The Little Brown Sparrow by Shell Isenhoff
The Little Brown Sparrow
by Shell Isenhoff
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Cover image by Don DeBold.
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Many years ago, a little brown sparrow named Keturah made her home in a lovely meadow. The grasses there grew lush and green, and when the sun warmed them, the seeds gave off a fragrance like baking bread. Wildflowers dotted the field with color, and at the far end, a cluster of neighborly trees left themselves just enough elbow room to lift their limbs in greeting. Keturah spent her days swooping through the meadow, fueled by the sheer joy of living.
One day, Keturah sailed past a flock of yellow goldfinches—as bright as wild daisies—who had perched in the branches of a terebinth tree. As she passed, the goldfinches giggled and twittered among themselves, and Keturah overheard their words.
“Do you see that ugly little sparrow?” one laughed. “Poor thing, so drab and brown. I’m glad I was hatched a colorful finch and not a common sparrow.”
Keturah pretended not to hear as she fluttered away, but the unkind words had pricked her heart. She hid herself deep within the shady branches of an old oak tree where no one could see her ugly feathers.
Before long, a lark landed in the tree’s topmost branches and sang a song as sweet as morning dew. Keturah soon forgot her sadness and chirped along with the joyous melody.
The lark stopped abruptly. “I say!” he scolded, peering down at Keturah. “Who is making that horrible racket? A sparrow! Why, foolish little bird, don’t you know that sparrows can’t sing? Go away and leave me in peace.”
Heartbroken, Keturah flitted toward a silver pond sparkling at the edge of the meadow. The way was far, and she paused a moment to catch her breath.
As she rested, an eagle soared overhead, as graceful as dandelion fluff floating on a summer breeze. With a tilt of his wings, the eagle dove, skimming the surface of the pond. When he rose, clutching a fish in his talons, he beat the air with powerful strokes of his wings.
Keturah watched with longing as the mighty bird disappeared from sight. Then, plunging and fluttering, she continued her own slow journey, landing at last on a cattail that ringed the edge of the pond.
Not far away, an elegant swan glided across the water. She dipped her neck and a shower of droplets cascaded down her back like diamonds poured from a goblet. Keturah gazed sadly down at her own plain reflection, and a tiny tear rolled off her beak and splashed in the water below.
A field mouse saw the unhappy bird and climbed to sit beside her. “What’s the matter, Keturah? Why are you so sad?”
She sighed. “I wish I was like the other birds, Isaac.”
“But why?” he asked. “Your feathers are speckled and downy soft, and your eyes are bright as black buttons. You are unique—as special as any bird in the meadow.”
“But the finch’s feathers are brighter,” Keturah mourned. “And the lark sings so beautifully. The eagle is strong and sleek and swift. And the swan? Why no bird is as lovely as her. I am not as important as any of them.”
“Keturah, you don’t need to be like the others to be important. God made you special. You are valuable just the way you are.”
But another tear splashed into the pond. “No, I am only a plain, ugly, brown sparrow.” And nothing Isaac said could cheer her up.
Sometime later, a crowd of people swarmed into the meadow. Thousands came, trampling the grass and climbing atop high rocks. Forgetting her misery, Keturah fluttered to a limb to watch, and there in the midst of the crowd she spied a Teacher.
Sensing movement, Keturah found Isaac creeping along her branch. “Isaac, who is that man? Why are the people so excited?”
“Why, Keturah, don’t you know? It’s Jesus! He’s come to teach the people about God.”
Keturah listened to the Teacher all afternoon. When the shadows stretched long and purple, Jesus stooped to pick a wildflower. Holding it high, He said to the people, “Do you see this lily? Even kings in their royal robes do not dress as gloriously as these. If God clothes the grass of the fields with such splendor, will he not take care of you?”
Then the Teacher’s gaze lifted to Keturah who leaned far over her perch to hear his words. Pointing her out for all to see, Jesus spoke. “And consider this sparrow. She does not plant fields or harvest crops. She has no barn to store food in, and yet God takes care of her. Will he not take care of you?”
Jesus smiled up at Keturah, and pleasure flowed over her like warm, spring sunshine.
Isaac nearly fell off the branch. “Keturah!” he exclaimed. “Didn’t I tell you? You are important. You’re so special Jesus used you in his lesson!”
She considered his words as the crowd followed their Teacher from the meadow. Jesus had not required her to be colorful, or swift, or beautiful, or to have a lovely voice. He loved her just as she was.
