Category: Gratitude

Is It Worth The Risk?

With limited time squeezing quickly to a close for to take action on a warranty opportunity, circumstances were such that I was reluctant and questioned, “is it worth the risk?”

With limited time squeezing quickly to a close for to take action on a warranty opportunity, circumstances were such that I was reluctant and questioned, “is it worth the risk?”  

Not long after I got a new pair of glasses before our family moved to a new area, while a helper loaded up our storage unit into a U-Haul, the metal spout end of a water hose they picked up, inadvertently whipped in front of me and left behind a scratch on one of my prescription transition eyeglass lenses.  

Once we were in our new home, it was a tender mercy that one of my children requested to go to an optometrist, as through reestablishing with this eye care professional in our new location, it came to my attention that within a few weeks the replacement lenses/frame warranty for my glasses would be up. 

After many of phone calls with a receptionist at our former optometry eye clinic and a couple conversations with our now current optometry vision center, it was almost a possibility that the replacement of the lenses could have been taken care of locally, as each optometry office used the same lab company, unfortunately, the designated lab for each office was located in different states and patient information was not interconnected between offices and the lab, therefore, my glasses had to go back to my former optometry office, then on to their lab, and back to their office before being returned back to me. 

With the local option unavailable, I debated, is it worth the risk to send my current prescription glasses back to my prior optometry office, no longer a feasible thirty minute drive away, rather, more than a day away, which meant, not only would I be without my glasses for weeks, but also, by some “what if” chance they become lost in transit and I never received them back entered my thoughts. Time was running out. Would I keep my lenses “as is” which also included where some of the coating on the lenses had bubbled or get them replaced before the warranty expired? 

I decided to exercise my faith and trust that my glasses with the new replacement lenses would make it back to me, fully acknowledging there was no guarantee, an accepted risk. It was a tender mercy that though I primarily wore my glasses on a daily basis, I had contact lenses I could wear in the interim and prescription glasses from three years prior that, surprisingly, I could see with just as well if not better than my current glasses.

What transpired over the course of the next several weeks was quite the rigmarole. As I no longer resided a half hour down the road from our former optometrist, the round trip shipment cost of $14.98 for the mailers and postage was on me, a small amount relative to the cost of the glasses, yet, a cost I considered, is it worth the risk to take action before the warranty expired if I were to never get my glasses back or do I not worry about sending them and settle with the scratch and bubbled coating until I get a new pair of glasses? I decided to take the risk. 

With the help of a kind mail carrier at our post office, I mailed my glasses that were in their case and included in the mailer a labeled return mailer for my glasses to be placed in and mailed back to me once the new lenses had been set inside my same frame. I paid for tracking for both mailers.

Within a few days, though one day beyond the estimated delivery date, it was a tender mercy my glasses arrived to the optometrist’s office mailbox. They arrived on a Friday and were picked up from the mailbox the following Monday, one week after I had mailed them. One leg down, three more to go. So far, so good. 

After the given timeframe for my glasses to be sent to the lab from the optometrist’s office and returned back to the optometrist’s office, just over a week and a half later, I followed up and learned that my glasses were being mailed back to me that day. Hooray! As I awaited and awaited for the arrival of my glasses with the new replacement lenses, for some unknown reason, when I checked the tracking (a tender mercy I had paid for the tracking), my glasses had traveled in a completely opposite direction of the country than where I live and showed no updated tracking information for ten days. As I contacted USPS seven days after the day the glasses were mailed to me to learn if they had a more updated status and reason for the standstill, I was told, “it was in transit to the next facility” and so I continued to wait. 

Then one day as I checked the tracking, day ten, it showed the mailer had arrived at its destination. Excited, I was ready to go to our mailbox and pick up my glasses, only to realize upon further review that my glasses arrived back at the optometrist’s office, even though the address I had penned on the return mailer was to my home, confirmed by a receptionist at the optometrist’s office. 

