Category: Awareness

A Desire To Spread Joy Was Derailed

A Desire To Spread Joy Was Derailed Only Momentarily

How can having a desire to spread joy become derailed?

For some time, day after day, I’ve observed a crosswalk helper hold out a stop sign for traffic to halt and allow pedestrians one by one to walk through a drop off zone to enter a building and not once smile or pleasantly greet anyone who was passing right by them. 

Earlier in the week, I had a desire to give this individual, who seemed very unhappy, something in hopes that their frown would turn into a smile. I narrowed that “something” down to a store gift card. I was really excited thinking about how it would brighten their day, however, as I was looking forward to doing this wonderful act of kindness, it didn’t feel right to proceed. 

I was confused and questioned why I felt like I shouldn’t follow through and pursue my desires to give them a gift. It didn’t make sense especially as over and over again a quote I heard a while back along the lines of, “never turn away from a thought to do a good deed” kept coming to my mind and I really wanted to share kindness with them, yet doing something so simple and generous didn’t seem right for some reason. “What?” I asked myself, “How can that be?”  

Right then, in that moment of questioning, it was a tender mercy that I came to understand. Sadly, the words that entered my mind was that no matter what I offered or gave to them, it would not change their disposition. They would not suddenly become happy over receiving a thoughtful and gracious gift. It would not change them. No external offering from me would alter their internal being. 

This was hard for me to take in considering having heard that when you have desires to serve and give to others, do it, yet here, I was not to give. I didn’t know their story. My desire to spread joy was derailed, however, only momentarily. It was a tender mercy my sadness quickly turned to joy when I realized there was a different, non-tangible gift I could give them from the bottom of my heart and that was praying for them. 

When have you had a willing heart to give someone a tangible gift and your desire to spread joy was derailed only briefly till you realized you could give the gift of praying for them?  

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, please send your name and email address to tendermercymoments@gmail.com.*

Rescued From A Bad Dream

A good night’s sleep restored after a bad dream

After a long exhausting day, physically and mentally, I went to bed sooner than usual for me and well before my husband did. In part, my being so tired was attributed to my going to bed real late and getting up super early consecutively for days. 

With the start of a new school year for our children, I had not yet transitioned my sleep schedule accordingly. I was still maintaining the same night owl routine I had been on all summer long and now with school back in session and my weekday beginning before the crack of dawn to drive one of our children to early morning church seminary, I was feeling the toll on my body. With days of less than adequate sleep added to activities that required a lot of mental energy, on this night, in no time flat, as soon as I lied down, my eyes quickly closed and immediately I fell asleep. 

As my husband was settling into bed sometime later, he heard me breathing heavy and observed something was wrong. He gently and lovingly asked me if I was ok, to which I responded “No, I am Not”. I was terrified, sweating, and muttering words in my sleep. Once aroused and broken away from the awful dream, I thanked him for waking me up. It was a tender mercy he had still been awake at that time and rescued me from my panic induced state. 

Once removed and disengaged from the bad dream and prior to wanting to go right back to sleep without a re-occurrence, I prayed the bad dream would not return. I was extremely grateful for the tender mercy that although an image and recollection of what caused me to stir remained, the fear and trauma associated did not and I slept soundly and peacefully the rest of the evening. 

When have you been calmly rescued from a bad dream and while still very tired and desirous to be able to comfortably go back to sleep, after praying that the bad dream would not return, you were able to once again fall asleep right away and you slept soundly and peacefully the rest of the night?


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, please send your name and email address to tendermercymoments@gmail.com.*

Alert And Attentive

I had a remarkable experience on this bright and sunny, 100 degree day that involved several tender mercies that culminated into one big miracle.   

While my children and I were driving a relative distance from home to take one of them to EFY also known as Especially For Youth, we had hopes that we would get to the campus location within the check-in time frame. A third of the way there I recognized on my dash the tire light had come on and I felt a need to stop and check the air pressure in each of my tires. 

