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Hair

              Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

 

Am I the only person who thinks this is ridiculous? The hairs on our heads are numbered? Of course, God is omniscient, so He can’t not know, but of all the silly things for God to notice, claim, or (so to speak) keep on file. Maybe for some people, hair is that important. My hair is my hair and I ignore it as much as possible because paying attention to it is a waste of time.

The sparrow bit is only slightly better. I have House Sparrows at my bird feeder a lot, and yes, I can differentiate between the males and the females, but beyond that, they all look alike - rather like my hairs. But again, God is so keen on every detail that He knows what’s going on with them and they can’t fall to the ground without His notice. He probably either has them numbered or named. Do you realize how ridiculous this is? I mean, it’s one thing for God to notice what’s going on in the lives of people like Moses, David, or Paul, but hairs? Sparrows? Get real!

But that’s the point. We may find it ridiculous, but that’s the level of attention that is normal to God. He can’t imagine not knowing these things. They’re important to Him for some bewildering reason. And I sort of understand a little bit. When I introduce a character in my stories, I have a way to quickly figure out the basics of their physical appearance and their personality. I don’t care what color their hair is, but I need to know it. I get the need for detail, but not the intensity of interest.

 I’ve heard that some painters have brushes consisting of one hair or fiber. One! But in order to make the painting the way it is in his/her mind, brushes with one hair are absolutely necessary to create the fine details needed. They don’t regret it or resent it because that’s how it needs to be done. And for God to be satisfied with the quality of the fine details in His work of art, He must pay attention to all of them. So as ridiculous as it seems, it’s just the way He is.

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