Confused as to why it was returned back to them, when I contacted their office, the receptionist read off numerous labels that had been attached to the mailer, such as, not safe to fly, lack of an appropriate customs slip attached, lack of proper postage per the weight and dimensions of the package, and could not travel with postage stamps. 

The receptionist also shared that the courier who had originally taken it to the post office noted that a postal worker, rather than scan the mailer in, they just dropped it in a bin. It made no sense to the courier, but they did not question the postal worker and shrugged off what they thought was too simple and walked away without a receipt with the tracking number and estimated delivery date. 

Hearing this, I was reminded of my sending a package from a neighboring city over a year prior that routed strangely and unfortunately did not arrive to the recipient before they left their temporary stay. To get it rerouted to their home address was quite the saga. 

Suffice it to say, long story short, my glasses that were inside a case with nothing else in the mailer was a supposed safety concern, a liability, tagged as a threat, and returned to the optometrist’s office. As the same courier as before again returned my mailer to the post office, labels removed, they made it a point to ensure it was scanned to return to my home address with no complications and obtained a receipt with the tracking information and estimated delivery date on it. 

A couple of days later, just over a month from when I decided to accept the risk and mailed my glasses, they arrived. Though quite a humorous rigmarole, of which I was not bitter for as much as I was hopeful all would go smoothly, I was also prepared if it did not, it was a tender mercy my glasses did make it back to me. 

After all that, to the question of whether it was worth the risk or not to mail my glasses to replace the lenses before the warranty expired, not knowing if I would get them back, yes, the risk to take action, exercising faith and trust, was worth it.

When have you questioned and debated whether or not to do something and asked, “is it worth the risk?” and the risk you accepted to take was worth 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.

Heavenly Help For Guidance And Direction

I was confident as I sat in my car in the parking lot looking up at the temple that I would receive heavenly help for guidance and direction to know what to do in my situation. 

One trying evening as I sat on our family couch uncertain of what lie ahead in my future, I felt impressed to immediately go to the temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Though it was a late hour and the temple was closed, I was confident as I sat in my car in the parking lot looking up at the temple that I would receive heavenly help for guidance and direction to know what to do in my situation. 

While in route, the darkness of the evening, along with the dark sky area I was in gave off an eery feeling and not the peace I thought I would feel per my impression to head to the temple. In addition, along the shortest path to the temple according to GPS, each turn I took, road construction had blocked the passageway. I was faced with detour after detour. 

As I was approximately a block away and could find no way to get closer to the temple, an unsettling feeling that was all encompassing, I decided to head back home. As I drove away, it was a tender mercy I was able to see the upper portion of the temple between a gate that separated the neighborhood I was in and the temple grounds a little way off and what then struck out to me was a long banner spread out across someone’s porch that said, “Let God Prevail”. Though I did not make it all the way to the temple, it was a tender mercy I was led to this banner, an answer from Heavenly Father. 

A separate unrelated occurrence within days of this experience, again heavenly help for guidance and direction came. As a Covid-19 letter from the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was issued, three things that stood out to me in the letter were the words, “urge”, “a very high” and the absence of a mandate/command from God himself. I was conflicted as to up to that time I had received clear direction for me from Heavenly Father what to do and this letter was in opposition of what I had received for me from Him. So, I took my concern directly to Heavenly Father and shared my conflict and how confused I was seeking once again heavenly help for guidance and direction to know what to do for me. 

I prayed that on Sunday our family Bishop would share something that would provide a clear answer for me. Following the talks and prior to the meeting coming to a close, it was a tender mercy the Bishop got up and spoke to the letter and shared the importance of personal revelation for ourselves and our family and asked whatever that may be for each individual, mask or not mask, vaccinate or not vaccinate, to not let our personally inspired direction divide our Ward family, that respect for one another and acceptance be shown one to another. 

Peace entered my soul and confirmation that the answer I had received prior to the letter had not changed. That confirmation was once again confirmed when I read a letter from a former Bishop of a congregation I had attended with a like message.

