I have been thinking this week about any of my personal spiritual experiences I could share as requested.  Recently my family spent 5 days camping near Fairview in a spot that Brian’s family has been camping at for 4 generations.  One afternoon, I took a hike by myself up the mountain.  I wanted to pray as I walked and process some feelings.  For many years I have had a habit of looking for things in nature or just in my environment that is naturally in a heart shape.  Whenever I find something unexpected in the shape of a heart, I have kind of come to think of it as a sweet reminder of the love that I am a child of God and He IS aware of me. 

I talked to my Heavenly Father as I hiked for about 90 minutes and looked at rocks, thousands of marked birch trees, clouds, and everything else around me, but nothing stood out to me as an actual heart shape.  I was disappointed. I wanted to feel that connection and comfort that I have felt other times in this quirky but spiritual habit of mine. My heart was heavy for a few reasons and despite my good intentions, I felt sad to not find even a little heart. 

The next day we headed home and as we pulled onto the highway from the rural roads, my son piped up from the back seat, “Mom! Look at that!”  I looked up and saw a huge heart on the side of the mountain made out of dozens of rocks.  It was surely a tribute to someone who had passed away near that spot, but it struck my heart like an arrow.

THERE was my tender mercy reminding me that my Father in Heaven knows me and loves me.  He could’ve brought to my attention a small heart along my hike as I was hoping, but His idea was bigger and better a day later. 

Not everything will happen on our time table.  Sometimes we might feel like Heaven is silent, but it doesn’t make our prayers any less important or heard.  Prayers help us process big feelings.  Prayers help us strengthen our resolve.  Prayers help us forget ourselves.  I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Kiirsten Jeppson