November 22, 2020

Written by Emma Rooker

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?”

// Matthew 6:25-27

If there is anything we can attest to feeling the weight of in 2020, it’s worry. Worry about the virus that has made itself at home in our world, worry about the near future, of the ideological differences that divide our society, about running out of toilet paper... you name it.

Here at EPAGA, we’re here to help ease the worry that clouds the horizon. However, we are well-aware that the stressors and anxieties of this year may be the cherry on top of everything else, especially if the well-being of a loved one is constantly at the forefront of your mind. When someone important to you is in great need, it’s incredibly hard to think about anything else, or anyone else.

And, in all honesty, it can be difficult to read the words of the gospel of Matthew above, and take them to heart. God may tend to the sparrows that soar in the air looking for food, but our minds are often occupied with bills, the details of our medical insurance, or the well-being of our elderly grandparent. Reading a passage that instructs us not to worry, when worry is all we can do can seem comical, or even insulting. I’ve certainly been there, and I’m sure you have too. However, I cannot believe that the God who created us and loves us would be so lacking in emotional intelligence that He would drop into our homes when we are scared and stressed, simply tell us “don’t worry, be happy!” and then go on His way.

Friends, if we think that this is the character of the One who loves us the very most, we are gravely mistaken. The God of the Old Testament who led the Israelites out of slavery, and the Jesus that healed the sick and the crippled beg to differ. When we have a superficial understanding of the God who watches over us, it can be easy to disregard what He has to say. When I was little, I sat in Sunday school and sang the words: “You’ve got the whole world in His hands.” I still believe that He does, but I also believe that He doesn’t disregard or dismiss our worry or our pain.

We serve a God who sees us.

We were created by a God who understands what it means to be fully human, by way of His Son, Jesus, who experienced worries and anxieties of His own.

We are held close by a God who sits with us in our worry, sings over us in our trouble, and rejoices with us in our celebrations.

Lastly, we serve a God who genuinely cares about our well-being. One of the primary ways that this is demonstrated is through our communities. God created us to be in community, to do life with one another, and to navigate the seasons together. At EPAGA Home Care, it's an honor to be considered extended family to so many of our clients. Thank you for trusting us as we continually trust Him.

His eye watches carefully over the sparrow, and so it is with us.