Again, approximately a week and a half following the above first and second experience, while attending a BYU Convocation, with a tender heart, a lump in my throat, and holding back somewhat near visible tears from flowing down my cheeks, I reminisced my experience over two decades earlier the heavenly help for guidance and direction I had received.

I felt intense emotions of gratitude for the privilege, blessing, and tender mercy it was for me to be able to attend BYU and how my life has been touched and enriched and in turn, my immense desire to bless and enrich the lives of others. “Enter To Learn, Go Forth To Serve” means so much to me and I become emotional each time I think of these words and see them on BYU Campus. 

As I felt the weight that so much depended on the essay portion of the application to be accepted to BYU, due to my struggle with writing, I reached out in prayer to Heavenly Father. Through the heavenly help for guidance and direction I received, it was a tender mercy I was accepted to BYU. I was a transfer student from Ricks College, a two-year school from which I had recently graduated and I applied to BYU prior to my mission to Japan for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in hopes of attending following my mission to which I am ever so grateful I had the blessed opportunity to do so.  

When have you experienced uncertainty, been conflicted, or had a desire of your heart and as you reached out to Heavenly Father, heavenly help for guidance and direction came?

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.

Undoubtedly Watched Over and Cared For

My ignorance of a traffic pattern I was unfamiliar with could’ve had a catastrophic, “did not know what hit us” outcome. Fortunately, it was a tender mercy that in my oblivion, we were undoubtedly watched over and cared for!

No! No! No! No! In my ignorance, one of my children and I were undoubtedly watched over and cared for!

While in route with one of my children for them to attend an activity in a new area, my ignorance of a traffic pattern I was unfamiliar with could’ve had a catastrophic, “did not know what hit us” outcome. Fortunately, it was a tender mercy that in my oblivion, we were undoubtedly watched over and cared for!

As I came off of a main thoroughfare to enter onto another main road, two turn lanes veered off to the left in a snake-like manner. As I remained in the far right turn lane with my eyes fixated towards the intersection lights up ahead, I was unaware that off to my right side was another signal light specific to a small section I had not recognized as a break in the through traffic that stopped occasionally for oncoming vehicles prior to proceeding onward up to the intersection. 

I was oblivious to this light, having not noted it until out of my peripheral line of sight as I was midway into this unrecognizable intersection of sorts, did it dawn on me that I may have gone through a red light. As a traffic-abiding citizen, I was stunned and shocked that I may have done just that, run a red light. In that moment, I felt panic as I quickly scanned every angle around me, left, right, front, and back for cars coming towards me from either side or head on. 

As I looked in my rear view mirror, I saw the car that had been to my left had stopped, confirming I had indeed run a red light. In that split second, my mind processed my options, back up or continue forward. I continued forward. To me, what was thought to have been a straight shot from one major intersection to another became apparent in an almost catastrophic way that was not the case. It was a tender mercy that during the time of day I traveled along that roadway, it was not rush hour traffic. Additionally, due to it being summer, traffic was light. In my oblivion, my child and I were undoubtedly watched over and cared for and protected. 

And to that, stretching a bit the concept of watched over and cared for, upon meeting a new friend in this area, in our dialogue, they shared an amazing authentic food establishment recommendation, for which it was a tender mercy this named place, Sol Agave, only in a few locations far and wide, was in close proximity to our temporary residence. 

The food was excellent and being such, as my husband raved to the owner of our very much liking the food, per their gratitude, it was a tender mercy we were unexpectedly given a specialty virgin drink, on-the-house, to top off a super all around rewarding eating experience from the presentation and quality of the food to the ambiance and service. As simple as it was, I felt watched over and cared for as I appreciate when eating out, trying new places, and being that this place, not located everywhere, came up in the dialogue and was close by our temporary residence was a tender mercy. 

As a side note, another incredible restaurant my husband learned of while we were on a cross country road trip weeks earlier that came as a tender mercy after spending the night in a hotel off the side of the road in a town with no place open to get food that evening or breakfast served in the morning due to COVID was “Hidden Cuisine”.

