The Comforter
By Christy Lowman
Burke County
What is the most colorful bird you will see in your backyard? If you guessed cardinal, you are correct.
Did you know they are usually the first bird you will see at your bird feeder in the morning and they are the last to visit it in the evening?
They are granivorous birds, meaning they eat mostly seeds and nuts. God made their beaks perfectly just for this reason. Their beaks are coned shaped and will open seeds and nuts easily.
Cardinals are also monogamous, meaning they mate for life. During their courtship, male cardinals will feed their mate by giving her a seed “beak to beak”. This looks like they are kissing.
The females stay on the nest of usually three eggs.
While she is incubating the eggs, the father will bring her food. After the babies are born, both parents will take care of the young until they are old enough to leave the nest.
Cardinals are also called Redbirds, Virginia Nightingale, and the Winter Redbird.
These songbirds are one of a few songbirds where both males and females can both sing. In fact, females have more elaborate songs than males.
The normal lifespan of these beautiful birds is three years. However, one female lived to be fifteen years old. She holds the world record.
Some people believe cardinals represent life, hope, and restoration. Some believe that when a cardinal visits it means angels are near. Cardinals also comfort people because they remind them of a lost one that has died.
If you have lost a loved one, I am truly sorry but please know that God will comfort you during this time if you will lean on Him. Only God can heal your broken heart. And if your loved one was saved, you will see them again in heaven. That’s why it is so important to tell others about Jesus so that when we all pass away we will spend eternity together in heaven if we are saved.
Dear Lord, please comfort us when we are sad about losing a loved one. Help us lean on You during this difficult time. We rejoice in knowing that one day, we will all be reunited once again with You in heaven. In Jesus’s name, we pray, Amen.
“And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” (Revelation 21:4)
Bibliography
https://birdwatchinghq.com/interesting-facts-about-cardinals/
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/c/cardinal/
https://www.thespruce.com/fun-facts-about-cardinals-385528
Photo credit: Jonah Lowman
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Christy Lowman is a Christian author and illustrator that lives in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains with her husband and two children. She enjoys writing and illustrating books for all ages. Some of her short stories are published with Guideposts and HCI. Christy gives all the glory to God in everything she does. A portion of every book sold from the Small Bible Character Series will be donated to battle human trafficking. If you enjoy her books, “like’ her author page on Faceook and let her know! You can buy her books at //www.amazon.com/s?i=stripbooks&rh=p_27%3AChristy+Lowman&s=relevancerank&text=Christy+Lowman&ref=dp_byline_sr_book_1. You can reach her at //www.facebook.com/authorChristyLowman/
or christyssoaps@yahoo.com
You can read more Christian news from Christy here.
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