Red Cardinal, in the street.

Red cardinal, in the street.

Hopeless. Red. S i t t i n g . Crossing its feet. This is what I saw when I encountered this red cardinal in the street. It didn’t seem sad at first, thinking it was just a leaf. Until I looked closely and truly realized. No. This. Is a red cardinal, in the street. I got up close and analyzed its beak. It was red, it was real, and it truly was a red cardinal in the street. I was so sad thinking why is it sitting there, just crossing its feet. I’ve never been so close before, I wonder if it’s okay? Is it sick, is it broken? What’s wrong with its wings? As I analyzed this cardinal, I walked away sad because it looked so hopeless, down, depressed. Sitting there just waiting to be crushed by a car's wheel just speeding through the street. As I walked away, my head sunk down, not knowing what to do and sad and filled with defeat. When I felt a voice say “don’t leave my creation” I knew in my heart it was God reminding me that they too have a heartbeat. As I walked back I grabbed a stick. Not knowing what was next, but knowing I needed something to reach this little red cardinal that was just sitting in the street. As I walked, tears flooded my eyes. “You’re too beautiful to die.” I said as I tickled his belly with the stick filled with leaves. When I tickled his belly, he looked at me. He was filled with hope, peace, but could have also been confused thinking, why’d you leave the 99,  j u s t   f o r   m e  ? He flapped his wings and flew into the tree, with hope in knowing that he was loved, known, cared for and seen. As I walked away feeling good about myself, I was reminded that the cardinal in the street, was a representation of  m e .