When have you been undoubtedly watched over and cared for whether via protection during moments of oblivion to an unfamiliar traffic pattern, recommendations for services when new to an area, or in any other way?

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.

Why Did That Have To Happen?

An unfortunate occurrence caused me to wonder, “why did that have to happen?”

During a cross country road trip as our family was traveling in two different vehicles, my husband and one of our children in the lead vehicle and I and our puppy behind them, an unfortunate occurrence caused me to wonder, “why did that have to happen?”

Approximately three hours into the first day of our three-day journey, as the skies darkened, loose gravel rocks kicked up by a passing diesel pummeled the top of our car. Per the sound that incurred as a result, I thought the upper half of our car top carrier had separated and flown off. I envisioned our luggage wind lifted out every which way from the car top carrier and randomly scattered along the roadway behind us. 

As I slid back our moonroof headliner for a quick glance upward to assess the condition of the car top carrier, it became apparent, as I observed the shattered center of our moonroof, that a gravel rock had ricocheted from our car top carrier down into the moonroof.  

Upon immediately closing the headliner to prevent any shards and broken glass from falling into the interior of the car, a rattling noise ensued. Concerned and not knowing in the darkness the condition of the car top carrier, I pulled over. Initially, my attempts to reach out and alert my husband up ahead of my situation failed due to no cell service. Fortunately, aside from the shattered moonroof, the car top carrier was intact. 

Once back on the road, as the unsettling rattling noise grew louder, I continued to try to get ahold of my husband, now a distance up ahead of us. It was a tender mercy that a couple miles up the road, the lack of cell service was short lived and as he found a place to pull over, I stopped with him. 

It was a tender mercy that at the time the moonroof shattered, we were long past a grim and heavy downpour we had driven through shortly after our journey began, which driving visibility was very limited and the window wipers could barely keep up. Once out of the storm pocket, though the sky was clear and the stars were out, a beautiful temperate summer night to open up the moonroof, it was a tender mercy the moonroof and the headliner were not opened for our puppy would have been in harm’s way as she had been lying on the middle console directly below where the moonroof shattered.

With a couple hours remaining till we reached our rest accommodations for the night, it was a tender mercy dry conditions remained. In addition, though I could not change what had happened and I did not want to dwell in the past, rather focus on what to do now—given pause and reflection if another diesel drove by me, would it be best to drop my speed to keep a distance between us with a hope to not get pummeled again with loose gravel and a thought of possibly placing a tarp or plastic bags taped atop the moonroof, along the two hour stretch, briefly here and there I asked the question, “why did that have to happen?”

As we arrived a late hour at a well lit gas station near our first night’s stay location, it was tender mercy I was inspired to ask my husband to check if the service station sold duct tape. They did. The inspired solution was a super great sealant and waterproof protectant that held up through the night. 

The next day, our journey onward started off smooth. As highway speeds increased, the duct tape over the shattered area of the moonroof caved inward and separated an area of the overlapping tape. The air gap altered the aerodynamics of the wind flow and created the return of the unrelenting rattling sound, an awful turbulent shaking noise. 

It was a tender mercy that not only was there a Supercenter not far ahead along the road we were traveling, but also that my husband received additional inspiration on how and what to do to temporarily remedy our faced situation. He was inspired to place several empty 16.9 oz. plastic water bottles between the headliner and the duct taped shattered moonroof and two plastic bin lids side by side atop the moonroof taped down with duct tape.

Problem solved. The unrelenting rattling noise ceased. The waterproof covering held up the remainder of our trip and weeks beyond, even during a couple of thunderstorms prior to the arrival and installation of our new moonroof. 

To my ask, why did that have to happen? Why did we have to experience that fluke shattered moonroof incident? Though I don’t know the reason why or if there was any reason, it was a tender mercy our puppy and myself were protected and my husband and I were inspired immediately with problem solving solutions for a temporary means to keep the shattered moonroof covered till it could be replaced.  

