My Redbird...

Redbird...5-14-25

Matthew 6:26 says, "Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?" In this verse, God speaks of his profound love and desire to protect us. To me, He is saying if I can care for, provide for, and protect what many see as insignificant, then you should know how great my love is for you.

I have this Redbird that comes to visit almost every day I'm outside. It started showing up about a couple of months ago. This was about the time that it finally hit me hard how much I miss my sister. She was my go to. She would set me straight, cut me no slack, but love me through it. She was the one sibling out of all the biological and adopted that truly treated me like I belonged. To her, I was simply "Sis".

This has been a difficult time for me the past few weeks. The 6th was her birthday. Then Mother's Day and my biological mother's 80th birthday would have been the 18th. Papa, my husband's father, has been gone 17 years on the 19th. The day that I consider to be especially sweet memories is the 22nd which is our 38th anniversary. We dated for 5 years before and you can bet I count those years, so 43 in all. Then with some other things going on lately, it has been an emotional roller-coaster.

Many people believe that a Cardinal is a sign of a loved one's presence. The internet says, "It's believed that they bring messages of comfort, encouragement, and reassurance that you are not alone." I don't need a bird to tell me she is here with me, but it is no coincidence this bird is present. I firmly believe God reminds us in the little things that He is comforting, caring, and holding us through times of struggles. Yes, it is a struggle. I am an emotional person. I feel deeply. I love with my whole being. I mourn loss whether it is a loved one, stranger, or even friendship. I don't share easily and I don't ask for help. I have just started asking for prayers in the last year or so. Just begun to learn to let people in. I've been told too many times in the past that I'm too much and have too much baggage to be a friend. Most of the time, no one knows anything but God and my husband. So in this too, I will come through stronger and more assured of His mercies as I always do.

Matthew 5:4. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” I painted this several year ago and my sister loved it. She loved redbirds too.