Read an Excerpt
When Sparrows Fall
(For Sparrows Do Fall)
By Kenneth Lay CrossBooks
Copyright © 2009 Kenneth Lay
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4956-1943-4
CHAPTER 1
A Sparrow Falls
The first sparrow to fall in my life fell on Christmas Day, 1938, when a cold, deep snow covered the ground, winter birds were foraging for food, and the sparrows had discovered the single pieces of grain which had fallen through the cracks in the trough where Dad fed the cattle.
They were so hungry and intent on eating the yellow grain that they did not notice the nine year old boy. I approached with my brand-new BB gun, "the Red Ryder", which I had just received that morning as a Christmas gift. With quiet, slow, measured steps I approached the feeding sparrows from the opposite side of the trough, so as to not attract their attention. Taking careful aim, I deliberately lowered the barrel of my gun over the edge of the trough until it was only a few inches from the head of one of the sparrows, and I slowly pulled the trigger.
In the quiet of the morning, to my ears, the noise of that first shot out of my new BB gun sounded like the blast of a cannon. All the sparrows quickly flew away, except one, which just lay there, lifeless. I stared at that small, still sparrow as a bright-red color began to stain the snow around its head. As I watched transfixed, it seemed that the ever widening stain would never stop. I stood there, not proud of my accomplishment, but saddened by the fall of the sparrow. Rather than being thrilled and excited as I had anticipated, I was deeply disturbed. Tears ran down my cheeks, I began to sob, and slowly turned and walked away, distressed and confused by my tearful response to what had just occurred.
As I entered the house, still crying, my observant, caring Mom, asked me what was wrong. I told her what I had done and how it had made me feel so sad that I just began to cry. She touched me as she wisely said the words which I have used throughout my lifetime, "Why don't you tell God about it and he will help you feel better." So I did, and miraculously He did! That was my introduction to a world where sparrows fall — for sparrows do fall.
The first sparrow, in my life, had fallen and little did I realize how many sparrows were yet to fall during my lifetime. They would fall on many different occasions — but fall they would! And with the fall of each sparrow, I would tell God all about it (a lesson learned early in life), and somehow he would make me feel better. Words of wisdom, graciously given by a loving mother, prepared me and enabled me to live in a world where sparrows fall — for sparrows do fall. However, above all else, this one thing I know, they do not fall without the awareness of a caring and compassionate God who loves us and wants us to know him as our Heavenly Father. Jesus said, "Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing (penny)? Yet, not one of them can fall to the ground without your Father, that is, without his knowledge and permission. Fear not therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows." (Matthew 10:29, 31 paraphrased).
The fall of this sparrow was my first close encounter with death, but it certainly would not be the last. Many friends and loved ones would die, and there would be multiple funerals to attend, the last of which would be my own. "For it is appointed unto man once to die." One thing I have learned, you cannot deal with death until it arrives. I thought I understood and had settled the issue of death until my parents were killed instantly in an automobile accident; but I came to realize you cannot deal with the fall of any sparrow until that sparrow falls. Death was dressed differently when it came for my granddaughter than it was when it came for my parents. Death is always dressed differently when it arrives whether it's coming for loved ones or friends or strangers, and I am sure it will be clothed differently when it comes for me. When it does finally arrive we recognize it for what it is, the end of life upon this earth but the beginning of the life to come.
We are never ready or prepared for the arrival of death no matter how many times it comes. We cannot react or embrace the event until it actually occurs. One may prepay his funeral expenses and purchase his tombstone, but he cannot "prepay" his response to death.
To help us understand the fall of that sparrow and the fall of other sparrows, I call your attention to the various factors which entered into the death of that first sparrow.
First of all, the human factor: My parents loved me and expressed that love by giving me an extra special BB gun, "the Red Ryder", as a gift for Christmas. That was the year the Red Ryder was first introduced by Daisy Outdoor Products. It is possibly the most famous BB gun in American history. My nine-year-old heart was thrilled beyond words to receive such a wonderful gift, and my childish mind began a process of imagination that enabled me to kill all kinds of game, both large and small.
Second, the natural process of life: Dad had already poured the welcome, daily feed for the cattle into the feed troughs and the eager hungry cows had eaten, with some of the seeds falling through the cracks down onto the snow. Always, after the cows had finished eating and left the troughs, the hungry winter birds, mainly sparrows, flew down to eat the leftover grain which lay upon the ground. This was a natural process which occurred on a daily basis during the winter.
Third, personal desire, choice, and action: Into this natural process I entered with my own personal desire and ambition — to shoot my new BB gun and hopefully hit my target. Those factors and events which were totally innocent and natural, when joined together, resulted in the fall of that sparrow.
