Double Take, the Face in the Clouds

Sleet was sharply bouncing off the windows as I sat huddled in front of my computer, hands encased in wool gloves. I was sorting through the files of pictures I had taken in September of our trip to the Outer Banks. I couldn’t get the vision of the  ethereal pink clouds shaped like great wings out of my memory.

Solemn winter evenings created the perfect space for wistfully looking at our last days at the ocean. Finding the file with the clouds, I smiled as I gazed at those pink wings. Smiled, than my breath caught, I looked away, then looked again. I quickly scanned the other pictures of the wings, and there, nestled under the far wing was a face. I told myself I was crazy and closed the files. I didn’t tell Doug.

I would go back and sneak a peek at the picture, yes the face was still there and I knew exactly the face I had seen, the chalk drawing hangs in our living room. One winter evening, I called Doug to come take a look at the photos. “What do you see when you look under the wing?” He looked and was quiet. “Do you see what I see? I asked him. Yes, he too saw a face. I closed the file again. I am a realist, a “cut the crap, give me the bottom line” kinda girl, not one given to seeing faces in clouds.

IMG_2182-006

His face haunted me, hung in front of my eyes, called to me. I asked Doug if we could do an overlay of the chalk portrait over the face in the clouds. He walked me through all the steps of photographing the portrait and loading it and the cloud picture into Gimp. Then he stepped me through making the overlay opaque and choosing a point to line up the two photos. The eyes synced, and I cried. They matched, I knew they would. I stared and sobbed, and then I told Doug to take over, I couldn’t see the screen. That face, that beloved face.

We invite you to view this “whisper of love.” Doug captured that moment in a hauntingly beautiful, very short video. There is also a link to a screencast of the GIMP work of the steps we took to overlay the images.

 

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Terri Written by:

I am a wife and mother of two sons. Our eldest, Justin, was killed in a car accident September 27, 2010, he was 25 years old.

17 Comments

  1. Erin
    August 16, 2015

    Stunning. ?☁️

    • August 16, 2015

      Thank you Erin!

    • August 16, 2015

      Thank you Susan! Thanks so much for taking the time to visit. It was pretty amazing the moment when the eyes synced, still letting it all sink in.

  2. Connie
    August 16, 2015

    I saw a different face, but now that I have seen your overlay, it makes my face all the potent! It is most significant that the face I saw also takes the shape of a bird (the Holy Spirit) two of the Trinity overlaid together watching over your boy! Let’s see if I can upload a pic of what I see:

    /Users/BlairCLAN/Pictures/what I saw in the clouds.jpg

    • August 17, 2015

      Hi Connie, thank you so much for taking the time to view the video and for writing. There isn’t a function for loading pictures on the comment section of WordPress. But I did see your pictures on Anna’s page – stunning. Thank you so much for sharing! Wishing you a peace filled day!

  3. Connie
    August 16, 2015

    How do I post a picture?

  4. August 17, 2015

    Wow. Your words and the video are both stunning.
    I can’t imagine what you have gone through

    • August 17, 2015

      Thank you Pia for taking the time to read and view the video and for commenting! Thank you for your kind words. Wishing you a very peace filled day.

  5. August 17, 2015

    My mom are both cloud watchers somehow in her later years she has become obsessed with it as we deal with the Alzheimer’s that is taking over her mind and body. I never see the shapes that she seems to see in every one. That is until now. This time I saw it, I see your sweet son’s face. This just made the tears start rolling down my face. I can’t imagine the comfort that you get from looking at that picture. Absolutely beautiful.

    • August 17, 2015

      Rena, thank you so much for taking the time to view the video and comment. You have so much on your plate, Alzheimer’s never sleeps. I was never one to see much in the clouds, until this formation caught my eye. It took me eight months to even acknowledge what I saw. Thank you for seeing Justin’s sweetness, and I am humbled by the gift of your tears. Wishing you some peace filled moments this week.
      Reply

  6. August 18, 2015

    Wow. This is beyond comprehension–it is something that your soul just knew.

    • August 18, 2015

      Thank you Estelle for taking the time to visit and view the video! Yes, it is totally beyond me, I am such a tactile, tangible person – or I was. And my soul did know those eyes, the great price and great privilege of motherhood, our hearts walk outside our bodies.

  7. Niki Koehler
    September 16, 2015

    Stunning. I also see another face which is within a dove taking flight. Truly magnificent. Thank you for sharing! Love you.

    • September 21, 2015

      Thank you Niki for visiting! I love you too!

  8. September 25, 2015

    Thank you for making this beautiful video. It’s very inspiring and encourages me to look with eyes of faith for little miracles around me. God bless you and keep you in the hallow of His hand.

    • September 25, 2015

      Thank you Karen for taking the time to view the video and leave such a lovely note! I too am trying to be more mindful of the miracles surrounding us. Peace be with you my friend, God bless you and your house.

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