This world...

Many of you, I'm sure, have been following the missing woman, Whitney Heichel case up in Gresham.

Not only, for those of us here in Oregon does this hit close to home, but it is a reminder for us all that, no matter what the circumstances that bring this life to a close...none of us are invincible to death.

Now, don't get me wrong...I'm not by any means saying that the evil which took that young girl's life this week wasn't unfair and downright sick--that's what evil is--but I am saying that it's in death that we are again given perspective... perspective of life and how quickly it can change, for us all.

My heart has been so heavy all week for that family and slew of friends and loved-ones who lost a beloved woman--even before we knew for sure that she was gone forever. As one of the investigators put it, it's easy for Whitney to embody our mothers, sisters, aunts, cousins or friends in our minds and is therefore impossible not to grieve for a life we may never of even known. I am so sad for the fear and pain-wrought circumstances for which she left this life, but am also eased, for her sake, that she no longer has to endure that man's wickedness.

Since finding out about my cancer, I have had many people say to me, 'Oh Hayley... it's just not fair... you're so young and you still have soooo much life ahead of you.' Yes. I do. I am. It's not fair. 

But it's reality. 

Whitney was TWELVE YEARS younger than me. She never got the chance to even have her own children, though from what I've read about it she, like me, was always a 'mama at heart' and wanted more than anything to get that chance.

THIS WORLD IS NOT FAIR!

I wouldn't blame her beloved and obviously veeeery heart-broken and devastated husband for harboring his OWN set of evil thoughts against the man who, sort of out of nowhere, thought it was somehow 'ok' to abduct and murder his wife. Aaron said to me just last night, after we read about Whitney's body being found, that he'd want to kill whomever did something like that to me.

How can you really blame a person for these thoughts?! I don't even know them and I too, find myself at certain times of the day absolutely wrought with hate for her murderer.

PRAY for Whitney's husband. Pray for ALL her loved ones~I know that I am and can't stop doing so.

In all my scrambled thoughts and feelings about things like this, I find myself being reminded of one very SECURE fact, once again:

THIS WORLD IS NOT OF GOD. It is EVIL.

...and thank our Heavenly Father... It's NOT forever.

Whitney's young life was cut short by another person, carrying out an evil act.
My young life has been 'threatened' by a sudden illness attacking my body.

NIETHER of these things stand for God. Neither of these things are God's 'will'...but He does Promise to make Good of it all and to carry out the JUSTICE that things of this world deserve.

I really don't know how He will use Whitney's tragedy.

To be honest, I still don't know entirely how He's going to use my health challenge.

But what I DO know is we can and should all continue to pray that He uses ALL OF OUR LIVES AND CIRCUMSTANCES, for His Glory~