A visual reminder to leave space for the surprise high points in life.
Like last year, I wanted to reach out to friends and family and see what the year has taught us all. After many amazing responses, which I will share here in a few, I started to ask myself what 2022 taught me personally.
Through all of the ups and downs, the chaos and love, there is one word that sums up my year: Sparrows.
Let me back up and explain. As I have written about many times, I am a little bit (ok, maybe a lot of bit) of an anxious person. What about this? What if this? How will I do that? I constantly need to be over prepared for any and all situations up ahead.
It was sometime in the last year or so that Lee started to drop one single word when things just “worked out” on their own. Sparrows. Except it was never that things just worked out, it was that God was working them out for us.
“Behold the fowls of the air, for they sow not, neither do they reap or gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much better than they.” Matthew 6:26
That’s my biggest takeaway this year – trusting in God – what He has in store for me – for my family – and trusting His timing with it all.
Apparently, I had some others in my life who felt similar about 2022. One friend shared to stay humble, be still, be quiet and He will work in Majestical ways. Another friend reminded us that we need to let people be as good to us as they want to be, after all our joy and contentment do not come from others, but from within… with God.
There also seemed to be a common theme from several sweet people in my life in regard to surrounding oneself with those who love you and whom you love – in choosing real and not fake. In knowing that if you have to change who you are to sit down at someone’s table, then that is not your table.
A few mentioned the importance of mental health and filling up your own cup before being able to pour out into others – that if you get tired, learn to rest – not quit. After all, Superwoman gets a day off too.
Like every year past, several people have lost loved ones and reminded us to tell our loved ones how much we love and care for them and spend as much time with them as we can. To never assume that your loved one knows how you feel – communicate face to face and eye to eye.
And forgive one another. Sometimes hard truths and conflicts are much more difficult than omission and avoidance – but those difficult conversations are the key that lead to growth, resolution and peace.
Another takeaway from friends was to embrace change – lean into it and know that your children are watching and will learn from how you handle it. Remember the feeling of change and not quite getting what you want and use it to fuel your fire. Well, because quite honestly, that not getting what you want may have actually been God’s next sparrow.
You know the irony of Lee and I calling these little blessings that show up from time to time sparrows is that the bible doesn’t actually call them that – they are fowls or birds. And yet, somehow “sparrows” have stuck with us. It has been the one word that has helped keep me calm through the storms and celebrate the grace and glory of the sunshine of 2022.
For Christmas this year, I received an amazing hand painted canvas with three sparrows in the middle and the scripture from above written on it. It’s a large canvas full of white open space. As I stared at the simplicity and beauty of it, Lee explained to me that the blank space was there for a reason.
As we head into 2023, every single time we see a sparrow in our lives, we are going to record the date and a few words around it. Then we are going to hang it on the wall to remind us just how blessed we are and how many sparrows we have in our lives.
I don’t know what 2023 looks like for all of us – for all of you. Hopefully, you have learned lessons to take with you and maybe even want to steal a few from my friends above.
Regardless of what is to come, I hope that you can choose to open your eyes to the world around and see all the sparrows that God will provide. Because, believe me, He will.
Now bring on 2023, I, for one, cannot wait to fill my canvas up with all the sparrows.
Sarah (Pitson) Shrader was born and raised in Lima. She is a Lima Central Catholic and Tiffin University graduate. Sarah is a full-time working mama who enjoys writing about her somewhat crazy, always adventurous life as a mother. She lives in Bath Township with her daughters and writing inspirations, Maylie and Reagan.
