The Cardinal
When I was child, my mother loved to attract birds. We lived in the country on a lake in central Minnesota. She had a couple of bird feeders up and was constantly filling them. They were positioned intentionally so they could be viewed from the kitchen table all year around and not too far from the house so no snowstorm could keep her from the ”filling of the feeders” ritual. Spring would include oranges and string for the orioles and hummingbird feeders for the fasted little birds you will ever meet!
There was one bird that was elusive and it was of course her favorite bird. The Northern Cardinal did not often venture to central Minnesota. A sighting of a cardinal would bring much excitement but unfortunately rarely happened.
I couldn’t help but be taken in by her love for birds. I too have feed the birds throughout my adult life. Many of the birds at my feeders today are the same as from my childhood. There is one significant difference…there are cardinals everywhere!! Their calls are so distinctive that even if you can’t see them, you know they are near.
I can liken this to my relationship with the Holy Spirit in my faith walk. John 14:26 says, “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” Although the Holy Spirit is always present, sometimes it seems He’s hard to see.
The options are to:
- Listen carefully for His distinctive call.
- Position oneself in a place we will see Him.
- Ensure that He can be seen even in storms.
- Feed the relationship with Him.
We hear so much more about God and Jesus. This leads us to lose sight of the Holy Spirit. However, the Holy Spirit is so important in our relationship with God.
He is our:
- Truth Teller: “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth.” John 16:13
- Helper: “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness.” Romans 8:26a
- Intercessor: “We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.” Romans 8:26b
- Fruit Grower: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” Galatians 5:22-23
The Holy Spirit is not elusive like the cardinal in central Minnesota. Our challenge however is to intentionally connect with the Him throughout our day regardless of our circumstances. It’s His strength, guidance, assistance and source of truth we all need in today’s crazy world.
JW