Ironically, the day prior as I came out of church I had a fleeting and subtle thought to check them, yet it came and went without a second thought and I did not act on it. Just looking at the tires, they appeared fine, however, in using a tire-pressure gauge, one of the tires only had a 20 psi reading so I knew there was a slow leak. When I examined the tire, I found a nail puncture in the tread.   

As I processed my options and what to do in my situation, not knowing with certainty how I should precede forward, the idea came to my mind to 1) place duct tape over the nail puncture, 2) pray and have faith that we would make it the latter 2/3rds of the way up to EFY safely, and 3) seek help to change out the tire once we got to our destination. I shared my plan with Heavenly Father and asked that if it was not ideal to continue in that manner that I be guided otherwise. 

Simultaneously, I was thinking about a scriptural account I had just recently read in the Book of Mormon of the brother of Jared who presented stones to the Lord that became a light source for the Jaredites as they traveled in barges to the Promised Land. I believed the duct tape would prevent the tire from going completely flat.  

It was an incredible tender mercy that although we did not have any duct tape in our car, we had clear packing tape that I used and the adhesive stuck well. As we were ready to get back on the road, it was another tender mercy when I was impressed to call my husband to which he recommended I stop at the nearest gas station to fill the tire up with air. 

Immediately, I went into laser focus mode and actively kept an eye out for any place that had an air pump and this prepared me to not miss and pass up an ideal stop a short distance up ahead that wasn’t available again along our route for another 50+miles.

Within minutes, it was a remarkable tender mercy that 4 mile markers or so further up the road there was a car dealership that serviced our specific car’s make. Amazing! I was immensely grateful for the convenience, ease, cost-effectiveness, and timeliness of the dealership being in our path. A technician filled up the tire at no cost, exceeding slightly the recommended amount, and then advised that I stop and look for a place to keep it filled up if the tire light came back on again, which it never did.  

Upon our arrival at the campus location, it was a miraculous tender mercy that the packing tape was still intact and the air pressure held steady overall, with a loss of only 2 psi, but still resting above the recommended amount and it continued to hold steady the rest of the day. Before our departure home, I went to a nearby dealership, like the one earlier, and the small amount lost was restored.

Throughout our entire drive back home, the air pressure stayed constant even after the tape had melted away from the scorching hot pavement. And, with a reapplication of the packing tape, the air pressure continued to remain steady still into the late afternoon of the next day when I was able to get our car into the shop to have the tire repaired and patched up. 

My prayer was more than answered. We not only made it safely round trip, it was also not dire for me to have had the tire fixed while on the road or swapped out with a spare prior to our return home.   

When have you experienced car troubles while driving and not knowing exactly what to do, your move to action on your first thoughts, prayer and faith, in addition, following sound recommendations and advice from others helped you get to your destination safely as well as to a place to have your car repaired?

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, please send your name and email address to tendermercymoments@gmail.com.*

Another Side Of The Story

As one of several speakers during a congregational meeting, I did not anticipate my message would extend right up to the close of the hour and be the concluding talk leaving no time for the final speaker. I walked away embarrassed and in dismay. After some time had passed, even though I didn’t know what or how I could have changed anything, I recovered and accepted what had happened and focused on what I had gained from the experience.  

A week later it was a tender mercy when I learned from a member of our congregation their story leading up to that meeting. With information from this individual and others that had been in attendance, the reason for how it went the way it did came together and made sense. I could see clearly that all worked out the way it was supposed to work out. Their was no coincidence. What was an awkward and uncomfortable moment for me I recognized was part of something bigger. As the member shared their experience with me, it provided a clarity I had not fully seen or comprehended and I felt an increased comfort that my talk was intended to go the way that it did.  

When have you experienced a time when the outcome of something you were participating in didn’t go so well and when you later learned from one or more attending the event their personal story, everything made sense and fell into place why things happened the way they did? 

