My Value to God?

ALBUQUERQUE – After being in isolation with only a few visits outside my room, I was excited to finally be able to go for a jog. I did not jog long or fast, but I was happy to no longer be feeling fatigued and sick. Five weeks earlier, on April 4, I received the news that I was tested positive for COVID-19. My heart sank and I spent the day preparing for isolation and thinking about what I was going to do to protect my wife and son from contracting the virus. The next morning, as I sat in my room alone, my heart was heavy and the fear and dread began to set in. I reached for my Bible and I began to read the book of Matthew. As I sat by my window, I noticed a little bird had landed on the screen of the window. Seconds later, another bird landed right next to it. I was amazed to see these two tiny birds just hanging there, holding on by their claws. 

No more than a few minutes later I came to Matthew 10:29-31: “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.” 

In an instant, God’s word came to life and spoke to me with undeniable truth and sharpness. These words came to life in a dramatic realization. Matthew made it clear to me that we underestimate how involved God is in our lives. If He pays attention to every sparrow, then He is definitely interested in what ails us. In the midst of my sadness, and the chaos affecting our world, God took the time to reassure me that I am indeed special to Him. 

What I loved most is that He could have sent one bird to get His message across to me, yet Matthew 10:29 mentions two sparrows and He sent two birds to my window that day. What a caring and detailed God we serve! It was truly an amazing way to remind me that He is, and will always be, in control. 

I spent the next few weeks drawing closer to God and trusting that, no matter what happened to my body or the “hairs on my head,” God would know how to restore me fully, if not on earth, for sure in heaven. 

I invite anyone who is feeling a need for hope and encouragement today to pick up God’s living Word and hear a message from Him as He speaks to you through the Scriptures. 

By Oswaldo Amaya