Even the sparrow knows – He holds tomorrow.
– Lyrics from Jason Gray’s song, Sparrows
Hey kids, when Jason Gray wrote his song, Sparrows, he wanted to help people not be fearful or anxious. If you’ve ever felt like that, you’re not alone – lot’s of kids your age also feel that way. Guess what, God knows hows you feel and if He can take care of the birds and flowers, He can take care of you too. God will help you fly above your problems.
That’s what Ellie discovers in Jason’s book also titled, Sparrows. Ellie worried constantly. She worried about her little brothers making her late, forgetting to bring her lunch to school, or getting teased about her stutter. When her desk was moved next to Annabelle’s, she had more to worry about than ever. One Sunday morning Ellie heard about how God cares for the sparrows, and something started to change.
LESSONS TO LEARN FROM THIS BOOK
“Growing up with a stutter, I was always anxious about being called on in class, or being singled out because I was different. It was especially tough since I was actually eager to speak up, but didn’t feel like I could,” recalls Gray. “As I began to be aware of God’s calling on my life, I had to learn to trust Him with all of that. We tried to bring elements of that experience into the story of Ellie.”
Additionally, Gray shares that Proverbs 15:1 and Matthew 5:43-44 are important verses to the story, as well as Romans 5:8, which says “…while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Because Ellie felt bullied by another classmate, she learned about how God wants us to treat our enemies and how to answer cruelty with love.
“I hope the story of Ellie will remind kids that God is with them in all of their fears and anxieties. The best thing we can do to keep our hearts intact is to give our anxieties to God and trust that He is with us, He constantly cares for us [even more than the sparrows], and that He’s always working behind the scenes,” shares Gray.
NOT JUST SPARROWS BUT BIRDS ON THE BRAIN
Get outside and look up into the sky. There’s a good chance you’ll see a bird – maybe many. In fact when you see one then look even higher into the sky and see if you can see another bird flying even further away. It’s pretty cool to think about how God has his creation everywhere – way beyond the things we’re doing right where we are.
Here are some bird activities you can do outdoors:
- Identify and count birds: Yes, it’s a group thing, worldwide even, that’s lots of fun. For example the Great Backyard Bird Count takes place every February. You’ll find there are other days throughout the year where you can participate in organized bird siting and counting like Global Big Day. Do it with your friends or your parents. There’s even a comedy movie called The Big Year that shows how adults can really go crazy looking for the birds.
- Go Wiki – go explore: Want to go to some really awesome places and see birds in their natural habitat? Use this Wikipedia listing of Bird Sanctuaries of the United States to explore all those places. Beyond the United States, here are the 15 best bird watching destinations in the world. When you go to any of these places be sure to be quiet and simply listen to the sparrows and all of God’s creation celebrate His goodness. As you do that take a few minutes to read from the Bible and pray. Finally, shoot some video and journal your experience so you can share it with readers of Shout! OUTDOOR LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE.
- If you build it they will come: Pursue some new skills in hand work and creation care by building a bird house or bird feeder. Once you do this at your own home then you and your parents can talk with your church leadership about starting a small group for families (make it intergenerational) that builds bird houses and fellowships together. It’s a fun way of cultivating community.
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MORE FROM JASON GRAY
Jason wrote another song for a creation care project called, A New Heaven And A New Earth. He shares about it and his perspectives on the stewardship of the earth in the feature story, The Beauty Of Creation. Read it now.
