Cardinals
Published Mar 19, 2024
By Lisa Garnett
I saw a female cardinal today at the bird feeder. I thought about our perceptions of cardinals. We get excited to see a bright red cardinal. He is so vibrant and beautiful. The red color is so striking, he really stands out in a green or gray background. The female is so different. Why is she considered dull or boring or even ugly? Why do we not look at her or admire her like we do the male? May we should! After all she is God’s design.
I want to look at the female differently. Her feathers are not dull. They are a lovely golden brown that subtly turns into a darker red at the tip of her tail and wings. She could be considered quite fashionable today with her “ombre” coloring. Why is she so different from the male? She is designed to be a mother—one who is safe for her children. One who can take care of her family in the best way possible. She does not draw attention to herself, yet the crested feathers on her head are a “crown” that distinguishes her from other birds.
Why do we judge her and label her ugly, boring, dull? Why don’t we appreciate her and appreciate that she is the way God created her to be? She is created with a purpose in mind (in God’s mind!)
We are also created by God—each one of us in a unique way, with a special purpose behind our design. Why do we question God? Why do we judge ourselves and others? We label ourselves as pretty, beautiful, attractive or not. We are more concerned with how others view us, and we compare ourselves to others’ standards of “beauty.”
The cardinal does not look in a mirror and decide she’s not good enough, or she doesn’t measure up to the beauty of the male (the bright red male). She does not get depressed because of her appearance. She lives out her life, being who she was created to be, and doing what she was created to do. God must have thought she was perfect in his design for His creation is “good.” BUT we are “very good!” He designed us. He created us. He gave us life and purpose: we can be loving and caring, a safe haven for others, a good friend, a nurturer. We should not and do not need to draw attention to ourselves. The cardinal drew my attention to God, her creator. So I should draw others attention to God, my creator. I should strive to be like John the Baptist who said, “He (Jesus) must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:30) If I can be genuine, humble, grateful and joyful for who God created me to be, others may see God at work in my life as I point to Him as my amazing creator.
As I grow older, I’m aware that my “beauty” is fading. My hair color is changing, my skin is wrinkling, my body shape is changing. It’s hard not to look at celebrities, or other women and think, “I wish I looked like them. How do they stay so young looking?” That’s when I need to remember the encouragement that Paul gave us when he said, “So we do not lose heart. Even when our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure…because we look not at what can be seen; for what is seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal.” (2 Cor. 4:16-17)
