Have you ever seen something wondrous in the clouds above? Some sign from the heavens that changed your point of view?
That’s exactly what happened to Jackie Jansen. She was driving home from work, stressed over her recent decision to quit her job, when she saw something that turned her frown upside down. Here’s her sweet story…
When I was a little girl growing up in Tucson, the roof of our house was flat. In the evenings, my siblings and I would scamper up the outside stairs, lay on our canvas cots and exchange ideas about what we saw in the wispy clouds and brilliant stars above.
Even today, I still have my head in the clouds! In fact, my husband, Al, used to say that clouds were my favorite way of communicating with the Lord. I guess you could say that clouds have always been “our thing.”
Driving home from work one afternoon this past year, I found myself stressing out big time. I’d recently decided to quit my part-time job as an office manager for investment advisors in Phoenix.
It was a great job, but Al’s health was failing and I wanted to be there for him. His 20-year-old battle with prostate cancer left him weak and depressed.
I’d never pictured myself still working at the age of 76, but I still couldn’t help but wonder if I’d made the right decision. Was it really wise to quit now? What about the income I was giving up, which was paying down our debt?
I pulled up at a red light and glanced out my window. And that’s when I saw it. The skies were dark and gloomy, but a few bright rays of sunshine were peaking out. A beam of light suddenly broke through a hole in the clouds and transformed into what looked like a smiling mouth.
Ha! I thought. All you need are eyes and a nose. Instantly, two slits and small hole appeared directly above the opening. A face in the clouds smiled at me.
Tears streamed down my face as I smiled back. God has answered my prayers in interesting ways before, but this was truly remarkable.
“Of course, you don’t have to work,” I felt God telling me. “You’re 76 years old! Let me take care of things. Enjoy your husband.” A beautiful sense of peace came over me and I drove home reassured that God would take care of us, no matter what happened.
This past August, Al passed away. I’m so thankful for those months I had with him. Precious moments I’ll always remember, thanks to that nudge from God.
Do you have an awe-inspiring photo you’ve taken of clouds or nature? Send it to us at mw@guideposts.org!
