Cardinal Love

[Inspired by a friend . . . my 2023 Christmas story.]

Do you have a bird feeder in your yard? We do. My wife and I love to watch the birds, especially our chickadees and cardinals.

We do nice things for our little bird buddies so that they will continue to linger outside our sunroom windows. We feed them sunflower seeds and we have a bird bath for them to drink out of and bathe in. We also have lilac bushes to provide them with protective cover.

Our favorite birds are a pair of cardinals that visit our feeder. Or should I say 'used to.' A few years ago we noticed that the female cardinal was missing. Something had happened to her – a predator maybe, disease, unknown.

Cardinals mate for life. They would always come to the feeder around sunset. Mr. Cardinal watched from a tree branch above while Mrs. Cardinal ate. And she always ate first.

It was sad to watch Mr. Cardinal sitting in the lilac bush, all by his lonesome, after he lost the love of his life. This year though we have a pair of cardinals again. It could be a new pair I guess, but I like to think that maybe Mr. Cardinal found someone new.

It is said that whenever we see a cardinal, after a loved one of ours dies, it is some sort of angel visiting us. I don’t believe in that kind of thing. But I do think of lost ones whenever I do see a lone cardinal.

It's easy to picture the male cardinal as a type of Jesus, don't you think? He’s always watching out from above for the benefit of His bride, the Church. There are lots of predators out there these days, seeking after an easy meal to devour. That 'meal' would be us - Christians living in a secular world.

"Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you." - James 4:8

The people that God has placed in our lives are there for a reason - to love. None of them is perfect, and neither are we. But God's command is clear.

"Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another." - John 13:34

Interesting. Twice in one verse Jesus tells us to love one another. Hmm. Maybe that's important.

So, that is my prayer for you this Christmas. May you draw nearer to God this year than you ever have before. May you 'love one another' better than ever, like Mr. Cardinal loves his bride, and like Jesus loves His Church.

And may you get yourselves a bird feeder for YOUR backyard as well. By doing something nice for someone else, whether for birds or for humans, you will find that YOU are the one who is being blessed.

Merry Christmas! Love you all.