sparrows...

we got home from vacation to be greeted by a yard in desperate need of some mowing.  although wind rowing may have been a better option.  when the grass is so tall that it has sprouted and looks like mini asparagus?  ummmm, yeah.  you might want to mow.  so, hubs and the girls went to the grocery store and i began mowing.  after i pulled up all the little colored flags throughout our yard. 

(have i mentioned that for some reason the "call before you dig" people have come and marked our yard 4 times?  without us ever calling?  some kind of glitch, the guy thinks...because our address comes up with a notation that sprinklers will be installed.  unless someone is gifting us with a sprinkler system, it ain't happening.  as a side note:  came home today and AGAIN the guy was here...yard is all marked up.  i chatted with him again and he has no clue why our address keeps coming up.  each week.  for the past 4 weeks.  sigh...). 

so, i am mowing.  and mowing.  and mowing.  and when i got to the backyard, i noticed a wee little birdy hopping in the tall grass.  i thought at first it was injured.  so i did not want to get real close, but i did not want to take it out accidentally with the mower (bad mental image, sorry for that).  as i slowly mowed, the birdy slowly hopped to a safer area.  first in the mulch around my tiger lillies and lily-of-the-valley.  then right up by the house, in some really, really tall grass.  i decided to leave that patch of grass to be mowed another day.  and then a second little birdy came hopping around the side of the house!  and as i watched these 2 birds, i realized that they sure looked a lot like the birds that were born in the nest in our windowbox earlier this spring!  same beak color, same feather coloring...just way puffier (maybe fatter is a better descriptor?)!  i wish i could have gotten my camera out there, but no such luck.  after i got done mowing, those birds high-tailed it to somewhere else.  still do not know what kind of bird.  but probably sparrows.  which then led me to hum and sing "i sing because i'm happy, i sing because i'm free...his eye is on the sparrow, and i know he watches over me..." intermittently with "blackbird singing in the dead of night...take these broken wings and fly...all your life, you were only waiting for this moment...".  both favorites of mine.

here are all the words from "His eye is on the sparrow":

verse 1:
why should I feel discouraged,

why should the shadows come,

why should my heart be lonely

and long for heav'n and home,

when Jesus is my portion?

my constant friend is He:

His eye is on the sparrow,

and i know He watches me;

His eye is on the sparrow,

and i know He watches me.

refrain:

i sing because i'm happy,
i sing because i'm free,

for His eye is on the sparrow,

and i know He watches me.

verse 2:

"let not your heart be troubled,"

His tender word i hear,

and resting on His goodness,

i lose my doubts and fears;

though by the path He leadeth
but one step i may see:

His eye is on the sparrow,

and I know He watches me;

His eye is on the sparrow,

and i know He watches me.

verse 3:whenever i am tempted,

whenever clouds arise,

when songs give place to sighing,

when hope within me dies,

i draw the closer to Him,
from care He sets me free:

His eye is on the sparrow,

and i know He cares for me.