The reality that we live in a world where sparrows do fall, calls for the "why" question. It also calls for that question to be answered. However, the real question is not "Why do sparrows fall?" The answer to that question is quite simple; sparrows fall because that's the kind of world in which we live. The real question is "Why did my sparrow fall at this particular time and place?" The purpose of these personal experiences is to deal with that issue. Not that I shall answer the question to everybody's satisfaction, but that I shall share some thoughts which, hopefully, will enable you to come to terms with the fall of sparrows in your own life.
The answer to the "Why?" question is not as complicated as we have made it. In fact, it is very simple. The world in which we live demands that sparrows fall. We live in a "fallen" world. The circumstances of life and the desire of man coupled with his choices and actions answer the "Why?" question. It is within the framework of the natural process of life that sparrows fall.
Yes, that is a very simplistic answer to the "Why?" question, and from a humanistic standpoint that's all that is required. However, there is one other aspect we must consider in answering the question, "Why do sparrows fall?" That aspect is God! And when God enters the picture the answer is no longer simple. It becomes Divinely complicated.
Without God in the picture it was a simple matter of a mother and father giving their son a Christmas present, a new BB gun, the excitement of a young boy, the feeding of cattle, some hungry birds foraging for food, the snow covered earth, the determination of a boy to get close enough to the birds for a sure shot, and the pulling of the trigger. Result: one dead sparrow.
Should we place God in this picture? If not, it's just one dead sparrow, so move on to the next kill. However, we must introduce God into this picture because God introduced Himself into this "fallen" world when Jesus came and said, "Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? And one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father." (Matthew 10:29). So whether we recognize Him in the picture or not, God is there. Jesus put Him there!
Without God in the picture there is no basis for good or evil. Without God in the picture there is no explanation for life or death, sin or righteousness. Without God in the picture there is no explanation for our being and no ultimate purpose for our existence. It is at this point we must consider not only God but also the existence of sin and its consequences (suffering, pain, disease, murder, rape, all kinds of evil, and death). In the beginning, in this world where Adam and Eve lived and walked and talked with God, death did not exist, evil did not exist, sin did not exist, fear did not exist, pain did not exist, suffering did not exist and sparrows did not fall! Consequently, there was no stress, no grief, no sorrow, no heartache, and no crying, that is, until Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit. At that time sin entered this world and everything changed! Along with sin came suffering, disease, death, decay, etc. (Genesis 3:1-19), and now, all of those things are part and parcel of life as we know it. There is no escape from the effects of Adam's sin except through the provision which God made by sending his Son to deal with our sin.
The very root of suffering is found in the soil of sin. Had it not been for sin there would be no such thing as suffering, only bliss and perfect fellowship with the Father himself, such as Adam and Eve had in the Garden of Eden before they sinned by disobeying God and rejecting his authority. The God of the Bible is the only One who deals adequately with all the issues of life. According to God's Word all of those things which make men miserable, all the negatives of life, are the result of the rebellion of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. It was there they rebelled against the authority of God, even after they had been warned of the consequence: death. "And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it, for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." (Genesis 2:16-17) The day Adam and Eve disobeyed God and ate the forbidden fruit is the day sin, suffering, and death entered this world.
As a result of their rebellion we live in a diseased world, a sick world, morally, physically, and spiritually. Romans 5:12 reminds us that by one man sin entered into the world and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men for all have sinned. Sin is the ultimate explanation for the fall of sparrows. Without sin there would never have been such a thing as death, disease, hate, murder, adultery, rape, lying, stealing, or any of the other things that make life miserable for man.
We should rejoice that God injected himself into this picture of life and death. It is His presence at the funeral of a sparrow that gives us hope. It is in the context of God's awareness of the fall of a sparrow that Jesus said, "Not one sparrow (What do they cost? Two for a penny?) can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. So don't worry! You are more valuable to him than many sparrows." (Matthew 10:29, 31 LB) God cares more about you than he does a whole flock of sparrows, yet he maintains a watch over each one of them as he also watches over you. Therein lies our hope when sparrows fall in our own life — for sparrows do fall.
With God in the picture something new has been added: Hope! With God in the picture there is hope, but without God there is no hope. Take God out of the picture and there is nothing left but a dead sparrow. Of course that does not answer the "Why?" question, but it does introduce a new dimension into the experience.
That sparrow fell because I chose to kill it. Most sparrows fall because of natural causes or the choice of a human being or a combination of both; however, there is one other cause for the fall of sparrows in our own life. We call it "the will of God", or "the sovereignty of God", or "predestination", or "foreknowledge". When God is in the picture there are "unexplainables" to consider. God himself is unexplainable. Who can know the mind of God? Who can understand his ways? Who can reconcile such contrasting truths as "the sovereignty of God" and "the free will of man"?
