Dear Friends,
No matter how you prepared yourself for the loss of a loved one, whether you knew it was imminent after an extended illness or a sudden death which caught you totally off guard, it still comes as a shock and a blow to you that your precious loved one is no longer here. They are gone along with many things that made life so delightful. I understand the anticipation of arriving home at the end of the day and the thrill of hearing their voice is gone. Sometimes you might decide to look at your photo albums to see what once was. I like to look back and reflect at grateful moments I’ve had.
Allow me to take you back to just twelve days before my husband, Pat, passed away. I was in Lima, Ohio with a friend of mine planning an event we were responsible for, since the venue was to be at her church. After we were done with the details, she asked me to stop by her husband’s office, the pastor of the church. We spoke briefly and before I left, he asked me to select a picture from his wall that was covered with beautiful canvas prints of the photography he had taken. I had no idea what to pick as there were many outdoor scenes to choose from. I decided to pick the portrait of a red cardinal (unaware of their history).
After the funeral and weeks later, while shopping I started noticing cardinal memorabilia. I decided to do some research, and this is what I found:
When a cardinal appears in nature it serves as a reminder that love never ends. Some say that a cardinal appears in your life when something important is going to happen OR maybe a new start after an end of something. The word cardinal comes from the Latin word, cardo, meaning “hinge.” The hinge on a door is a connector. The name Cardinal is given to the senior priest in the Roman Catholic Church. The Cardinal is the connection between heaven & earth. Theologically speaking we could say that the cardinal represents the Holy Spirit combining the work of the Spirit tied to the blood of Jesus Christ relating to eternal life. The saying“Cardinals Appear when Angels are Near,”represents possibly a spiritual message from Heaven that our loved ones are watching over us. People do say that after they have lost a loved one, they see them more frequently. The beautiful red male cardinals are associated with honor, power, and stability of a strong family along with balancing career & opportunities. Cardinals are ‘year-round’ birds, and their numerology association number is 12. Whether this is superstition, folklore, mythology, or just plain fiction. I really don’t know……
Here's the truth: There are mountain top experiences as we journey through this life, there are rare moments when everything is just perfect it seems, then there are ordinary days when nothing makes any sense. But all those moments whether good or bad make up life. Each day is a bonus to fully live. I know God can do anything he chooses and if he places a cardinal in your path, that’s fantastic! Jeremiah 31:3 reminds us that the Lord has loved you with an everlasting love. He has drawn you with unfailing kindness. He will build you up again. If you see red Cardinals, just smile and be encouraged. And you could even send them my way, because I have yet to attract them to my home. You could even go a step further and let me know your secret!
P.S. I see the portrait of my cardinal every day in my room.
I hope you have a blessed week,
Sharon
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