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, please send your name and email address to tendermercymoments@gmail.com.*

Surprise Package Delivery

Normally when I come home, I pull into our garage and enter the house through the garage door, however, today I parked in the driveway to briefly run inside, take care of a few things, and quickly head back out again. In coming through the front door I noticed a package on our porch that I was not expecting or anticipating. Considering that all other family members were away for the day and being unaware a package would be arriving, it was a tender mercy that I had walked in through the front door on this particular day and noticed the package as I was rushing inside the house.  

When have you returned home and walked inside through a door you don’t usually enter from and saw by chance, on that particular day, a package you never knew was coming had been dropped off in front of your door?

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, please send your name and email address to tendermercymoments@gmail.com.*

Spotted

Before the sun completely set after a spiritually-filled day of listening to and watching two amazing sessions of a semiannual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on TV followed by a welcome visit from the missionaries serving in our area, I was excited to go for a walk with my husband and enjoy the beauty of the outdoors. On our way out the door, I spotted out of the corner of my eye the Redbox movies we had rented and watched the night before sitting on our kitchen countertop. 

In taking in and soaking up each of the inspired messages as they were conveyed and later pondering on them while in the relaxation and comfort of our home, I lost track of the movies and the plan to return them earlier. It was a tender mercy I caught a glimpse of the videos 1 hour before they were due and they were returned in time before being charged another day for them.

When have you forgotten about an item you had rented and before it was turned in late, you noticed it sitting out and took it back just in time?

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, please send your name and email address to tendermercymoments@gmail.com.*

Worst-Case Scenario

While traveling to an event I was attending for the first time in a part of town where businesses had barred windows, I felt uneasy and outside of my comfort zone. Even though the actual location of the event seemed ok, I did not feel completely safe. Being in a questionable environment, I was vigilant and cautious of my surroundings as well as conscientious of my desire to exude confidence and have faith that my time while at the event would be positive and valuable. 

Upon arrival, I backed in to the only available legal parking spot remaining on the property and closest to the building which was on the grass in front of a railroad track. Once out of my car, I was approached by a friendly, considerate delivery guy who expressed his concern for me being parked too close to the tracks and shared that if a train came through, he did not want rocks on the track to kick up and hit my car. I responded with gratitude and returned to my car moving it forward several feet away from the tracks. It was a tender mercy the fellow was there when I pulled up and provided that information with me as sure enough, partially through the event, while I sat near a window that overlooked where I had parked, I heard an approaching train and observed it go by.  

After my brief interaction with him, it was another tender mercy that as I did not know where to enter the building, another attendee who arrived shortly after I did showed me the way. She happened to be directly involved with the event and invited me to follow her via a shortcut, through a side door that opened right to the event. As I entered, I was warmly welcomed and greeted by others.  

When have you been in a place outside your comfort zone and the timeliness of kindness shown to you by another was beneficial and helpful? 

As much as I appreciated the timeliness of the acts of good will, I was, likewise, leery and apprehensive being in a new place and among individuals I was meeting for the first time. 

Once inside, within a few short minutes, I realized that I did not have my phone with me. I had last used it in the car when I turned off my phone navigation system after parking. As I always keep my phone on me when I am out either in a back pocket or in my purse, I became worried when it was not in either place. In one second I had my phone, and the next I did not. 

Aware of my heightened sense of feeling unsettled on top of having passed several people when I discovered my phone was missing, my mind went to the worst-case scenario that I had been pickpocketed. A part of me was skeptical and unsure who I could trust and ready to accept the loss of my phone, whereas, the other part of me was hopeful that I had simply misplaced my phone. Although I experienced a sudden panic, rather than allowing myself to dwell on the former possibility, I leaned in the direction of the latter taking a proactive “benefit of the doubt” approach while trying to not only appear calm, but also stay grounded and clear minded. Immediately, I backtracked my steps a couple of times and repeatedly checked all my pockets and my purse.  

