The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. Psalms 19:1

Today (8/22/26) Joey and I leave to begin a year of travel. Our first adventure takes us to Fiji and Australia, where we will not only cross sleeping in a hut over the ocean off our bucket list, but also introduce Joey to three dozen or so of my family members who live along Australia’s East Coast. I’m so excited about wrapping my arms around my 96-year-old Auntie Vonny (whom you may remember from my book).

But before we ever set foot in these far-off places, we first have to leave the Earth’s surface and travel above the clouds via airplane.

Believe it or not, this part of the journey – 30,000 feet into the sky – is something I am highly anticipating as well. As the daughter of a retired Delta Airlines ticket agent, I have flown a lot. Always experiencing a divine closeness to God as I peer out from my must-have window seat.

This view above may look ordinary to some, but compared to what lie below, it was awe-inspiring.

I took this photo a few years back as our 6am flight broke through the clouds just above Seattle, Washington. The thick fog and continual rain that had stayed with us throughout most of our visit were still directly below us -but you would never know it.

Just seconds earlier, we had been experiencing violent turbulence, with nothing but gray outside my window. The shaking was like nothing I had ever felt before. I was scared, and I don’t get scared on airplanes. Then the second our plane rose above the clouds, it was like entering paradise.

The loud rattling immediately went silent. The jerking vibrations suddenly ceased. And the glow of the morning sun gently spilled throughout the cabin.

I began to tear-up with emotion, and for a moment, I had to remind myself to breathe. With my phone in hand, I was quick to capture this moment that felt like a glimpse of Heaven.

I’m also fascinated by other’s experiences of encountering God’s work at cloud level. Some of these testimonies have moved from my ears to my heart, and now to my hands, as I’ve been given permission to share two of these moments of divine intervention with you.

The first comes from a woman I met while speaking at a Ladies Retreat. In a sea full of unfamiliar faces, hers stood out to me for reasons I still can’t explain. Over the weekend we connected and she later shared with me her journey of adopting 2 little girls from Vietnam back in 2007 – a story so remarkable it deserves a book of it’s own.

In short, the adoption process was long and filled with obstacles. After much waiting, the day finally came for the family to travel overseas to bring home their Vietnamese baby girls who were awaiting them.

Once in Vietnam, the situation grew even more difficult amid political tension. Officials initially refused to release the babies they had officially adopted. One of the girls was very quiet and was not responding to sounds, she was believed to be deaf. So at the last minute, the United States Embassy issued a visa to the baby with a disability, and the family was told they could take that baby home. My friend said her only focus was getting on that plane with her new little daughter before anyone changed their mind again and the visa was withdrawn. She would face the hearing issue once they were safely home.

During the plane trip back to the United States, the baby remained very quiet. But as the plane began it’s descent, she suddenly let out a loud cry. Typically, a screaming child on an airplane is never a good thing, but this was not a scream due to pain – it was due to healing. While the baby’s ears had been blocked from untreated ear infections, the steady decline from such a high altitude allowed her ears to pop and the blockage of fluid was released. Her hearing was immediately restored.

Her assumed disability had freed her and at 30,000 feet God kissed her ears before sending her into a new life. Today that little girl is an intelligent, gifted 19-year-old woman with a love for the Lord, shining her light for the world to see.

Another, more recent, divine encounter at 30,000 feet happened in the spring of 2026. Tragically, our dear family friends lost their precious Baby Leo, at just 4 months old. In the midst of unbearable grief, his parents have tried to stay strong for each other and their young daughter. I can only imagine the ongoing sorrow and confusion they carry. But something happened about a month after Leo passed that gave them some comfort and hope…

Leo’s parents were on a flight home from a trip, but couldn’t sit together. Leo’s mommy sat in a window seat several rows ahead of her husband. Looking out at the sky, she prayed, “God please show me a sign that my baby boy is safe.”

In that moment she saw something in the clouds that took her breath away. She quickly snapped a photo as it began to fade, then turned to the stranger beside her and asked “Do you see anything like letters in these clouds?”

“Yes, just above the engine it looks like L-e-o,” the woman replied.

Today, as I upload this photo unto my lap top, I see Leo’s name more clearly – and notice something I hadn’t seen before: what appears to be purple wings (like that of an angel or a butterfly) in the sky above his name.

Sent directly from our family friend’s phone, this unfiltered snapshot leaves me in awe of what it must have meant in that moment to a grieving mother who had just cried out to God.

What is mankind, that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? (Psalms 8:4)

Who are we that God would be mindful of us and care so deeply? He sees our pain, hears our cry, and meets us in our sorrow – comforting us in ways that are so personal. Showing that only He knows what our hearts need.

So tonight when I find myself at 30,000 feet above the earth, I’ll look forward to feeling that closeness with God again. And in the early hours of the morning, just before we land, I will be on the look-out for glimpses of His glory from my must-have window seat.

For Your mercy reaches unto the heavens, And Your truth unto the clouds. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; Let Your glory be above all the earth.

Psalms 57:10 & 11