She smiled shyly. “How amazing, Isaac,” she murmured, watching the velvet twilight swallow the last of the crowd, “that God finds value even in an ordinary, brown sparrow.”
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An appeal to my readers…
It’s tough for an independently published author to gain recognition without the support of a publishing house. It’s even more difficult to earn the respect of the literary community when so many indies produce substandard work.
I’ve made every effort to ensure a quality product. If you found the results satisfactory, would you let others know? Word of mouth is the best way to overcome those obstacles. I’d greatly appreciate any of the following:
Leave a review on Goodreads, even if it’s just a sentence or two; direct others to my books; tweet; like my Facebook page; loan this Kindle ebook to a friend; or tell teachers, homeschoolers, and librarians that I give away free digital copies to educators on my website.
Thanks so much for reading and for helping me spread the word!
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Michelle Isenhoff writes for tweens and teens. Her titles include works of historical fiction, fantasy, and one humorous action/adventure series. When she’s not writing imaginary adventures, she’s probably off on one. She loves roller coasters and swimming in big waves. She’s an enthusiastic runner and cycler. She likes big dogs, high school football games, old graveyards, and wearing flip-flops all winter. Her dream vacation would include lots of castle ruins, but so far she’s had to settle for pictures on Pinterest. Once an elementary teacher, Michelle now homeschools two of her three kids and looks forward to summer adventures as much as they do.
Michelle is also a firm believer in the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. As such, she will never include profanity or objectionable content in books meant for children. Works intended for older readers are written with conscionable restraint. Michelle writes in the religious genre under her nickname, Shell Isenhoff, and shares thoughts of a more personal nature on her blog, The Book and the Author.
Visit MichelleIsenhoff.com for additional titles as well as free downloadable lesson plans to accompany them.
Michelle Isenhoff is a proud member of Emblazon:
A wise man once said, “Write your name on the heart of a child.”
We hope to emblazon our stories there.
Twenty authors
Dozens of tween books
Creating thousands of lifelong readers
Titles by Michelle Isenhoff
The Candle Star – now FREE!
Divided Decade Trilogy, Book One
Detroit, 1858
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Historical fiction, Ages 10+
Watch the trailer.
Song of the Mountain – now FREE!
Semi-finalist in the Kindle Book Review 2013 Book Awards
Nominated for the 2013 Cybils Award
Song has grown up listening to his grandfather recite legends of the distant past. But it is his own history he seeks to uncover, particularly the events surrounding his parents’ deaths. But that is a secret closely guarded by his grandfather. Then Song discovers a puzzle box that links him to an ancient prophecy. His destiny lies within the old tales he has scorned. Song must follow the path that killed his father.
Fantasy, ages 10+
Taylor Davis and the Flame of Findul – now FREE!
Taylor didn’t want to follow his parents to the Caribbean. When he’s sucked into a world of angels and their supernatural adversaries, he wants the mission assigned to him even less. The Flame of Findul–the sword that guards the Tree of Life–has been allowed to burn out. The only way to avoid worldwide disaster is to relight it in the forge of Findul the Firesmith. Taylor has been chosen for this task. But there is One who stands in his way.
Fantasy, ages 12+
Watch the trailer.
The Color of Freedom
Nominated for the 2012 Maine Student Book Award
Massachusetts, 1774
Meadow Wynn McKenzie hates the British. Turned off her Irish farm and forced to book passage to America as an indentured servant, Meadow understands why the rebels wish to throw off the yoke of King George’s rule. But is freedom worth the cost? And in Puritan Boston, will liberty be extended to Irish Catholics? But war will not wait for Meadow’s decision.
Historical fiction, Ages 12+
Watch the trailer.
The Quill Pen
If you owned a pen that wrote the future, would you use it? What if the consequences spread like ripples in a pond? What if they raged out of control? What if the pen demanded tribute...in blood? Micah Randall has found such a pen. One that’s ensnared him in a curse dating back generations. One that’s devastated two families and now threatens his whole New England village. But how can Micah destroy the pen when it offers him his only chance at the future he dreams of?
Fantasy, ages 10+
Watch the trailer.
Titles by Shell Isenhoff
Christmas Mice Two separate short stories told through the shiny black eyes of Marty and Timothy, two mice who will remind children of the real reason for the Christmas season.
The Cost of an Orange Two inspirational short stories—one set in a one-room schoolhouse, the other in a modern courthouse—that share a theme of redemption.
The Command FREE! A retold story of the flood taken from a collection of 15 retold Bible stories entitled Another Perspective.