Sheldon The Cardinal

For the last two years, we have had an interesting bird take up residence on our property.

It's a gorgeous male cardinal that we have lovingly named "Sheldon."



If you're a fan of the comedy "The Big Bang Theory," then you are very familiar with the character of Sheldon. Sheldon always knocks three times (over & over) on the door of the person (or persons) he is trying to get the attention of. If you've never seen the show, here is a clip of Sheldon "knocking."



We were first made aware of our "Sheldon" when we heard him knocking on our basement windows.

From sun up to sun down, "Sheldon" is knocking.

Every. Single. Day.

We've tried to do things to scare him away.

We've put rubber snakes in the window. They didn't scare him off.

We've put stuffed animals in the window. They didn't scare him off either.



In fact, he looks like he's sitting amongst his friends.



(Every time I see him sitting in the window with all of the stuffed animals, I'm reminded of an old Sesame Street song that has lyrics that go something like this: "Four of these things belong together. Four of these things are kind of the same. Can you guess which one of these doesn't belong here?" But I digress.)

Day after day "Sheldon" knocks.

I've been told a few different reasons as to why people think "Sheldon" knocks on our windows all day long. Some say that he more than likely is seeing his own reflection and is trying to protect himself and his nest from this stranger he thinks he is seeing in the window.

I at first thought to myself, "What an idiot! He spends all day long, every single day fighting a battle that doesn't even exist. He's his own worst enemy!"

Then I realized, that sounds very familiar......

"You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye." (NIV) ~Matthew 7:5

I was suddenly humbled.

Very humbled.

How many days have I wasted in my life fighting battles that don't even exist?

How many days have I wasted on worry?

How many days have I wasted on doubt?

How many days have I wasted on all of the "What ifs" that I could possibly think of?

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."(NIV) ~John 14:27

I realized, the only difference between "Sheldon" and me, is that I know better.

I have God's Word to read and be encouraged by each and every day. I have no excuses for wasting my days fighting battles that don't exist. Not one.

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline." (NLT) ~2 Timothy 1:7

I also have to hand it to "Sheldon," because he does have an incredible work ethic. From sun up to sun down, he is working, which is more than I can say for most humans I know.

He works so hard, that now he's even decided to take up a second job. He has started knocking on our kitchen window as well. I guess I should say "crashing into our kitchen window." There is not a ledge for him to sit on at the kitchen window, so he just crashes into it.

Over and over.

Every. Single. Day.

As I sit typing these words, he is crashing into the window. Bless his heart.

Now every time I hear "Sheldon" knocking on or crashing into the windows, or even if I see a cardinal just flying outside, I'm reminded to not borrow trouble and to not create problems, where problems do not exist.

I hope after reading this, that each time you see a red cardinal, that you will also be reminded to not have a spirit of fear and to simply trust the Lord with your life.

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?" ~Matthew 6:25-27

That being said, if any of the ten of you reading this blog post have windows that would benefit from a bird knocking on them all day long every single day, I know of a cardinal in Crazyville that has lost his current position and is looking for a new place to work. ;)

"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle." ~John Watson