I know the Lord touches and speaks to us in many forms; through a word, a song, a friend, a stranger, a pet, or nature. It’s just His way. I am originally from New York State where Cardinals could be seen nearly every day . Here in Florida, you see them, but not as frequently. My belief has been that every time I see a Cardinal, it is the Lord, saying to me, “Susan, I am here and everything is going to okay.”
I have a passion and love of photography, especially nature and animals. I love to sit on my back porch to enjoy all the beauty the Lord provides for us. For weeks, I have occasionally been seeing a pair of male and female cardinals. I would get a glimpse of this beautiful red flash. They would perch upon the fence, long enough for me to run and grab my camera. And of course, they would then fly away before I could get a shot. It has been my mission to capture these gift’s of God in a photograph. One day, I was able to get one photo of the male and female before they flew away. I was ecstatic! And as always when this occurs, I felt the presence of the Lord saying , “Susan , I am here and everything is going to be okay.” Time has passed, with still this one lone photo of the Cardinals. Now over these past few weeks of near misses of capturing the beloved Cardinals, I started to leave my camera on the porch, through my fiances great advice. I was determined I would get the perfect shot one day.
Yesterday was a particularly hard day. It was my last day of employment, I had decided the Lord led me to walk away, as I feel He has greater plans in store for me. I was at peace with my decision and God’s will. Yet, as the day unfolded, I felt my five years of employment with this company ended in a very anti-climatic way. No words of , ” You have been a great asset to the company”, or “We were glad to have you as such a valuable employee.” It’s not as though I expected a parade, or a parting gift for my service with them. A kind word would have gone a long way. So, I left feeling somewhat like I had been kicked in the stomach. Even though my expectations on this day were quite low.
I walked out to the back porch, my quiet haven, feeling kind of lost and slightly irritated. I sat down with my cup of coffee, and I look up, and what do I see? Two cardinals perched upon the fence! Yet, I remember my camera is in the house ( I had moved it the previous night), so I run to grab my camera, fully believing I would get a shot. And yes, again, they flew away. This day though, something told me, they will come back. ( Looking back to this, I know it was the Lord). So I waited, camera on and ready to go. Sure enough, they both came back! First, they perched together, and I was able to get several great shots. Then the male flew to another part of the fence by a Bottle Brush Tree (It has vibrant red blooms). It was as if he was posing just for me! So I happily took several more. Then, the female came back to join her mate. A few more photos were taken, and I was overtaken with excitement and joy! I ended up getting ten photos, and only two had a slight blur due to my eagerness to get the photos. After all of this, I sat again in disbelief. Then the sheer magnitude of what took place hit me! The Lord was literally shouting, “Susan , I am here, and everything is going to be okay!”, ” I am here for you always and in All ways”. I then could release my disappointment from my anti-climatic last day of employment. This was irrelevant. He has greater things planned for me on this day and days to come!
What a blessing, what a miracle! The message I received was, don’t lose hope, ever, there is always a way, there is always more He will bring our way! Thank you Dear Lord for once again reaffirming your love and promises , that are ever present, every day! Thank you Jesus, for loving me, and always knowing my needs, even before I do. I am filled with peace that the Lord will provide. I know that when one door closes, He is standing with another one open, waiting for us to walk through. I did not need accolades from my past employer, when I have the glory of the Most High Lord! Thank You Lord, for this reminder. It is only Your opinion that matters, it is only Your glory I need to seek! by Susan
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Susan says
Thank you for all your kind comments! How kind and sweet your words are. They mean the world to me! Thank you for taking the time to read this! I feel truly blessed!
Michelle Garnett says
You said it all so elequently…so moving….we all need to remember that when we seem the lowest…God is there holding us up…reminding us that His Presence is all we need…for He is truly all we will ever need…amen.
Michelle316 says
You are truly one of God’s precious “Angels”, in whom He is greatly pleased. You have been blessed with such an amazing gift of “writing”. Your words speak volumes of His great love for us. When we wait on Him and allow the Holy Spirit to guide our path, such wondrous things seem to unfold. I know God has a plan for you and is so proud of your accomplishments, as am I. Rest in His peace!
Nick says
I’m sure everything will work out for the best. It’s good that you had something to signify that day that it will work out as it is typically the difficult moments that lead to greater things. It is easy to stay in a job that is comfortable and telling yourself that it is too hard to move on when you know that is exactly what you should do. By taking the difficult step it will set up some easier steps down the road. At least you know He is on your side with this…..
Carol says
What an awe inspiring moment for you , to have our Lord , speak to you the way he did. The cardinal’s are beautiful and the message gives me hope for you and myself.
You should be very proud of this website of inspiration ,love and hope.
Judy says
It seems that you were so blessed that glorious day of the cardinals, as was I upon reading your beautiful and inspiring story. I feel honored to have the opportunity to read your work. And he really did pose for your perfect picture didn’t he?! I’m so proud of your amazing work on this website! And i’m so eager for what’s to come.