Living Faith:
Take time to view God’s canvas in skies
By Roxane B. Salonen, The Forum
I don’t remember exactly what prompted it, but several years ago my eyes started wandering upward, and I’ve had a permanent but welcomed crick in my neck ever since.
“Why did it take so long to notice?” I whisper while peering into the expansive, prairie sky, spotting the latest treasure.
Recently I was out on an evening errand and caught sight of a particularly dazzling sunset, with all varieties of oranges, pinks and purples. Frustrated I couldn’t get quite the right view for a good photo, I started chasing it – chasing down the sky.
By the time I got what I wanted, I could see Casselton. “You’re crazy,” I said out loud while turning back for home. “Oh, but it was so worth it,” I added, smiling.
I’ve captured many images that are, by others’ accounts, breathtakingly spectacular. I even have a few viewing spots staked out along the school route, and will go out of my way some mornings just to freeze in time these stunning, fleeting images and share them on Facebook.
For a while, I thought it was just the sky in general, but then friends from other parts of the country began commenting on the extraordinary North Dakota skies.
“Please, keep those sky shots coming,” they said, helping me to appreciate all the more the palette from above.
My kids used to roll their eyes when they sensed I was about to pull over the van to get the right frame. But in time they grew accustomed to my skyward obsession.
Sometimes, when I’m at the wheel, my daughters will offer to take over sky-photo duty. They’ve managed to produce some very nice digital sky-paintings in the process.
And my boys have become my best critics. “Wow, that’s cool,” my mesmerized youngest will say when I’ve nailed it. He knows a good sky shot when he sees it now.
To think I might have caved to the sighs and shrugs a couple years back. My kids would have missed what I’ve come to know: that these moments in time are more than coincidence.
I now find these astounding canvases, where cloud meets color, shadow meets light and the sun makes both its morning debut and grand finale, to be sweet messages from God.
God is the grand artist, after all, and the sky, his easel. We are the blessed spectators, fortunate to be witnessing the hour-by-hour grandeur.
Sometimes the sky not only inspires but comforts. One particularly dark time in my life, I was driving out of town, an overwhelming sense of despair bearing down. Suddenly, above a field to the left, I caught sight of the most incredible rainbow.
This is what I heard coming from the sky that day: “It’s going to be OK, Roxane.”
“OK,” I said, tears dripping down. “Thanks.” I pulled over and let them flow, rinsing out the sadness, the rainbow still glowing nearby.
It’s not always that dramatic, though. Often the message is a simple, “Top of the morning to you!”
But what I mostly hear in these sky images, so vibrant and wild, is this: I love you.
Thankfully, I’m not alone in my passion. On days a particularly bold proclamation comes across the sky, my Sunset Sister, Pat, will text me, “Did you see that one, Roxane? If not, get outside – now!”
I’d encourage you to give it a try. You’ll no doubt feel a little silly at first. Others in your life might think you’ve cracked. But in time, you’ll wear your new sky-gazer title proudly.
And I hope eventually you’ll not only see the artistic masterpiece but hear the accompanying audio as well.
“Beloved child, you think this is good? Just wait until you see what else I have up my sleeves.”
Roxane Salonen is a freelance writer who lives in Fargo with her husband and five children. If you have a story of faith to share with her, email roxanebsalonen@gmail.com.
Just beautiful…the pix, as well as your style.
I, too, am a lover of sunset/sunrises ( thought not a morning person, I guess it’s safe to say I have taken more than my share of sunSET than sunRISE shots, unless we are on a trip and driving, driving, driving to get to our destination and possibly have driven through the night, to be rewarded with a sunrise after all those hours on the highway!)
Love the last pic with the silos. Can I tell you, Roxane, that ND is one of the only 2 states in teh US that I have NOT been to? And I do know it is beautiful
Also, I don’t know if you checked back to my blog; I really should have contacted you reg your com abt following me…..I re there but did not reply directly to you – sorry about that. No, no one has had trouble with signing up…I have another email add that I use only for the purpose of keeping my yahoo group message board emails and I signed up for a blog subscription from that email add to test it…it did work…So I do apologize that you have had trouble…I wish that was not happening to you…
Thx for shring this beautiful piece…I love your poetic style.
I’d love it if you’d consider linking up t0 my hop, called Memoir Mondays. I know you have writing deadlines elsewhere and that you write for this personal blog of yours on Weds…but if you;d like to, from time to time, I can furnish you with the links to my Memoir Monday pieces…they are also at my blog…tho my son has had a bit of trouble getting all the “pages” with that label to be listed when we click on that tab at the top of the blog…I believe 2 are there though. (He’s my personal tech guy. I really would have a lot of blank-ness on my blog w/o him helping b.c he has taught me everything about “dressing it up.”)
Take care Roxane….I am getting caught up and can I tell you this is the best way to spend 2:30 AM? Writing to a friend about her lovely inspiration!
xo
Chris
Stunning photos, Roxane! Another thing we have in common: the permanent crick in the neck from looking skyward! I have separate folders in my iphoto labeled for clouds and sunsets and sunrises! And just like you, I’ve already got my favorite spots to capture the magic around my neighborhood sky scoped out. My kids and your kids could probably commiserate about being delayed so mom can pull over to take a picture of the sky.
And oh, how I can relate to feeling like it is a special message from God. I treasure them like love notes from a beloved. 🙂
Ok, Roxane, I think I know what the problem is with subscribing to my blog:
I originally called the blog “The House on Magnolia” and then, for a few reasons, changed it.
So if you are getting email confirmation from feedburner with the old blog title, you might be thinking there’s a glitch…
I really don’t know how to change that in the feedburner sign up.
TYhank you for letting me know though.
Prayers still, Roxane,and Happy Valentine’s Day.
Have I seriously had the privilege to be with you as you captured two of those photos? Wow- so lucky! You definitely don’t disappoint and I simply love seeing your words in print once again in the Forum!!
I absolutely love this piece! I, too, am a skywatcher, and when my spiritual director told me one day that she lost herself in the sky nearly every day, I knew why we were kindred spirits. There’s something about gazing skyward that reminds us of our place in creation and that connects us to the divine, all at once. Beautiful images you’ve captured, too.