Please indulge me as I take you again to my favorite hiking spot – Mt. Pisgah. (See my post “… path …” from May 10th) Since I did not have to work today, among my many ‘to-do’s’ on my list was a trip to Mt. Pisgah to climb the stairs. I am drawn to those stairs. It is such a challenge to look up and feel determined to make it to the top. It may sound to you like it would be same-old same-old and boring, but it is different every time! The weather can be warm, hot, cool, clammy, humid, freezing, rainy, snowy, or just plain old nice. The plants come and go with the seasons, as well as the colors of spring to summer and fall with all the different wildflowers I see. I pass different people all the time – from tourists and locals to campers and daily climbers.

These 2 photos are from the same place along the climb up Mt. Pisgah. What a difference a week makes!

I also enjoy the different animal life that I may spot. As I walk, I keep my ears tuned to any ‘rustle’ I may hear. I will stop dead in my tracks if I hear that sound and will look for what is making it. I’ve seen deer, chipmunks, and rabbits! Today, the birds were all chirping like crazy. As you enter the Mt Pisgah area, you take a path away from the street and gradually wind your way to the stairs. As I leave the street and the sounds of the cars behind, the sounds of the birds get louder and clearer.

Are you familiar with how, when you are visited by a red cardinal, that it is supposed to be a visit from a dearly departed loved one? Now when Amanda died, we often felt she was ‘visiting’ every time we saw a lone untethered helium balloon (see my blog ” … a balloon story… ” from 2/5/2015) but a visit from a butterfly also reminds us of her. I know someone who felt that their departed loved one visited when they saw a dragonfly. Now, since my dad, or Pop, passed away, I have occasionally felt his visits came with a cardinal sighting. As I walked today at Mt. Pisgah and heard all the calling birds, I heard from the steps below me, a man clear his throat and it reminded me of my Pop. It sounded like him. I sort of chuckled and thought – alright Pop, I’d love a visit today, so send me a cardinal! No sooner had I reached the top deck of the stairs when I heard a bird calling form the tree above me. Now I don’t know bird calls, but this one was very clear and I turned my eyes towards where I heard the sound and guess what I saw?

Can you see it in the left photo? It’s almost at the top! Oh my – I whipped out my phone and took a picture as fast as I could! I was both smiling and crying as I was visited by this red bird! I said out loud, “Thanks Pop!” It was just so cool.

It was just the other day when I was climbing Mt. Pisgah that I passed a couple of guys with camera lenses a foot long as they were obviously taking photos of birds. I actually stopped a few times so as not to walk and scare away the bird that they were photographing. I asked in passing, ‘What kind of bird are you seeing?’ and they answered … I can’t even remember … but it was this blah blah blah red eyed something something bird. THEY knew what kind of bird it was – and I was clueless. And in my ups and downs of climbing, I actually stopped past them a second time and asked, “Oh what do you see this time?” They answered again with the name of some bird, warbler, or blue black I don’t know bird. I guess I don’t know my birds. But it made me think. There are SO MANY kinds of birds and these photographers knew what they were looking for, AND what the name of the bird was as well. It reminded me of this bible verse:

Luke 12:6-7 Are not 5 sparrows sold for 2 pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.

Have you ever thought about how special you are to God? Yes, you! Our God, creator of all things, creator of YOU, knows who you are. Just like those bird photographers knew what kind of bird they were taking a picture of – God knows YOU! AND he knows your name! God knows every living thing on this planet – and cares about them all. Even more so, he knows and cares about you. What an amazing God we have. I mean, I couldn’t even imagine learning all the names of all those birds the guys were snapping photos of. God created us, and knows us, and calls every one of us by name.

John 10:3 The sheep hear his voice and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.

I surely do not know all the names of the birds, but I know that cardinals are a red bird and as the saying goes, “When cardinals appear, a lost loved one is near”. I believe that. How wonderful for God to make that small miracle for me today! And just as God knows the livelihood of every bird on this earth, he certainly knows of every PERSON on this earth. He knows your name!

I pray your day takes you to many special places <3

just Laurel