Readers Share Cardinal Stories

I would like to share some inspirational cardinal stories from some of my blogs' readers. Of course, Jeni, has a lot more on cardinals on her blog, too.

Gail, from the Christmas Miracles blog, stopped by the other day and made a comment on one of my cardinal posts. I'd like to share it with you:

"Laurie, I just had to comment on your note. Just yesterday I was thinking I should really blog about my "thing" with cardinals. Many years ago a dear friend and SS teacher shared with us the loneliness she had felt when she first moved from sunny CA to frozen IL. As she was praying, pouring out her sadness to God, a beautiful cardinal appeared right outside her window. As she looked at him and he sat watching her, she knew he was a messenger of God's love to her, assuring her that God was with her, loved her and would help her through this trying time.
I heard her story more than 25 years ago and still today whenever I see a cardinal, my heart hears God saying to me, 'Gail, I love you,' to which I respond, 'I love you, too.' and my heart is warmed and reassured of God's loving mercy toward me."

Isn't that a beautiful story? God is so amazing and there is no coincidence that others have felt comforted through cardinals.

Another friend and fellow poet, Walt, also made a comment about cardinals. Here is what he had to say:

"Laurie, Mom died on Christmas Eve in '86. On that day a cardinal came and took up residence in our apple tree and stayed until Feb. 5. Every year, the cardinal returned on Christmas Eve and stayed until early February. For twenty years a cardinal came and sat in that tree. Four days short of the 20th anniversary of her passing, Dad died. When Christmas Eve came that year, a second cardinal joined the first. When they left in February, that was the last we saw of them. They never returned. BTW, February 5th was Mom's birthday. I believe like you that God had sent both of those glorious birds as a sign. They brought a fractured family back together. Thanks for that piece to remind me what a wonder He is."

A while back, another reader, Kristie, e-mailed me with her experience with cardinals. Please read on:

"Hi Laurie, Over the past month or so I am surrounded by cardinals everywhere I go. It has become entertaining but calming. They used to just fly by real quick but now they never leave my side and follow me even in the back yard. I hear their singing so much that when I lay down at night to sleep it rings in my ear. Every morning I go outside first thing and say "Good Morning Mr. Cardinal" and he flies right over my head or sits on the fence and watches me. He follows the kids out back too. One followed us the entire 3 hour horse back ride in the nature preserve by our home.

I took my little boy to a state park to ride his 4 wheeler (12 y/o) and from the moment we got there a cardinal sang louder then I have ever heard. My little boy and I laughed so hard because it was relentless. As he rode over dirt hills the singing got so loud now to the left front of me I walked to find it in the woods. My friend Julie who just lost her husband Bill 6 months before to brain cancer called my cell. She said she was thinking of me and wanted me to know she got a message from Bill from a spiritual advisor. The woman told her Bill would communicate to her through cardinals if she was making the right decision and on the right track. He would show her a big circle with a line through if the answer was no or bad decision. I said Julie listen in the back ground. She said "Oh my God... Is that a cardinal?" I said "yes" and explained all afternoon. Suddenly the largest cardinal I have ever seen (the size of a crow!) came around the tree and was chasing a blue jay. I wont elaborate on all the examples I have but guess what happened in the next five minutes? My little boy wrecked his 4-wheeler, it rolled on top of him and he broke his wrist. As we pulled out of the campground the giant cardinal flew so close in front of our truck we gasped.

Another story I will make brief... is that I was praying on the phone with my friend Judy about ways to bring someone in my life to God and asked for a sign or knowledge and instantly a flock of 8 or 9 cardinals flew over head! My heart didn't start pounding out of my chest for 2 hours!

I went on your blog and read your story about the bird who was trying to tell you something. So I went outside and two blue jays flew overhead and I didnt see the cardinal. But I heard him. So I said, "Okay, I am going to listen. Oddly the cardinal was singing in the back yard so I went to the back. When I got to about where it was singing it was gone. So I waited and listened. Now it was coming from my back pasture (I have 10 acres) so I walked. As I got closer I notice their were four cardinals! 2 females and 2 males. And they were on the fence in between the two horse water troughs. When I got there I saw what they were trying to tell me. Each trough had one dead squirrel. It would have poisoned my horses or caused them to ot drink and dehydrate! What a miracle. Ten more cardinal little neat quirks to tell during the next 20 min of clean up to finding your email but my God I can't type forever! LOL We'll just say the cardinal made sure I saw your email right away."

The gorgeous crimson cardinals are such a beautiful addition to Christmas decorating, too. I hope your holidays are filled with God's love and miracles. May you also be blessed with many cardinals!