, the mom sweetly asked, “Could I have one of your apples?” Little girl quickly took a bite from each apple . . . the rest of the story later.

What are YOU thinking? The Simple Truth in Matthew 7:2 tells us, “With what judgment you judge, you will be judged.”  Have you ever caught yourself making judgment calls on others only to suddenly realize exactly what you have just done, to quickly and humbly repent as a promise God and to yourself of your intention that you will try to not do it again? If we are not careful we do the opposite: we allow our consciences to be seared as we repeatedly ignore the pleading reminders of the Holy Spirit to follow God’s Way as we build up scar tissue upon scar tissue of immoveable sin. Is that how we want our hearts?

Or, do we want our hearts like that of the little girl whose response in passing one apple to her mom was, “Here. I tasted the apples because I wanted you to have the sweetest one.”

M Sue  8-12-16

ARE YOU A LISTENER OR A HEARER?

“You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body

    and knit me together in my mother’s womb.”

Psalm 139:14 (NLV)

I hope you caught the change in the action wording in the questions presented. There is a difference in communication between hearing and listening, but what is it?   

Hearing, as a form of communication skill, is passive. Think about the Peanuts® cartoons you have watched. When it comes time for any one of the less important characters to make a statement or two, a wind instrument makes a “Wah-wah; wah-wah-wah!” and it is left to the audience to determine what is/was being said. On the other hand, listening requires activity on your part. A good listener pays attention with the idea of understanding what is being said. Realizing that communications is a two-way street, a mature listener refrains from interrupting and from showing signs of the greater importance that he/she be elsewhere, repeatedly looking at his/her watch being one such message. We all understand there can be exceptions, but here we are trying to encourage

the development of good listening skills.

Now, let’s apply these hearing and good listener comments to our original questions regarding self-talk and God’s Word. Have you been hearing more or listening more to those self-condemnation comments or hearing or listening more from The One Who wants you to feel as confident, secure, and significant in your own view as you are in His. Intentionally or otherwise, sometimes subtly, we train ourselves through our self-talk, most of which seems to be down-putting. Unless we are seeking God’s constant companionship in making even stronger efforts to break those bad habits, it seem we’ve been better hearers than listeners. This is NOT God’s desire for us. He wants us to overcome the sinful habits of feeling inferior, insignificant, and insecure. (Come to think of it, each of those words begins with “in” leading to me-me-me . . .another day another message!)

Who are we, really, that God should care so much for us? We are some of the lost that “God sent His Son to seek and to save ...” God sent and Jesus left … heaven!  Even never having been there, once I am there, I am sure I am not going to want to return to this earth! Jesus left heaven for ME! Are we listening? Until we started listening, we didn’t even care about Jesus, about God, or about anything more than our day-to-day getting through life. The SIMPLE TRUTH is, existing is all we are doing unless we have God in our lives. Strange as it sounds, our living comes through Jesus dying. He said, “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10b) I’m listening to Him,, but sometimes instead of absorbing the SIMPLE TRUTH He KEEPS telling me, I revert to hearing (rather like those sounds from the unknown Peanuts® character)                                                                                                                                                     Not only was Jesus willing to leave Heaven, but He was also willing to live on this earth with no place to lay His head. (“The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” Matthew 8:20) He was ready to lay down His earthly life as soon as God required. (“For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again.” John 10:17)

In listening, do we hear how much each one of these verses teaches us of His personal care to individual me? (Oh, yes, I also heard the little voice that said, “BUT . . . you are not the only one for whom He did it . . .”

Little Voice, LISTEN to Me! THAT is NOT the point! However, if I were the only one, He still would have done what He did, because even with all my missteps, He loves me that much. I chose to follow Him, and as long as I continue to choose to walk with Him, His blood cleanses me and helps guide my footsteps back on the proper path. (I John 1:7  “…if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.”)

Since our Creator did all of this FOR YOU and FOR ME, don’t you think we should and could take time to truly LISTEN?

Here’s a great place to start:

More from Psalm 139 (NLV):

1 O Lord, You have examined my and know everything about me.

2 You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.

3 You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do.

4 You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord.

5 You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head.

6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand!

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.