When have you had an unfortunate and unknown, “why did that have to happen?” incident occur to your car while on a road trip and you received inspiration on how and what to do until it could get fixed?

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.

A Long-Delayed Unsent Gift

When an opportunity for the giving of a long-delayed unsent gift to a couple in person presented itself, though months past their special day, I was ecstatic!

I don’t know about you, but for me mailing a letter, card, packages through the postal service or by means of an online purchase directly mailed to an individual is no easy feat. One, the post office is not close by and two, I am not an online shopper. For those reasons, I am not on top of nor great about getting around to sending out gifts in either manner. So unfortunately, special occasion gifts for a friend’s graduation, wedding, or baby’s birth to those via a mail service get unsent. I enjoy in-store shopping for gifts and hand delivering them, but otherwise, time comes and goes when sending gifts through the mail does not happen. When an opportunity for the giving of a long-delayed unsent gift to a couple in person presented itself, though months past their special day, I was ecstatic!

The guilt I feel for this downfall of mine, desiring and wanting to send a gift, but the real struggle it is for me sits just below the surface of my subconscious to-do list as I don’t want to forget to give them a gift. I look forward to when I can see them in person and hand deliver them a gift at that time. Who doesn’t like a gift any time, even if well beyond their special occasion, right? 

After over a year of at home/virtual Sabbath Day Sacrament Meeting attendance due to the COVID-19 pandemic that halted in-person meetings and weeks after many in our ward congregation returned when gatherings were once again permitted, it was a tender mercy one of our children requested that we attend in person on a particular Sunday or we otherwise would have stayed home for the virtual broadcast.

As our family sat close to the back, it was a tender mercy I observed sitting in the pews a newlywed friend and her husband of three months whom I wanted so badly to give them a wedding gift and had not yet mailed one to them. I was elated! I turned to my husband and asked his thoughts on giving them cash to which we were both happy to give to them and it was a tender mercy I had the amount I wanted to give them on hand in my purse. 

After the meeting closed, my husband and I made our way up to them and handed both of them the gift and learned that they not being in our ward were in attendance on that particular day to support their friend who was one the speakers. It was a tender mercy we were there and they were there and I was able to hand to them in person a wedding gift I so desired to give to them in celebration of their marriage. I was ever so grateful an opportunity presented itself to deliver in person a long-delayed unsent gift. 

When have you been ever so grateful an opportunity presented itself to deliver in person a long-delayed unsent gift you desired to give someone?

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.

Despite The Perils That Lie Ahead

Despite the perils that lie ahead, I set aside our own well-being to first ensure the safety and protection of another.

Though I had a very direct and decisive plan to get myself and one of my children home as quickly and safely as possible on a winter advisory evening, due to an unexpected delay, despite the perils that lie ahead, I set aside our own well-being to first ensure the safety and protection of another. 

On this cold 30 degree evening, around dusk, as I was taking one of my children to an outing to meet up with their friends, the roads were fine. I am a cautious and vigilant driver as it is and while in route I became even more so as I noted a warning on a highway message board that icy conditions existed on the road. It was a tender mercy we did not encounter any ice along the way and we arrived safely to the destination. 

Soon after I dropped them off, it began raining. Figuring the roads would be more so unsafe to travel on as it grew darker, rather than drive the distance back home, I stayed out to window shop and grocery shop while they were with their friends. Upon completion of the activity several hours later, as I returned to pick them up, the highway was already slick and would assuredly become worse as the temperature dropped further into the late evening hours and early morning. 

Along the practically empty highway and frontage roads, while myself and other drivers, some with their hazard lights on, traveled slowly, patrol cars were out coning off portions of the highway to which I anticipated it would not be long before the major roads would be closed entirely. 

Before the roads became any more treacherous, my plan was to pick up my child and get home as quickly, which was not all that fast due to the road conditions, and safely as possible. Not wanting a repeat experience I had a couple of decades prior when hitting a patch of black ice, losing control, and ending up down an interchange embankment, I drove very carefully. 

