This morning as I awoke a flock of sparrows in the arbor vitae greeted the new day with a chorus that was both raucous and incessant. It reminded me of Jesus’ comment that our Father is so observant of his creation that even a sparrow stumbling as it hops across the ground does not escape his notice (Matthew 10:29). I haven’t bothered to check whether Jesus was referring to a different species than the one’s serenading (or squabbling, to my ears) in my yard, but that’s not really the point. The point is that things have not cascaded out of control, and that even the very smallest, most seemingly insignificant detail of life is touched by the grace of God’s providential care. And that means that the safest place we can be is in the center of God’s call on our life.

That being the case, I prayed Betty Stam’s prayer that she has inscribed on the inside of her Bible. It was found after she and her husband John had been killed in the wave of political unrest and lawlessness swept China where they were serving as missionaries in 1934.

Father. I give up all my own plans and purposes, all my own desires and hopes and accept Thy will for my life. I give myself, my life, my all, utterly to Thee to be Thine forever. Fill me with Thy Holy Spirit, use me as Thou wilt, send me where Thou wilt, work out Thy whole will in my life at any cost, now and forever. Amen.