As I stayed focused, prayed, and continued to search without giving up, it was a tender mercy when I went back to my car a second time and leaned over the driver’s seat to look inside the middle console, I saw my phone partially lodged between the console and front passenger seat.   

After finding my phone, I realized that in my hurried attempt to get back in my car to move it more so away from the railroad tracks and then get into the event as quickly as possible, I had set my phone down in the front passenger seat and only grabbed my purse when I got out. 

When have you experienced a troubling situation and the actual outcome was better than your worst-case scenario thought?

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, please send your name and email address to tendermercymoments@gmail.com.*

Low Fuel

After picking up my kids from school, I had one stop to make to get some food and nonfood items before heading home in rush hour traffic. Just before getting to the store, a message appeared on my dashboard indicating that my fuel was low and then I noticed the fuel light had come on. I had not been paying attention to my fuel gauge. It was near empty. With the mileage I had remaining and the distance I needed to travel back home in stop and go traffic, the timing of the warning was pertinent.

As we we got closer to the store, my children pointed out the gas station that was there too. It was a tender mercy I received the warning message when I did as the probability of my running out of gas in heavy traffic was high and it was a tender mercy there was a gas station right next to the very store we were stopping at to do our shopping. 

When has a warning message, alarm, or light helped keep you on top of attending to what was crucial and needed when you were not paying attention or lost track of a necessary and important status yourself?

And, when has your location at the time of the warning been perfect?

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, please send your name and email address to tendermercymoments@gmail.com.*

A Well-Intentioned Thought Interrupted From Being Expressed

There have been so many times and instances while dialoguing with others that right before I speak a well-intentioned, loving thought, there is a distraction or disruption. Through the brief, or even split second interruption, I quickly become aware and realize as the other person resumes the conversation, following the disruption, and provides additional information and context, that my thoughts, though kind, if they had become words, would not have been applicable in a healthy or helpful way for them and would have done more harm than good. I would have been embarrassed and felt quite awkward. It has been a tender mercy on those occasions as I am about to open my mouth to say, albeit, loving and caring words, a sudden disruption has come between the thought and the immediate verbalization of the thought. In those times, I am glad and relieved for the timing of the interruption.

When have you almost shared a caring, well-intentioned thought with someone and an interruption came between your thoughts and verbalizing your thoughts, stopping what could have been a sorrowful, awkward moment for you and a painful, uncomfortable experience for the other person?

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, please send your name and email address to tendermercymoments@gmail.com.*

Persistent Honking

When I drove up a row in a school parking lot to pick up one of my children, I sat and waited in a line. This line temporarily prevented anyone who had a car in the parking spaces to our right, from departing. I positioned myself to avoid parking in front of two vehicles that had driver’s inside. I wanted to make it accessible for them when they were ready to leave at any moment to easily get out. This left a large gap in the line between me and the cars directly in front of me.

After several minutes, I was honked at and I didn’t know why. I was a tad bit annoyed. I thought maybe the driver honking at me was upset that I had left so much space ahead of me. At the same time, I was concerned that by moving forward or backward I would block one the driver’s trying to get out so I  stayed put.

Again, the honk came. Rather than be reactive and full on frustrated, I sought to find out what was going on. As I looked around, I observed in my blind spot on my left side a vehicle inches from my back bumper. As I had been focusing on the right side of my car, I had not been paying attention to the left. Unaware and unbeknownst to me, this driver was exiting on my left and with very little room to get out, they were pinned in unless I moved. It was a tender mercy that the driver honking at me saw what was happening and alerted me. My slight annoyance turned to gratitude.

When have you become aware of an impending concern—about to get hit, a flat tire, gas tank lid left open, driving off with items on top of your car or trunk still open after loading groceries, etc—because someone honked at you?

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, please send your name and email address to tendermercymoments@gmail.com.*