At one point, as I crossed over a bridge with only one lane open due to a fire truck in the other lane attending to a vehicle that appeared to have spun out, my vehicle began to fishtail slightly back and forth a few times over the entirety of the icy bridge, narrowly staying clear of the firetruck as I passed by it. Amidst the tense and surreal brief seconds that ensued, my thoughts turned immediately to a fireside message I recently heard by Noelle Pikus Pace about looking where you want to end up. Recalling the experience she shared, it was a tender mercy I was able to repeatedly steady and maintain control of my vehicle.    

At the next exit a short distance past the bridge, I got off the highway and continued on my way to reach my child by means of the frontage roads. The time it took to get to them was slow. Once I arrived to pick them up, I was relieved I had made it to them safely and I was SO ready to be home. Well, it so happened that as my child came out, all their friends exited at the same time too, however, one did not have a ride and was waiting on their parents to arrive. 

Not wanting the friend to remain by themselves, without hesitation, I set aside our well-being, my child and I, to first and foremost ensure the safety and protection of my child’s friend. While we sat in the warmth of my parked car together till their parents arrived, it was a tender mercy as I observed the serenity of the quiet nightscape around me, I felt not only gratitude to momentarily be off of the hazardous roads, but I also felt a stillness and calm despite the perils that lie ahead as the road conditions deteriorated with each passing minute and uncertainty if the passageway home would be open.

Once the friend’s parents arrived, my child and I slowly ventured our way back home along icy roads and across multiple bridges, including a critical one that was frozen. It was a tender mercy we made it home safely and each friend confirmed that they, likewise, had as well. 

When have you set aside your own well-being, despite the perils that lie ahead for you, to serve another whom you observed was in need and after they were situated and all was well, you were watched over and kept safe too?

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.

A Light In The Darkness

When have you been provided a light in the darkness during a time you could not see and needed the light?

Twice this evening, practically back to back, I and another person were separately provided a light in the darkness.  

While traveling in our teenage drivers’ older car to drop off one of my children at a school basketball game, upon our arrival, after parking in a stall to wait and observe their safe entrance into the gym, my hands felt sticky and dirty. As I looked in the middle console of the car for hand wipes, to which there was none, I spotted a flashlight. I was drawn to what was wrapped around the exterior of the flashlight. It was a message that read, “Be Different, Stand Out, Be A Light”.

Once my child was safely inside the gym, as I was about to leave and go back home, I observed a man parked a few stalls away from me to my left, with no cars between us, changing his flat tire. I felt impressed to roll down my window and share with him what a tender mercy that he was able to make it off the nearby highway and into the gym parking lot to change the tire in a safe place rather than being stuck changing it on the highway. He was very appreciative of the wonderful blessing. After that brief interaction, upon my departure, I recognized another tender mercy. As dusk was fast approaching, I noticed that he would have a light in the darkness while he changed his tire as he was parked in a location right under a parking lot light. 

On my way back home, just before I arrived, I heard something fall to the floor near or around the front passenger seat. At this point, the sun had completely set. After I reached our driveway, parked, and turned off the car, I looked for it, but I couldn’t see what it was or where it had fallen. It was a tender mercy that where my light on my phone did not work, I was fortunately aware of the flashlight in the middle console and I had a light in the darkness to find and pick up the object as well as see to gather all my belongings prior to my exit out of the car. 

When have you been provided a light in the darkness during a time you could not see and needed the light? 

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.

Freedoms In The Midst Of Restrictions

Despite orders on a state and national level precluding certain activities from taking place for the time being due to the coronavirus pandemic, there have been many freedoms in the midst of restrictions to which I have enjoyed and valued very much.

For years, I have heeded the spiritual counsel given by modern-day prophets to prepare, alongside with my husband, for any number of potential catastrophic circumstances or devastating situations that may come our way. As such, although schools, churches, parks, and businesses have most recently closed temporarily due to the coronavirus pandemic, I have not felt any anxiety, stress, panic or fear. I have felt at ease. Despite orders on a state and national level precluding certain activities from taking place for the time being, there have been many freedoms in the midst of restrictions to which I have enjoyed and valued very much.   

