My "Lot" in Life

It was the first truly warm, beautiful day we’d had in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia since a rather harsh, seeming endless winter.  The sky, while it started out with some substantial clouds in the early morning, had cheered up to a brilliant blue and a bright, foreign ball-like object in the sky, which I recognized later as the sun, had warmed the air up to 60 degrees. It was shaping up to be a beautiful day – at least weather wise anyway.

My day started at four o’clock in the morning and by eleven o’clock I was already at job number two – and had even managed to get a run in at the gym.  I went from ON-AIR radio host to a worked out security guard with the snap of my fingers and a change of clothes.  I was pretty proud of myself in regard to my productive day until I got posted in an empty parking lot with orders to keep it empty on one of the busiest days of the year for that particular complex.

Have you ever had to stand alone in a parking lot for hours with literally nothing to do? Well, such a task is not fun if you’re geared anything like me.  About fifteen minutes in to my five hour shift I was about to go stir crazy when all of a sudden a brilliant red cardinal flew into one of the trees bordering my lot. This wonderfully beautiful creature commenced to serenade me and for the next forty-five minutes he kept me company with his lovely songs.  I felt like the beneficiary of a private concert – in a way, I was.

Then, in what seemed like way too short of a spell, my fine-feathered singing sensation started to flit around from tree to tree; it was clear he was moving on to the thicket across the busy road.  Before he got too far away I said to the cardinal, Kayden I’d named him, “Mr. Cardinal, you be sure to come back when I’m ready to get off post so I can take your picture.”  With that, Kayden the Cardinal flew away. 

The next four hours on my post were practically torture; the fine weather being the only joy the job afforded. Toward the end of my shift however, the clouds were starting to return and the sun began playing hide-and-seek with them.  In my bored and now weary state I forgot about visitor from before and all I could think about was getting my end call. 

About five minutes before that call came in, who do you think showed up in the same spot of the same tree? Kayden the Cardinal!  He started in on another concert and I listened intently until I heard, “Attention all gates. Bring it in.”  With that I walked with haste to turn in my gear and my reports.  With in minutes I was back at my post, this tyme with camera in hand, and captured some wonderful shots of my beautiful, serenading friend.  I went home smiling and praising the Creator for His handiwork and for sending me a reminder that even when my lot in life seems lonely and weary He is always there to lift my spirits!