Day 17/March 8 Psalm 28:7 The LORD is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.
You may have a Mr. and/or Mrs. Inspiration in your life. Dr. William and Civilla D. Martin did.
Poet Civilla, a pastor’s wife, wrote the lyrics to “His Eye Is On the Sparrow.” She said this about the inspiration to her hymn. “Early in the spring of 1905, my husband and I... developed a deep friendship for a couple by the name of Mr. and Mrs. Doolittle, true saints of God. Mrs. Doolittle had been bedridden for nigh 20 years. Her husband was an incurable cripple who had to propel himself to and from his business in a wheelchair.
“Despite their afflictions, they lived happy Christian lives, bringing inspiration and comfort to all who knew them. One day, while we were visiting with the Doolittles, my husband commented on their bright hopefulness and asked them for the secret of it. Mrs. Doolittle’s reply was simple: ‘His eye is on the sparrow, and I know he watches me.’ The beauty of this simple expression of boundless faith gripped the hearts and fired the imagination of Dr. Martin and me. The song ‘His Eye Is on the Sparrow’ was the outcome of that experience [Source: FHN, Florida Headline News]. “
One of my inspirations is my friend and now former neighbor, Paula Adams. She has moved to Lancaster, PA, for very good reasons, but, in her day here, she was (and remains in my heart to be) one of the leading sopranos in the choir. I can still hear her sing this song. Paula not only sang this, but also as a little girl who had such an abiding faith in God, she owned this message: if God’s eye is on the sparrow, this same love, protection and care is on us, too (Job 12:7-10, Matthew 6:25-34, Luke 12:4-7).
And yes, like me, this inspiration of mine sings when she is happy.
TRY IT: Sing. I get that some of you say the ol’ “I can’t sing” thing, but posh on that. Sing. Sing praises to God. And then sing them again. And again. Then you, like the Doolittles and Paula Adams, will not only inspire but also teach the love of God.
PRAYER: Thank you for our inspirations, dear Lord. Thank you for being you, our strength and shield. Amen.