~It has been a tender mercy that although state and local parks have closed, the nature preserve directly behind our house has been open, where our family has spent time outdoors many of days riding numerous bike trails and leisurely enjoying the walking paths, there and in our neighborhood as the spring temperatures and weather this year have both been ideal and beautiful. 

~Even with church buildings closed, it has been a tender mercy we have been able to continue to worship and have a Sacrament meeting in our home as a family each Sabbath Day.  

~In the wake of many products for weeks being hard to get because of the insufficient supply ratio to the sudden overwhelming demand for them, it has been a tender mercy that all of our essential needs have thus far been adequate due to our efforts to have consistently prepared ongoing for times like now long before the outbreak of the coronavirus.

~Before the stay-at-home order, when I frequented stores on a regular basis as I prefer in-store shopping, I would make frivolous and unnecessary purchases here and there to which the minimal costs for each item pulled together would add up quickly. For me, the money I have saved with “nonessential” businesses currently closed has been a tender mercy. 

~On days preceding the stay-at-home order when family members went off to school and work and the house was very quiet, I wanted to be out and about constantly. With our home now filled with family togetherness 24/7, it has been a tender mercy I have surprisingly not become stir crazy and had the itch to get out of the house. 

~Also, during this timeframe of enclosure, I’ve learned I am more so an introvert than I had ever thought myself of being and it is a tender mercy how content I have been days on end without being phased and feeling any disruption to my core being.

~In addition, it has been a tender mercy that for the first time ever I have not been constantly on the go. The stay-at-home order has opened up a lot of time for me to relax and enjoy so many of my at-home hobbies and the treasured opportunity to spend priceless quality time together as a family.  

When have you treasured the many freedoms in the midst of restrictions that were present for you during times like these? And, what have been those freedoms in the midst of restrictions that you have valued during these times?

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 For Me And One For You

With most all shopping carts being used by other patrons, it was a tender mercy that when you and another shopper not far behind you entered the store, there were still two available carts, “One For Me And One For You!”

“Yay, one for me and one for you!” was my quiet expression of gratitude when walking into a store full of shoppers and seeing that the only cart left by the entrance/exit was available for me as well as spotting an unattended cart nearby for another shopper that came in not far behind me whom was also desirous of having a cart. 

Post Christmas and New Years as the holiday break was coming to a close, I went to a particular store to return a couple of Christmas presents that did not work as intended and to purchase a few end-of-season clearance and regular priced gift items. Once inside, I noticed a long checkout line and the number of available carts had dwindled down to one. It was a tender mercy that when I arrived, there was at least one remaining shopping cart by the entrance/exit. 

As I settled my personal belongings and returns into the cart and was preparing to step away, I observed another shopper that had come in soon after I did looking for a cart. Though I could have kept the last cart for myself as per the phrase “first come, first serve”, I was willing to give it up to them, however, I too needed a cart. 

With a very sore shoulder from overextending one of my arms a few days earlier, carrying anything caused uncomfortable pain so going into the packed store and being able to snatch up the last available cart near the entrance/exit was a welcomed tender mercy for me. 

Yet, I didn’t want the much older shopper than I to be without a cart so I scanned the area from where I was standing and it was a tender mercy I saw an isolated cart close by in a section between racks of clothing and shelves of merchandise. I turned to the other shopper with an expression of elation, optimistic that we would each have a cart, “one for me and one for you.” 

However, not knowing if the cart with an article of clothing on the seat was being used by someone who may have gone into a nearby toilet room, as I approached the restroom to see if it was vacant or not, an individual stepped out and did not claim the cart when asked and no one else was nearby so it was assumed it had just been randomly left behind. It was a tender mercy we each now had a cart. 