24 Point out anything in me that offends You, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.

Thank You, Father.

M Sue       8-5-2016                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

I CAN DO ALL THINGS

How I long to share what’s on my heart, but you know what? In our first blog message I tried to sum up my desires to help others absorb the SIMPLE TRUTH of GOD’S GREAT LOVE for each individual. Yet, in writing the post that followed and as I start this one, I, too, feel the inferiority, insignificance, and insecurity that comes from mentally seeing and hearing those looking down on my life, questioning why I waste my time, etc,

                1^st) because I don’t live “a good enough” life to be called a Christian

               2^nd)  because I’ve shown my “human side”

               3^rd)  because the attitude comes across, “Why waste your time? Who’s going to bother to read what you write anyway?”        

Okay, enough to tell each of you, I also have these same feelings from time to time, and as I sat here thinking of the difference between 7^th Grade and a lifetime of learning, I wanted to  let you know it’s always a struggle for me, but the SIMPLE TRUTH is there is HOPE, even after all these years.

You see, the devil knows my great love for God. He also knows my weaknesses, so he is trying to take away this method in which I feel well-qualified to use my abilities. Do you think he has forgotten my gift of persistence? Likely not, but one of the additional gifts is a comment from my daughter telling me that God will make sure that whoever needs to see what is contained in these posts will see them. With that in mind, let’s press on.   

I stated I am mentally seeing and hearing these attitudes and comments. No, I’ve not gone off the deep end. Once again, the devil is trying his best to hold me down, but with God’s help, I’m rather like the Weebles-Wobbles-But-They-Don’t-Fall-Down® doll from the mid-1900’s. The doll was filled with air and made of a soft thick plastic. It had a sand-filled bottom so one could punch it down and it’d pop back up no matter how many times it was knocked it over!  It’s my own giving in to the temptations from the devil and allowing judgmental thoughts that can punch a slow leak or a fast rip in my WEEBLES-WOBBLES-BUT-THEY-DON’T-FALL-DOWN® doll, if I don’t turn my thoughts back in obedience to God.

Let’s consider how we handle our self-thinking. We spend time allowing ourselves to develop feelings of insecurity, insignificance, and inferiority. Not one of us deserves any one of those titles, but with the frequency of our self-talk, we are some of the best salespeople on earth. (Have we missed our calling? Should we be selling real estate or cars? J )  Rather than hearing what God says*, the SIMPLE TRUTH is we spend more time listening to our own self-talk, of which we generally have little proof. AND, isn’t our self-talk more often made up of judgmental attributes that we are imagining from other people?  (*from http://seeingsimpletruth.blogspot.com/2016/07/simple-truth-explained.html In Galatians 4:4b and 5b I read that I am His adopted child. “…God sent forth His son…that we might receive the adoption as sons.” John 3:16 says He sent His only Son to rescue me. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” The above scriptures say I must be very special: Made in God’s image! His adopted child! Loved ME SO MUCH He sent His Only Son to DIE IN MY PLACE!)

Most of my life, in regard to judging, the fastest way I’ve been brought back to who God wants me to be is through the words of Jesus in Matthew 7:2, “For in the way you judge, you will be judged, and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.” How much more simply could that truth have been presented? I understand myself well enough to know I am a perfectionist at heart, so if I sound like I’m hard on others, please understand, I’m hundreds – thousands- millions – times more exacting of myself!   Unfortunately, in most instances, from the time of my very first childhood experiences with crayons  on a new coloring book page until crayons applied on a fresh picture now, and other things of far greater importance, my perfection plans just don’t come out with the aimed-for perfection!

The SIMPLE TRUTH is I KNOW what God wants and perfection is my aim, but there is balance, and I CAN ONLY BE PERFECT IN HIM. PERFECT equals MATURE. Oh, my! I’ve a long way yet to go to become perfect according to earthly standards, but THROUGH CHRIST IN GOD, I HAVE BECOME PERFECT!

Because I am human, the world and I may or may not see I don’t live “a good enough” life to be called a Christian, I’ve shown my “human side”, the attitude comes across, “Why waste your time? Who’s going to bother to read what you write anyway?”  Please pray with me that each of us will be “taking our every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:5b

The SIMPLE TRUTH is “I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13

YOU can, too!

