God continues to bless me with incredible opportunities!
This week Dannah was asked by a Penn State graduate student to come speak on
campus. The student was showing the documentary, The Virgin Daughters, focusing on the purity movement within
Christian churches (religion and sexuality collide). Dannah was out of town
during the event so, naturally, she sent me – obviously the next most qualified
to talk about such issues! The faith she places in me sometimes is quite
humbling!
Following the film, I answered questions and defended purity
to the best of my ability. For an hour and a half I held conversation with
atheists, feminists, academics and agnostics… It was an amazing experience and
provided an opportunity to invite students to AGAPE.
Friday, my Grace Prep High School girls had a sleep over. I
got to chaperone the wonderful ladies! There was no Truth or Dare or teenage
gossip. Rather, the girls talked to one another about removing the fake masks
we put on to impress one another. As a result, barriers were broken and
forgiveness, healing and restoration flowed. From 11pm until 4am, the girls
held one another, prayed for each other, and spurred one another on. The Lord showed up in powerful ways!
And because this blog involves him, I will introduce you to Blake. Since it has been on Facebook many of you have been asking questions anyway! He is the graphic designer for Pure Freedom and an incredible musician - he can basically play every instrument known to man. God brought us together when neither one of us was looking. The Lord is using him to unknowingly redeem many things in my life. Never before have I seen God's fingerprints more all-over anything. I know y'all told me not to go fall for a Yankee... I think with a pair of boots we could convert him easily!
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Well for the rest of you enjoying the warmth of spring, It
is March 25th and we are expecting three inches of snow today – as I
write, we are on a two-hour delay - it has already snowed 3 inches and we have a 100% chance of snow until 8pm… I am getting desperate for spring. It was 46 one day last week and I was
wearing shorts!
This past Monday, we had another massive (to me) snowstorm
that quickly dropped six inches of fluffy, frozen, white stuff. That evening
Blake and I had been with his
family. After dinner and a movie we ventured into the frozen tundra so he could
take me home.
It had continued to snow and ice while we were inside, so a
nice layer of frozen moisture had plastered itself to the windshield. Late and
frigid, we were in a hurry to get in the car and start the heater. We couldn’t
find the ice scraper, so with his gloved hand Blake scraped ice off of the
driver’s side of the windshield.
The drive to my house is short and familiar, however the
roads were very nasty. I am still not used to driving on snow and ice so I was
a bit apprehensive. Not to mention the fact that I could not see out of the front
windshield at all! I began to give Blake a hard time about not seeing; I was
nervous as we turned a corner and slid on the ice. “Heather, do you really have
to see? Just trust me,” he reached over and gently grabbed by hand.
Very clearly I heard the Lord’s voice, “Do you get it? Maybe
I don’t want you to see. I want you to exercise your trust in Me.” As Blake
held my hand, I felt the tangible touch of my Jesus. The Lord continued to
release a powerful revelation to me as we drove.
Blake knows the roads - even in the dark night. He knew exactly where we were going
and how to get there. Being a Pennsylvania boy, he is comfortable driving on
snow and ice. I know he cares for me deeply and to him I am precious cargo. He
wouldn’t let anything bad happen to me. No, I couldn’t see, but what did it
really matter! He got me home safely. My ability to see had nothing to do with it.
I have been presented with a contract to remain at Pure
Freedom. Excited and blessed, it is still a huge decision to move 2,000 miles
away from home. Kelci has also been asked to remain a team member and she and I
are looking to buy a house. Many changes, no solid five-year plan, and big decision have been stressing me out. I have been fighting to see out of the windshield.
We know that I am not a huge fan of change but, the Lord
keeps allowing the pieces of the puzzle to fall into place - one at a time. Until our snowy car
ride home, decisions and house hunting had overwhelmed me. The very clear word
I received in the car changed all of that.
Do you feel like you’re riding blind too? So much more than
Blake ever will, my Jesus loves me. He cares deeply for me. He knows exactly
where I need to go. He knows how to get me there safely – even when it seems
like we are driving on a solid sheet of ice and I can't see what's ahead of me.
I am guilty of missing out on so many fun drives simply
because I choose to panic behind a sheet of ice on a windshield. God wants us
to trust. If He is the driver, we must let Him drive. It is not essential that
the passenger always see. My anxiety about big decisions quickly faded into that
beautiful snowy night. God has already brought me this far… why would He fail
to continue to drive me safely where I need to be?
Are you facing big decisions? A circumstance you can’t find
a way out of? A relationship that seems to be beyond repair? Let God drive. You in the driver's seat should be a terrifying thought.
Maybe God has allowed
a blinder to come up not to frustrate you, but rather to give you a
chance to grow your faith. Consider a horse. In parades or large groups, blinders
will often be put on the horse. Why? For their own protection and well being.
Relax. Let the Lord drive. Hold His hand. Turn up the music
and enjoy the ride. You don’t always have to see.
Just what I needed to hear today! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteThis made me think. Thank you, Heather!
ReplyDelete