Listen to Isaiah as he speaks God's words, "This plan of mine is not what you would work out, neither are my thoughts the same as yours! For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than yours, and my thoughts than yours." (Isaiah 55: 8-9 LB) Listen as Paul exclaims, "Oh, what a wonderful God we have! How great are his wisdom and knowledge and riches! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his methods! For who among us can know the mind of the Lord? Who knows enough to be his counselor and guide?" (Romans 11:33-34 LB). We must leave the imponderables and "unexplainables" with God. That requires a choice! To choose faith, and trust in a loving, caring, compassionate, all-wise, and all-powerful God. With the fall of each sparrow we rest our case on the character of God.
"Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. — Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows." (Matthew 10:29, 31) To know that our Heavenly Father is always aware of what is happening in our lives should relieve fear and replace it with hope and peace.
There are those who, for whatever reason, prefer to keep God out of the picture. They are uncomfortable with such a God as the Bible presents. They are not averse to people having gods; they are only opposed to the God of the Bible, the God who became flesh and dwelt among men and is known as Jesus Christ. Even though some men have tried to erase God from the pages of history and the minds of other men, he remains. No man can eliminate God. They can try to ignore him and pretend that he does not exist, but even in the process of doing so, they admit that he is. Otherwise, why try to deny or ignore or pretend that something that doesn't exist does not really exist?
On the other hand if we believe God does exist and that he is who the Bible says he is, then we must tell others the good news that in and through Jesus Christ there is Hope! There is Hope when a sparrow falls! There is Hope when a child dies! There is Hope when a spouse leaves! There is Hope when a disease strikes! There is Hope when a business fails! The emphasis is no longer upon the fall of the sparrow — for sparrows do fall. The emphasis now is upon God and his awareness of the sparrow's fall and his reassuring words "Fear not, you are of more value than many sparrows." Yes, with God in the picture, there is Hope!
Back to the "Why?" question: Sparrows fall because of natural causes, someone's personal choice, the will of God (either sovereign or permissive), or a combination of all three. My first sparrow fell because of my personal choice, a choice which I later regretted.
In considering the various causes for the fall of certain sparrows, listen to these words in Luke 13:1-5 LB: "About this time he (Jesus) was informed that Pilate had butchered some Jews from Galilee as they were sacrificing at the Temple in Jerusalem. 'Do you think they were worse sinners than other men from Galilee?' he asked. 'Is that why they suffered? Not at all! And don't you realize that you also will perish unless you leave your evil ways and turn to God? And what about the eighteen men who died when the Tower of Siloam fell on them? Were they the worst sinners in Jerusalem? Not at all! And you, too, will perish unless you repent.'"
Consider one other incident in the life of Jesus as you seek the answer to the "Why?" question of fallen sparrows: "As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, 'Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?' 'Neither this man nor his parents sinned,' said Jesus, 'but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.'" (John 9:1-3 NIV)
Also consider the fact that some sparrows fall as the direct result of God's permission, as in Job's case! As a result of God giving Satan permission to test Job, tragedy struck! Sparrows fell in every area of Job's life. He lost his family, he lost his servants, he lost his cattle, he lost his camels, he lost his sheep, and finally he lost his health! (Job 1:1-2:7).
We should not sit in judgment on the misfortunes of others, as did Job's friends. Their assumptions were all wrong as to the cause of Job's suffering. There are just too many variables as to the "Why?" of such things. In fact, we should even be careful about blaming ourselves for something bad that has happened. We should not sit in judgment on our own misfortunes and certainly not on the misfortunes of others. Of course, if the Holy Spirit convicts us that what has happened to us is the result of our own sin, we should ask God to forgive us and if necessary ask others to forgive us. We should also forgive ourselves, stop "beating ourselves to death" for it, stop brooding about it, and get on with living the abundant life which God wants us to live.
What cause would you assign those who were butchered by Pilate, the eighteen killed by the fall of the Tower of Siloam, and the man who was born blind? In trying to answer the question, "Why?", it will always help to keep in mind that sometimes sparrows fall through no fault of their own; sometimes they fall by their own hand; but sometimes they fall by the hand of another, such as a drinking driver, a driver on drugs, a terrorist, a thief, a murderer, etc. Unfortunately sparrows also fall at the hand of nature itself, such as floods, earthquakes, tornadoes, diseases, etc. Sparrows fall for various reasons — but they do fall! Therefore, thank God for the Hope through Jesus Christ!
(Continues...)
Excerpted from When Sparrows Fall by Kenneth Lay. Copyright © 2009 Kenneth Lay. Excerpted by permission of CrossBooks.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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