Category: Effort

Oh Where, Oh Where Could It Be

As the summer days are becoming hotter and hotter, being outdoors where I’d like to spend some time can be unpleasant and intolerable. In helping to make sitting on our patio during these months more bearable and enjoyable, my husband installed a misting drip line. As he was up on a ladder nailing in the tiny mounting clips while I was assisting holding up and straightening out the line, the clips were not going in very easily into the wooden veneer siding and several times they slipped out during hammering and fell to the ground.

Being that it was near dusk at the time and we didn’t know how many of the total clips provided we would need until the installation was complete, it was a tender mercy that as tiny as they were, I was able to spot where they had landed among the dirt and leaf debris on the concrete flooring.  

When have you found something tiny and valuable you had dropped at a time conditions of visibility and where it had fallen were not the greatest?

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.*

Pushing Through

Between an unusually stormy and wet spring along with mold, pollen, and ragweed allergies, I had become very sedentary, spending more time indoors for several weeks not expending a lot of energy sufficient to be considered real exercise. After one beautiful, sunny weekend, my friend and I tentatively planned a day later in the week to go walking. As the day drew nearer, it appeared possible we would need to reschedule when in the early morning hours of the night it had rained intensely. Although the forecast showed rain expected to continue throughout the day, it cleared a few hours before we were scheduled to meet up. 

Even though I was ready to enjoy the outdoors and I love walking, it had been a long while since I had been physically active. Concerned with my lack of stamina, I saw the iffy weather as an easy way out. In addition, although I was mentally motivated, I didn’t have much vigor so if the day and time had not still worked for my friend, I would have been alright that our plan to walk didn’t pan out. As she was still available and the weather was nice, we stuck with our plan. 

Doing what was good for my body was oh so hard. I was quite sluggish. Even though I was unable to maintain my same typical and natural fast pace, I recognized the health benefit and value pressing forward would be for me.

Being so out of shape, it was a tender mercy that walking with a friend beside me, I was better able to push through the challenge and struggle of what normally would’ve been a really simple and easy walk for me. While walking and talking with each other, going up and down and around several streets in a neighborhood was doable.

When have you tackled an activity that was good for you, but extremely challenging and the struggle was more manageable with a friend together by your side?

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.*

One Thing At A Time

I had a lot of “to do” activities I was looking forward to accomplishing throughout the day on my mind at the same time I was searching to find a particular seasonal decoration bin from our attic. I was unsuccessful in quickly finding the bin and walked away. As I one by one cleared my “to do” list, I returned to the attic to try once again. Only, this time, I was focused purely on locating the bin. It was a tender mercy I spotted it immediately. Turns out, it had been right in front of me all along when I had been distracted and bombarded earlier by all that was on my mind. Without even realizing it, I had been standing next to it. Once I had isolated my attention to finding the bin and my thoughts were centered on one thing at a time, I was then able to see it. 

When has a singular focus on one thing at a time, among the myriad of competing thoughts and plans on your mind, allowed you to locate an object you were trying to find and that item ended up being right in front of 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.*

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.*

Water Softener

After several years of use, our water softener went kaput and stopped working. When we set it out on the street on trash day, it was anticipated that either the recycling truck or the regular garbage truck would take it away; however, that was not the case.

I happened to be sitting in a front room on both occasions when each of the trucks, at different times, came by. When the recycling truck didn’t take it, I wasn’t too concerned and figured the regular garbage truck would take it. When I saw that the regular garbage truck was also going to leave without taking it, I jumped up, ran out of the house, got their attention before they drove off, found out why they were not taking it and what I needed to do to dispose of it.

I learned that because of the weight of the hardened salt still inside, it was too heavy and they were not allowed to lift anything heavy. The option provided was to either take it to the landfill ourselves or remove the salt with a pressure washer and then set the water softener out with the regular trash pickup the next week.

It was a tender mercy I was in the front room at the time and had looked out the window when they pulled up to see that they were about to drive off without taking the water softener. It was also a tender mercy that I was able to get their attention before they drove off considering the one dumping the trash into the truck was wearing ear phones. In addition, I was able to speak with them directly, on the spot to ask them why they were not taking the water softener and what I needed to do to throw it out when otherwise at the end of the day when bringing the trash cans back inside the garage, we would’ve had no idea the reason it was left behind.

When have you put something out in the trash hoping for it to be taken away and when the garbage truck was about to drive off without it, you were present to ask them about 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, please send your name and email address to tendermercymoments@gmail.com.*

It’s Not Too Late

While I was out and about running errands, I saw that my phone had a very low battery. I would notice it in the store and then I would forget about it when I got out to the car. Time and again, I’d remember just minutes before arriving to the next location. Initially, my thought was,“what’s the point if I only have two minutes or at the longest 10 minutes to charge my phone.” Then I thought, “even if I can only get 1%, 2%, or 5% in a short period of time then it’s not too late—something is better than nothing at all.” The smallest increase was valuable to me to not lose connection with my husband and children while I was out and about.

When have you questioned if a supposedly insignificant action was worth it, and your effort resulted in a better outcome than not trying at all?

tendermercym♥ments~jld