The Long Truth

Last week at clinic I prayed...nothing spectacular, you know...just a prayer before a normal day at clinic. Or so I thought. Sometimes, you get what you pray for, and it takes you by surprise. Sometimes, your spirit prays for something that your mind doesn't even recognize is for you.

I have been at the computer for the past two weeks. Planning the summer team schedules, brainstorming on new ideas for the education programs we will host, making brigade fliers, posting newsletters on the HHG website... and a zillion other things, like trying to plan a wedding in 3 weeks. I have been there so long that my feet are swollen from sitting in one spot, haha...sad but true.

But the prayer...the prayer was that we would taste just a little bit of how God longs for His people. That we would be moved to love them like He does. That somehow...in this mess of a world we would be able to really love.

Tonight, I am broken. Tears fall from my face, as I realize how much he longs for His people. How he waits for them. Isa 30:18 says, "Therefore the Lord longs to be gracious to you, and therefore He waits on high to have compassion on you." (NASB)

That word, doesn't mean longing in the way most of us know it. This word doesn't refer to love, or waiting on a marriage, or the way humans love each other. No, it is much deeper than that. This word paints a picture of someone all tied up in knots. Have you ever had that feeling? Sure, I think we all have...but the difference here is that He is all tied up in knots waiting to be gracious to us! Gracious - show pity, direct favor to, or have mercy on...unwarranted compassion.

The Creator God is all tied up in knots waiting to direct favor, have mercy on, and show pity to His creation. He waits on high for opportunities to show us this godly love...and so often I would rather sleep than to accept it. So often...the things on my to do list over take the Maker...they press into the margin of my life.

Tonight, what if we chose to accept? What if we sought Him out, and gave Him the opportunity He's been looking for. I pray that you all taste this longing. This bittersweet, painfully smooth, all tied up in knots feeling that our Father has for His children.

Would you choose to long?

My greatest peace comes from the fact that I know the longing will end in such sweet surrender...when He comes to claim what is His. Oh, what a day that will be!

When Two Worlds Collide

Ok...so I have been avoiding the blog sphere. 

It is true. I admit it.

Something absolutely incredible happened in my life last week, while I was in the States. Then....I realized my blog world was about to run smack into my real world. Now let me explain, before you think that I have been keeping things from you.

Y'all know that I don't really keep my thoughts to myself...it's share and share alike around here, but some things are kept so far down in your heart, that you dare not share them with the world. They are too young and tender, or they are too sweet and vulnerable. Which ever the case may be, this week one of the desires buried deep in my heart sprouted up like a big TREE and now there is no way I can get around sharing it with you.

On April 3rd, I got engaged. 

There, I said it. 

Breathe...Heather...breathe...

Some of you may be scratching your head, going "umm, was she dating someone?" Those of you who also know me on FaceBook have probably seen the changed relationship status and 5 million comments, and decided to do a little snooping on Mark Younger's page. 

Opps...I said his name. 

Yep, there it is. Now before you go doing a word search for "Mark Younger" in my blog history, I will say that I did write about him once. He came to serve with us in August of 2009 for a couple of weeks and I slipped up and blogged about him. There were countless blog entries that were inspired by my relationship with him, but I would never let you know which ones they were. There I go again, keeping secrets ;-)

We have been friends for a long time, then we were best friends, and now we are getting married.

Here is a picture so you can enjoy the moment with us. Thanks to all of you who helped pull it off, and to those of you who knew it was about to happen, and didn't spoil the surprise. It was an incredibly special day for us (ahem - Mark and I) and I am so glad that you could be a part of it...even if it is though the blog or FaceBook!

I have a feeling you may be hearing more about "us" as life goes on, especially since we will be beginning our life together on the mission field in August. 

So, remember this day friends...when Heather's two worlds collided. The day when the deepest desire of her heart made headlines on Heather's High Points!

And...

PS...I don't want this to turn into a wedding planning blog or anything weird like that. I am still me, you know. So don't go getting all worried.