The Why Behind the Red Bird Love Mission

Hi, I'm Katie Sheffield or, as I may call myself, the crazy red bird girl. I never imagined myself as a crazy person or much less crazy about a red bird but here we are! 

A little over 3 years ago, my mom lost her beloved boss unexpectedly. And a little less than 3 years ago, I lost one of the greatest papas I'll ever know, unexpectedly. Little did I know, these losses would be the inspiration behind my red bird obsession and much less a mission. My mom shared some stories about a red bird being a sign that she felt was Dr. B (her beloved boss) and to be honest, I never really thought much of it and just thought it was maybe her way of coping until after Papa Freddy passed. Papa Freddy was a special, one-of-a-kind papa who loved his little ones. And my little one was one of the lucky ones who got to experience his love until the Lord called him home. After papa Freddy passed, a red bird became not only my way of coping but also my sign that he's around, maybe not in body but definitely in spirit! I have to tell you that I have only had a couple of days that a red bird hasn't made its appearance whenever I am dropping my little one off at his Mimi's (Papa Freddy's wife) or picking him up! 

I guess the famous saying goes..." This is how it all began!" Which leads me to the inspiration behind my mission and how "The Red Bird Love Mission" really began. 

This past year has unfortunately been a year of loss. A loss of a sweet aunt Susie, a coworker, a coworker's precious mom and brother, a beloved nana, an amazing big daddy and a young loving patient of mine- Jeremiah. I have to say over the last 2 years, I've lost several that I've loved, and my heart never knew death and grief like it does now. But I also feel like God has led me to this place in my life where I've been called. My heart aches, but now longs for heaven. I now have a desire to give love to a broken heart and to lead someone to Jesus so they can see heaven one day too. 

This is how the red bird mission started. It started with the idea of giving hope to a person's broken heart. After my recent personal deaths, I went on a gift mission. A mission to give a birdhouse to the ones impacted by the loss so that maybe, just maybe, a red bird would show up and it would give them the feelings it gives me. A sign that "whenever a cardinal appears... an angel is near." After recently finishing my personal mission, God has been working on a bigger mission! He's laid on my heart to not just touch my loved ones, but the ones I may not know! I started praying recently that He'd give me direction, a desire, a plan, a purpose, heck, even time at this point. And without hesitation, I can tell you that He has worked. He has given me ideas and made a way to which I've tried to come up with 99 excuses as to why I just don't know or think this thing could work! 

My hope and prayer for this mission is to not only give hope to a broken heart, but to also lead a broken heart to the heavenly home where their loved ones spend eternity! 

Philippians 4:4-7 

4: Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! 5: Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. 

6: Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done. 7: Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. 

P.S. If your heart needs a song, listen to "Red Bird" by Huntergirl. It might be exactly what you need to hear!