Caring for Sparrows

PHOTO: My friend, Mike.

THE LULU CHRONICLES

The other day I was loping around on Hildegard, the sweatmaker and trying my best not to pass out. The elliptical can be pretty mean when she wants to, so I usually use our thirty minutes together as prayer time. Really. I find this to be a great time to focus my thoughts on praying for others. So, I started going through my list of folks when one name popped into my head I hadn’t thought of in years.

Mike.

Fifth grade wasn’t easy for me. Mentally I couldn't keep up with myself physically. When I started wearing those blue, pointy glasses it got worse. When I started having trouble with arithmetic, life got darker still. "Ugly". "Four-eyes". "Dummy". No sir, I didn't lack for names.

Then, in sixth grade along came Mike. Mike was one of the best-looking, smartest, most popular guys in school. At least that’s how I remember him. I sat beside him and for some otherworldly reason we became best friends. Mike didn't see me the way other kids did. He always chose me first to be on his kick ball team even though I was a girl. I beat him at tetherball, but he didn't mind. And when I had to stay in at recess to finish my arithmetic, he would stay in with me. Mike is the one who finally made long division make as much sense as it was going to make. He never laughed at me and in sixth grade, because of him, no one else did either.

Life went on and mine got better. My body finally quit all of that awkward stuff, glasses were traded for contact lenses, and I even passed Modern Math. Through junior high and high school we remained friends, but nothing like it was in sixth grade.

I haven't seen Mike in over forty-five years, but for one brief moment in time, he was the most important person in my life. He befriended a frightened sparrow and made her proud of who she was even in blue, pointy glasses.

Is there a Mike in your past or present? If so, know that it isn't just luck. It is a promise. God takes care of His own, even sparrows.

When you get a minute, maybe while you’re exercising on your elliptical, or running, or whatever your exercise of choice is, thank Him today for His tender attention to details.

Later,

deb