Birds of a Feather: On Redness and Awareness

We let our bird feeder run empty over the summer as our only visitors in that season were crowds of greedy squirrels who could empty the feeder in an afternoon, jumping precariously from the railing to the swinging feeder like contestants on the American Ninja Warrior show.  And the squirrels' perennial audience enjoying the spectacle were the grey silent doves lined up on the railing, waiting to feast afterwards. 

We filled the feeder this week.  Within a day, we noticed finches, chickadees, a Rufus-sided towhee, and a cardinal.  

On this rainy, grey December morning, a bright red cardinal on the feeder caught my eye.  His brilliant color stood in sheer contrast with the dreary appearance around him, not in an arrogant "look at me" kind of way.  But as if to greet me with a "there you are!"  The sight of this cheery bird made me smile.

 

Does this bird wonder: "God, I don't know why You put me here.  Or why You made me so red?"

God's purposes are always far beyond our radar.  We do not always face valiant battles with fire-breathing dragons, but ordinary days that are riddled with His divine appointments that we rarely notice.

Because this bird is a reminder -- a wake up call -- to a redeeming we cannot imagine.  God is trying to get our attention.  Not just to bless us with His splendor, but to be aware of His Presence.

God created.  God created beauty.  And He created in us the capacity to recognize beauty, to be awed by it, and to respond to it.  There is good news after all.  And that is the gospel natural and essential in all of life.

Sometimes God sends momentary beauty to cheer us on -- like a fleeting patch of redness on the canvas of our day.

And sometimes He reminds us through it to

     be that cardinal 

                        for someone else.

How can I encourage someone today?

Not look at me,

   but there you are!

Those fly-bys

    and lingerings that say,

                        I see you. 

         You are not alone.

God makes us red 

        on His paths for us

and aware of unexpected opportunities

     in blessing others

at a moment's notice.

Sometimes we 

       don't even notice

      how God is using us

         or His faithfulness

         carefully colored in.

I could see the cardinal.

I don't think he could see me.

As he flew off,

   he had no idea

   his impact on my heart.

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?

                     Matthew 6. 26

Be that cardinal.