His Eye Is On The Sparrow
The Bitter End Birding Society by Amanda Cox is a powerful and heartfelt dual timeline Christian novel that I never wanted to end.
The action is set in present day and 1959. The young girls in the earlier period are now old ladies. For almost a lifetime they have been estranged. Guilt and secrets have weighed heavy. Instead of building a treasured friendship, they chose to tear it down.
In contrast to their daughters, we witness fathers who practice sacrificial love. Family first, no matter the personal cost. Outsiders may judge motives but God knows their hearts. Silence is kept in order to preserve and protect the innocent.
Characters are struggling with guilt that they were never meant to carry. “I need to step outside the walls I’ve built and remember who God created me to be.” When we erect walls around our hearts for protection, they have the opposite effect and they imprison us. We then lose sight of who we were created to be.
We see that a character who is actually behind physical walls, is living in greater freedom because his heart belongs to God and he, therefore, knows just whose he is.
Characters have huge hearts for people, and go where God calls them to be. “Lord willing, I’ll pastor a church someday and play a small role in bringing hope to weary souls.” We all need hope. Without hope, the people perish.
Bitter End is the opposite to its’ meaning. It is a place of love and care. “If someone needed help, if someone needed care, the people of Bitter End gathered and provided.” The birding society sees the lost, the hurt, the marginalised… and welcomes them in. It is a place of healing. When people feel loved, they bud and blossom.
We see the power of a personal faith in lives. “The Lord’s leading is all I’m looking to follow.” How do we know when we are called by God? “It [is]… a consistent nudging in my heart.” It is important to ‘listen’ to the still, small voice in our hearts. “Being a man of God is not about going where you are wanted. It is about going where you’re called to be.”
A young teacher ‘feels’ for her students. “I want to plant seeds into the lives of my students that blossom into flowers not thorns.” We all want to sow seeds of love.
God is not confined to a building. “God’s gorgeous creation was good medicine for his soul.” We can meet God in the natural. His creation gives us hope. “The jubilant, hopeful song of God’s creation reminding her even in a broken world, there was still wonder and delight to be found.” If God cares for the sparrow, how much more will He care for us?
People are absent from church for a variety of reasons. I found the following very powerful: “A lost sheep wants to come home but can’t for some reason… A prodigal is running in the opposite direction on purpose.” God searches for the lost sheep. He waits for the prodigal to come home. “When… I see hurting people come to faith, I feel like I am home.”
All the characters were well drawn and believable. They were easy to empathise with. The love and care reached from beyond the pages to envelop the reader.
Names are important. Name changes signify a change in circumstance. We see this clearly displayed in a lost dog. She reminds the reader of the parable of the lost sheep.
I absolutely loved The Bitter End Birding Society. It was such a beautiful heartfelt novel that spoke to my soul.
I received a free copy from the publishers. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.
JULIA WILSON