M Sue       7-23-2016

BEFORE THE BEGINNING

If not all, I know at least almost all reading these words have also read “In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth,” from Genesis 1:1, the first verse in the Bible.  I want to go back before that. Are you saying, “Now, wait just a minute. Who do you think you are? How can you go back before the beginning?” Come for a little walk with God and me, and let’s let Him show us more of His wondrous works, more of the SIMPLE TRUTH of His love.

We’ll begin with Ephesians 1:4-5 from the Living Bible: “Long ago, even before He made the world, God chose us to be His very own through what Christ would do for us; He decided then to make us holy in His eyes, without a single fault—we who stand before Him covered with his love.  His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into His own family by sending Jesus Christ to die for us. And He did this because he wanted to!”

To my mind, His creating the world leaves me with a whole lot to contemplate. But even before all of creation, He generated these Master plans for you and for me! In following along with our first-post thoughts of overcoming feelings of insignificance, inferiority and insecurity, rather than just pass this scripture on by with one quick read, let’s take these verses apart just a little bit to let God’s Word show you what He was thinking. As you read these phrases, why not write what each one means to you personally? (This is for you to keep to yourself unless you wish to discuss.)

1)     He planned ahead: “Before He made the world” 

a.

2)     ”God chose us to be His very own”

a.

3)     He planned “through what Christ would do for us”

a.

4)     He decided then to make us without a single fault

a.

5)     His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into His own family

a.

6)     His plan has always been to send Jesus Christ to die for us

a

7)     He did this because he wanted to!

a.

 Should we stop our walk so we can sit down a while to think about what God is saying here? He will sit with us as long as we need, because He, THE ONE TO WHOM IS DUE ALL HONOR AND GLORY FOREVER AND EVER, has done all of this for each one of us. Why?

The SIMPLE TRUTH is He did this because he wanted to long ago, even before He made the world!

M Sue  Moore                                                                                                                        7-19-16

SIMPLE TRUTH EXPLAINED

Because I continue to hear more of my Christian Sisters (young married women to ‘empty-nesters” and more), discussing their feelings of insignificance, inferiority, and insecurity, I have longed to try to help them absorb the SIMPLE TRUTH of how very much God loves them. Some may be shocked that I use the term “SIMPLE TRUTH”, but I am concerned that we confuse holding God in ultimate authority with allowing ourselves to reach out to accept the closeness He wants from the parent-child relationship. We tend to say things like, “I can’t bother God with something so little.” Oh, really? When was the last time you took a close-up look at a bird feather?

A few years ago I found a tiny feather that measured 7/8” long and was ¼” wide.  The colors were deep gray-brown at the tip and lighter shades of gray-brown at the base.  I used Scotch tape to stick the little feather in my Bible to remind me of how special I must be to God.

In Jesus’ own words He states: “Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not worth much more than they?” (Matthew 6:26 NASB)

If God cares for the little birds as much as the scripture says He does, and I believe His Word is true, how much more does He care for me?  Genesis 1:26 tells me I am made in His image. “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in Our image, according to our likeness…’”

In Galatians 4:4b and 5b I read that I am His adopted child. “…God sent forth His son…that we might receive the adoption as sons.”

John 3:16 says He sent His only Son to rescue me. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”

The above scriptures say I must be very special: Made in God’s image! His adopted child! Loves ME  SO MUCH He sent His Only Son to DIE IN MY PLACE!

The feather I found is so small that it makes it fully obvious that little things are of worth to God.  Just to look at each individual barb is impossible for me to do; yet God made each one and knows how many barbs there are on each feather just as he knows how many hairs are on my head.  I cannot even begin to figure how many feathers it takes to cover a bird, let alone try to count those tiny, individual barbs!  Does this mean that things, big or little, in my life are of concern to Him?  What do you think?

Adding Matthew 10:29-31 to my reading about these matters, I find:

“Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your father.  But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Therefore, do not fear; you are of more value than many sparrows.”

Jesus used “SIMPLE TRUTH” to help His listeners to not only better understand, but also to relate to the very personal love and caring concern the Father has for ALL of His creation.

And you know what? That includes YOU and ME!