I had a strange thing happen to me on the day of my father’s funeral. Around communion time, I noticed a very red “flutter” just outside one of the chapel windows. The object bounced up and down and went back and forth very frantically. It took me minute, but I realized that the “flutter” was a male cardinal, making a definitive attempt to fly through the chapel window.

Later that afternoon, my mother and I were sitting on her front porch when a male cardinal began to fly back and forth in the yard. Mom turned to me and whispered, “Theresa, did you see that cardinal at church this morning, trying to get into the church? Do you think that was Dad?”

 Later that summer, the whole family gathered for an important discussion of items that needed to be settled after Dad’s death. We had told several people about the cardinal sightings. Others had added events that they had experienced. One sister opened a box of stuffed animals after the funeral, only to find that there was a big red cardinal right on top of all the others. And she hadn’t ordered a cardinal!

Most of the nine siblings accepted the idea that maybe God was sending us messages in the form of the cardinal to keep Dad’s memory fresh and to bring some comfort for his loss. However, there was one skeptic who was quite vocal that this was just a lot of hooey. That is until during this family meeting, a big red, noisy, male cardinal flew to all the windows of the family room. Sitting in the bushes right outside the windows, the bird seemed to want to be sure that we knew that my father was giving a blessing to our tasks.

Today I saw two cardinals. Both flew right across my car as I was driving. I haven’t seen any near my house in a while. My first thought was “Hi, Dad!” Then, I slowed down to remember him and his influence on my life.

His faithfulness to God and his family in the face of adversity has served as an example for me. He is a cause for gratitude to a loving God, because I truly believe that the reason that we made it through the “storm” was because God’s grace surrounded us. Because my father believed deeply in a loving God, he made sure all his children were regularly in God’s presence to receive the messages of God’s love.  

Do I believe that the red cardinal is my father? No, but for me it is a powerful reminder of his love, and the sight of one can lift my day whenever I see one. Just as Christ’s cross reminds me of the limitless love which God has for his children. God loves you unconditionally and eternally; wherever you go and whatever you do. Read Matthew 11:25-30 and come to the Lord with all your cares.   

 Terri