Month: December 2021

Not To Go Back

Conflicted whether to travel onward to our destination for punctuality sake or turn around to go back home and get the peppermint bark, I felt impressed to travel to the gathering and not to go back home.

To Go Back Or Not To Go Back?

As the holiday season was right around the corner and about to enter full swing, my Christmas shopping began, an unusually late start for me from past years, but this year was different from years prior, nonetheless, within the limited weeks ahead to finish before Christmas day, I was grateful I was getting started now over last last minute procrastination. 

Along with gifts, I was drawn to purchase several 24-ounce tubs of peppermint bark, one for our family and the others to have on hand in preparation for potential holiday gatherings up and coming. In route to one of these gatherings, I realized I did not have the tub I purposefully laid out to bring with me. As I pondered and contemplated, conflicted whether to travel onward to our destination for punctuality sake or turn around to go back home and get the peppermint bark, I felt impressed to travel to the gathering and not to go back home.  

I also considered the option that once we arrived and my family entered to attend the gathering that I would return home to get the peppermint bark and bring it back to the gathering, however, per the travel distance round trip, in addition to logic that it would not be feasible, for a significant portion of the gathering would be coming to a close not long after my return to rejoin my family, I also felt impressed it was important for me to remain present at the gathering and not to go back home. 

I was so looking forward to and grateful for the opportunity to share these goodies with others beyond our own family unit. As our family Christmas countdown was quite simplified this year, focused on one holiday experience together each day, I was also hopeful and desirous to share the peppermint bark with others outside our abode, the least I felt I could do as my current involvement outside of our home was none.

Though discouraged upon the realization I had not grabbed the peppermint bark, especially since I placed the peppermint bark purposefully with my other belongings going with me, to ensure the treats would not be left behind, and yet, they were still inadvertently left behind, my good intentions unfulfilled, it was a tender mercy I also felt confident and impressed there was another plan. Upon a desire within me to give the treat to someone, I asked Heavenly Father, “If not for this gathering, than for who?” 

On my way to the gathering, it was a tender mercy my disappointment was immediately replaced with acceptance for whatever other plan was in store and an encouraging personal narrative, a pep talk of sorts, internally ensued, acknowledging my heart and good intentions, comforting words entering my mind, “Give yourself grace. Your heart is in the right place”, and knowing the less-than thoughts I had of myself, Heavenly Father did not have the same of me. It was also a tender mercy as the thought about what I would say to someone if they felt as I did if they did not bring something and would not want to eat what others brought if they had not contributed anything, I’d say, “Don’t worry about it! Please enjoy what all is here. There is plenty!” As I would invite and encourage them to join in and partake, I gave this same message to myself. 

Upon my question to Heavenly Father, “If not for this gathering, than for who?”, it was a tender mercy I was impressed to take the peppermint bark to a funeral luncheon a few days later for a beautiful, active, gung ho, full of life, vivacious, 83-year-old dear friend I had not known for very long who had passed away a few weeks earlier. Perhaps the peppermint bark was one of my friend’s favorite treats and a happy memory would surface for those at the luncheon mourning her loss and feel of her presence, that she was near, and bring a smile upon their face and joy for her memory. Though I don’t know if this imagined possibility for the impression to take the peppermint bark to the luncheon was the reality and actual reason, I felt gratitude, peace, and joy for this opportunity to offer and share some holiday cheer during a time of hardship and loss.

When have you left your home and failed to take with you something you intended to bring with you, though conflicted, you felt impressed not to go back and get it?

tendermercym❤️ments~jld

“How have you noticed Heavenly Father’s awareness and mindfulness of you today?”

*If you would like to receive an email when new posts are published which includes an audio version of the posts as well, please send your name and email address to tendermercymoments@gmail.com.

Is This The End?

There are times that life hits hard and it is difficult to see through the darkness, when surrounded by struggle and hardship, and the question pops up, “Is This The End?”

I am an optimistic person by nature, but wow, there are times that life hits hard and it is difficult to see through the darkness, when surrounded by struggle and hardship, and the question pops up, “Is This The End?” 

On this particular occasion, as has come during other difficult times, when down and out and my health was ailing me, my thought was, why strive to maintain a positive attitude with a hope of getting better if there is no getting better and I may as well just allow the illness to run its course to my passing.

Why fight? If this is my time to go, rather than leave my loved ones with a financial deficit by seeking medical attention, if the projected outcome is ultimately, this is it, then why go through the fight? It is a hard place to be, unknowing in those moments if my situation will improve or “is this the end?”

But then, it was a tender mercy a promising thought came that I was not going to die and that the experience of my health ailing me was intended to help me be a better, stronger individual. As I have a desire to live and love life, what a relief it was given me that I was not going to pass away. And, it bolstered my ability to get through the trial with an upbeat attitude as I also have a strong desire to be an instrument in Heavenly Father’s hands, to help fulfill what he would have me to do, to be a blessing to and enrich the lives of others.

When have you been in a very difficult state of being, whether physically or in any other way, and not knowing whether your situation would improve or “is this the end?”, the promise was given to you that you would get through it?

tendermercym❤️ments~jld

“How have you noticed Heavenly Father’s awareness and mindfulness of you today?”

*If you would like to receive an email when new posts are published which includes an audio version of the posts as well, please send your name and email address to tendermercymoments@gmail.com.

Almost Trashed It

I am so glad I realized I almost trashed it before it was too late!

Phew! Oops! That would have been bad to have thrown out my recently purchased dremel kit. I am so glad I realized I almost trashed it before it was too late!

In an effort to help one of my children with a interest of theirs, I purchased a small dremel kit. It is one I spent time to look up the closest store to me that carried one and compare cost and product capability before landing on the one to get.  

Upon my child attending an event to showcase and offer to others what they had designed and created, I put the dremel kit in a plastic grocery bag and placed it in the car to take with us, just in case, while there, it may come in handy. Unexpectedly, the date of the event was rescheduled until the weekend following. My focus then shifted elsewhere, thinking little about the kit that I had left in the car.

The next evening, after returning to our residence upon picking up one of our older children from their place of residence to then pick up one of our other children and my husband from home to then altogether attend a holiday venue, while awaiting for both to come out to the car, I cleaned it out to prepare to take it the dealership for an oil change the next morning. After I gathered up all the loose trash and placed it in a bag that was behind the passenger seat, my plan was to throw it in an outdoor dumpster for a garbage collector to take it away, however, as the child already with me went inside our residence, I too went with them and brought the trash in with me and set it in our kitchen trash can. 

At some point while out enjoying the holiday venue, it was a tender mercy I realized that I may have inadvertently thrown out the dremel kit I had just purchased. I quickly asked of my child who takes out the trash and my husband to not take it out before I had a chance to check the bag I thought was a trash bag, which may have actually been the dremel kit bag of which I had added to it the trash. It was a tender mercy they did not take the trash out or put it outside for to be taken to the dumpster and that I had not myself, as earlier planned, taken it to the dumpster, for sure enough, I did accidentally throw away the dremel kit and was able to retrieve it before it was unretrievable. 

When have you realized you may have inadvertently thrown out something you intended to keep and almost trashed it before it was too late? 

tendermercym❤️ments~jld

“How have you noticed Heavenly Father’s awareness and mindfulness of you today?”

*If you would like to receive an email when new posts are published which includes an audio version of the posts as well, please send your name and email address to tendermercymoments@gmail.com.