A Prayer, a Photograph, a Message
The story behind the photograph — in seven moments.
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The Prayer
One day, while china-painting and praying, porcelain artist Marianne Ball asked:
“You made me an artist… I need a new idea of an angel to paint.” -
A Few Weeks Later · August 16, 1998 · Amboy, Illinois
Leaving church with her four-year-old granddaughter, Marianne saw angels in cloud form appear in the bright blue sky. She drove home for her camera — only to find they had followed her. She took the photo from her driveway.
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The Long, Narrow Cloud
Marianne showed the photo and told the story at gatherings. People kept asking what the long, narrow cloud beside the angel was there for. She didn't know.
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October 1998 · Florida
Her 82-year-old mother — unable to converse because of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's — gazed at the photo of the angels and exclaimed: “They are!” They were the only words she spoke during the visit.
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Five Years Later
A man researching mysterious phenomena found Marianne's website and sent an email: “It must be a paintbrush.”
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God's Message
A paintbrush — making a finishing touch on the angel's wing. It made perfect sense: she had asked for a new angel to paint, and angels were sent — to photograph, and to paint.
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Today
Marianne paints the angels on porcelain and other mediums, sharing her message with the world.
Read Marianne's Full Story — in her own words
I had been praying for the healing of a close relative throughout 1994. In November, an angel contacted me for the first time. She directed a thought to my mind: she was knitting a sweater for her wings! I laughed, as I wasn't thinking on my own and had no idea what was going on. Now I know that God has a sense of humor and that this was His way of getting my attention.
For three years I shared my experience, no matter how silly it sounded, about the angel knitting a sweater for her wings. (After all, God wants us to laugh!) I continued to read the Bible and attended weekly prayer meetings. I am a porcelain artist and one day while china painting and praying to God, I said,
"You made me an artist. I've been painting angels appearing on Christmas cards and other greeting cards. I need a new idea of an angel to paint."
A few weeks later, on August 16, 1998, after leaving church fellowship with my four-year-old granddaughter and her dad, angels in cloud form appeared in the bright blue sky. We were the only ones leaving the church at the time. I drove home to get my camera to go back and photograph the angels, only to discover they had followed us home! The angels settled above the home where I attended prayer meetings. I took the photo from my driveway.
In October of 1998, I went to Florida, to meet my sister and her young children who flew in from Georgia. We visited our dear 82-year-old mother who has two debilitating illnesses: Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. Mother would look at her two granddaughters, age two and four, and cry. She didn't converse at all, which broke our hearts, as she had been so outgoing and beautiful before she became ill.
I put the photo of the angels in a brass frame on Mother's dresser. The last time my cousin and I visited Mother in the nursing home, I showed her the photo of the angels. I said, "Mama, I took this photo of angels; they are real angels!" She stared at the photo and said, "They are!" Those were the only words she spoke during the two weeks I was there. I left Florida with peace of mind, knowing God's angels would watch over my mother.
Over the next five years I showed the photo and told the story at various gatherings. People would often ask about the long narrow cloud beside the angel, but I didn't know what it was. Then one day a man in Maine was researching mysterious phenomena when he came across my website. He sent me an email saying it must be a paintbrush. I then understood, it is like a paintbrush making a finishing touch on the angel's wing, and God's message makes perfect sense!
"I asked for an angel. He heard my prayer and angels in cloud form were sent to me to photograph and paint. I was chosen to glorify God with this gift He gave me. Thank you, Father. You are an awesome God!"
