Earlier this week, I was in my apartment when I heard a bump on my sliding glass doors that immediately caught my attention — and the attention of my two kitties.

Unfortunately, the “bump” was a small bluebird who obviously crashed head-first into the glass. He laid on his side for a moment or two, then uprighted himself to a seated position, about 12 inches from the entryway to my home.

And just sat there.

Cooper and Elsie (my cats) were intrigued...it had been a very long time since they had seen a flying creature this close and up front. They chittered as they approached the glass in their silent approaches. Cooper’s head was like a bobble-head as he attempted to get the best glance at the timid little feathered beast without letting the bird see his movements.

Elsie also chittered but after  pawing at the glass in a fruitless attempt to get a feel for the fledgling, she gave up and just watched silently.

The bird, with his back to the window, rotated his head from side to side to keep the felines in sight but nary moved a muscle for at least 10 minutes. I knew it was alive and breathing but I was really surprised it sat in a crouched position for such a long time. It obviously tried to look past the swirling stars in its eyes and get its bearings back as best as it could.

I started to wonder...what if  the little bird’s bump caused him to lose his memory and he forgot he was a bird? What if he sat there because he thought he was a rhinoceros and couldn’t comprehend how he ended up on someone’s patio deck? What if he thought he was also a cat and couldn’t figure out how to hiss or meow or paw at the window when he saw Cooper and Elsie?

Maybe while he just sat there he comprehended what his purpose in life was? What if — when he flew head-first into the window — it was a dare by his friends to do something brave and now they all took off amid laughter and cat-calls?

What if he was chased by a much larger creature — say, an owl or a falcon — and he veered off to draw attention his way while his bird family escaped  the battle?

What if he thought he was the one inside the glass room and was trapped? What if he just sat there because he felt if he tried to fly he’d just bonk his little head again?

All those “wonders’ went right out the window (literally, sort of) when the bird lifted his wings and fluttered off over the railing and into the evening sky. He had regained his confidence and his bearings and started to soar through the grey skies as if he had not experienced a 10-minute pit stop. He was obviously aware he was still a bird.

I still wondered what meaning this little scenario may have presented itself to me (I tend to look for signs and answers from God all the time.) Was God  maybe trying to tell me to be still in my life? Was God maybe telling me to quit using my head instead of my heart? Was God maybe telling me to quit trying to be someone I’m not?

Was God trying to tell me to  not fear my enemies? Was God trying to tell me to take flight on a new project or idea? Was God trying to tell me to not let recent failures or obstacles knock me down? Or, was God just trying to tell me to hit the deck?

Whatever He is trying to tell me I hope to have an answer soon. It’s funny how a little bump in the night can get you wondering...