My wife, Dolores, and I knew Jesus Christ as our Lord
and Savior.My wife, Dolores, and I knew Jesus Christ as our Lord
and Savior.
In September of 1985, we moved into a home on a lake in northern Idaho. At that time, we dedicated the rest of our lives to serving Him.
In October of that same year, Dolores was diagnosed with terminal cancer and was given 30 days left to live. After a year of chemotherapy ... various treatments ... new drugs, she went to be with the Lord.
After Dolores' death, I didn't know what to do. What was God's plan for my life, now that I was alone? I had been a singer and musician all of my life, but I diddt know if I would be able to sing ... or do anything ... without Dolores by my side. In desperation, I cried out to the Lord and asked for a sign to show that He loved me and that He realized just what I was going through.
On the day of Dolores's funeral, we all came back to our house on the lake after the service. Later that day I felt I had to get away for a while ... to be alone, so I walked out on our deck that overlooked the lake. It was so peaceful and beautiful ... Dolores always loved it here. As I sat there alone, I began to become aware of the evening sky ... the surrounding hills ... the forest ... the softness of the evening breeze blowing in off the lake ... the sun gently setting upon it. Being an amateur photographer, it dawned on me that this very moment would make a very nice photograph, so I quickly decided to take one last picture and dedicate it to Dolores. I promptly rose up, went inside and got my camera. As I prepared to shoot the picture, I noticed that there didn't seem to to be any more shots left on the roll of film, but I made the decision to go ahead anyway and try to capture this beautiful moment. Just maybe there might be one shot left ... I snapped the picture. Later on I rewound the film and put everything away into a drawer. Time passed and I forgot about the film and the scene.
I had pretty much decided that this was the end of life as I had come to know it. As time passed I still questioned in my heart if God really knew and understood just exactly what I was going through.
Several months later I came upon the roll of film that I had put away in the drawer. I had forgotten what images were on it, but I decided to have it developed into 35mm slides anyway ... but these too were soon put aside only to be again forgotten. One day I discovered the slides again and resolved to look at them on my slide projector. There it was, the very last slide ... that beautiful sunset, on the lake, taken so long ago. As I stared at it, I finally saw God's answer that I had asked Him for on that lonely evening. I did not perceive it the day that I took it ... but now I did! There ... on the water, was an exact image of a "golden cross"...the cross that God's only Son, Jesus Christ, had died upon. Not only was this the sign of God's love and plan for me, but it was a sign of His love and plan for all of mankind!
I finally understood ... God was saying to me (through this image of the "golden cross' on the water) that in His infinite love for us all, and His desire to share His creation with us all, He gave to us His only Son, to bear our sins so that we might once again have a relationship with Him. Once I "saw" the true meaning of the photograph, I was humbled to think that God would use me to capture His heart in this way. Then the Lord began to move upon my heart to make it available to others, so that they too might be blessed by it.
It is my intention and prayer that this picture will stir you to reflect upon your relationship with your heavenly Father, or to accept Jesus Christ as your Savior and the work that He did for you upon the cross so that you can have a personal relationship with God as your heavenly Father.
In His great love, Rocky Starr