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It flies to my window sill, stays just long enough to peep inside. I guess it can see me because it flies away about as fast as it arrives.

MSC

It's a daily affair. I brought binoculars into the office, so I could keep abreast of it. It has a habit of flying to the same tree branch, then flying into the window. Finally, I was able to capture her in a photo. You have to be quick.

My sister-in-law thinks the redbird sees a reflection of itself in the window, but my wife thinks differently.

You see, the redbird is a symbol of her mother's spirit. My wife's mother died many years ago after suffering from heart disease. A few years ago my wife wrote a story about the redbird and what it symbolized to her. "Was her mother trying to tell her something?"

My wife has been fearful and anxious about health issues, especially when it comes to the heart.
I look for the redbird early every morning. We know it is a she-bird because of its color and texture. We looked it up on the Internet. Besides she comes and shows us a worm or an insect in her beak, then flies away to feed her little ones.

The past few weeks, my wife has been to the doctor. Alarm came when one doctor told her she found an irregular heart beat. She was sent to a cardiologist. Tests are being run at this time to see if there is a blockage.

She believes, quite strongly, the redbird is sending her a message. It comes from her mother's spirit.

The universe can often relay messages to us through signs. Often, we are too busy to stop and consider what may or may not be a sign. We may ask the universe for guidance, yet fail to recognize the sign it sends us in response.

Learning the subtle language of signs can help you interpret the guidance the universe sends your way. We all have been blessed with a connection that allows the universe to communicate directly with us. To be able to understand the information relayed over that connection, however, it is necessary that we learn to pay attention and know what to look for.

To see and correctly interpret a sign, you must open your heart and mind to the universe and invite its guidance into your life. Many of us are blind to the signs we receive because we expect angels or our spirit guides to speak to us in a booming voice and tell us exactly what we need to hear.

But signs are usually of this earth and therefore easier to encounter. A song lodged in your mind or a number that seems to pop up everywhere you look after you've asked the universe for guidance can both be signs.

Signs may come through the animal world, from strangers, or jump out of a book in the form of an insightful passage. A sign may be a direct answer to one of your questions. Other signs may point you in the right direction, warn of impending difficulties, or show you a different way. If you want the universe to send you a sign, tell it that you are ready and willing to accept its guidance.
Not everything you hear or see will be a sign. If you are receptive and patient, however, the signs you receive will become easier to recognize. It is important to listen to your intuition. A sign can mean many things to different people, and only you can decipher if a sign's meaning is for you. As you practice reading the signs and following their guidance, the universe will send more of them your way.

By learning from the example of our winged guides, all of us can feel empowered to take on daring challenges as we chart adventurous courses. Feel the strength of others moving alongside you, as their presence lends power to your wings during this journey across the sky of life.

When buffeted by unexpected gusts, we can choose to find refuge in the loving shelter of friends and family. We may even marvel as an otherwise difficult day passes by like a swift wind, as a kindred spirit charts a way for us through the clouds and rain ahead. If your wings begin to ache on your journey, look around for somebody else to fly at the front for a while. All of us move faster when we move together.

While the sign from the redbird might or might not be her mother's spirit telling her to take care of her heart, the symbol is there in my wife's mind. Is her mother warning her about her heart.

John W. Cargile, Msc.D, D.D. is a licensed pastoral psychology counselor. He is a member of the National Educational Association and Alabama Educational Association. E-books, reference material and study programs are now available at his website [http://www.21stcenturyministries.com] You can contact him at jwcargile@charter.net. All conversations are confidential.

John W. Cargile, Msc.D, D.D.