When have you gone into a store and there was a limited quantity of something you and another shopper desired and you were grateful that with what remained there was “one for me and one for you”, meaning one for each 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.

Seeing Now What I Didn’t See Then

Seeing Now What I Didn’t See Then

This post, ”Seeing Now What I Didn’t See Then” is the behind the scenes struggle I had with completing an earlier post, “Concurring Prayers For Help Interconnected”.

I started my day feeling really good about writing up my tender mercy moment and publishing the entry to my blog no later than early evening. 

As I began preparing the post, I wanted to fulfill each SEO recommendation provided through a plugin I use with my blog, most specifically to include an outbound link that would be applicable and connect well to my post, but I didn’t know any outbound links I could attach to my blog entry. 

Late afternoon, while in route to pick up my kids from school, I wanted to listen to inspirational messages on the Hi Five Live Facebook page from my phone. When I opened up the page and sought to backtrack to where I had last left off days earlier, strangely, I was only able to scroll a portion of the way down before the uploading of more messages was delayed as a spinning circle continued rotating around and around and around halting me from being able to scroll down any further. 

After trying several times to scroll further down and I couldn’t, I relinquished, giving in and opting to listen to the message where the page had stopped. Turns out, this was an amazing tender mercy as the message from this outbound link tied in very well to my blog entry. 

Later, as I was close to finishing up the post, the final touches were just not coming together, no matter how much I worked on it. As the hours progressed well beyond the length of time I thought I would’ve had it finished, I was becoming more and more distraught not knowing the reason why it was not fully coming together especially considering I felt good about writing and posting it. 

I was hoping to publish it before our Family Home Evening, however, that didn’t happen. On this night, in our rotation, I had the song choice to start off our time together. I wanted to select a gratitude hymn with words that would help me see things from a brighter place and being that it was also Veteran’s Day and Thanksgiving was just around the corner. Unfortunately, I could not read and comprehend clearly the words we were singing as I felt so unsettled and lost. Even when my husband shared an inspiring video, I was beside myself. The only thing I got from the video was to keep trying which in that moment as I saw the message “I can try again” on our television screen I was perplexed. 

I was angry, upset, frustrated, and mad at Heavenly Father. I asked Him, “if this (the Tender Mercy Moments blog) is what you’ve inspired me to do, then why isn’t this post coming together? Please help me!” I was wondering if maybe it not coming together meant I should just stop blogging and that maybe it was no longer what Heavenly Father wanted me to do.

After several hours of remaining at a dead end, I surrendered. I had tried and given my all for it to come together in my timeframe. And, it just wasn’t. I am not a quitter and not one who gives up, but I reached a point that I supposed it was just not meant to be. In addition to surrendering, I opted to not check the number of Facebook notifications I had received throughout the day as I wanted to move away from anything that had to do with my blog. I was preparing myself to let it all go by the wayside. 

However, prior to heading to bed I felt I should check the notifications. When I did, the first thing I saw and read was a remarkable response to a cue I had posted on my Tender Mercy Moments group page the day prior. In that moment, my heart melted and my mind rested on an enlightening thought that perhaps the reason my post wasn’t coming together was that it was possible that if I had posted the new entry per my timing, the incredible experience that was relayed may not have been shared as it would no longer correspond with a newly published tender mercy moment post now at the top of the feed. 

Upon seeing the response, immediately I felt joy and gratitude as I recognized Heavenly Father is on top of all things and His awareness of when best to post was greater than my own. It was a tender mercy that right then and there a realization struck me that I was seeing now what I didn’t see then when things were not working out. It came down to timing. 

Also, as I reflected on the earlier tender mercy (the outbound link that “fell into my lap” so to speak which I had bypassed and forgotten about when my focus moved to why the post wasn’t coming together) along with the latter tender mercy, both confirmed to me and gave me reassurance that I was to continue my blog and Heavenly Father is very much apart of the work He has inspired me to do. 

The following day, it was a tender mercy the post came together very smoothly with even extra bonuses of other very touching and beautiful outbound links—another one that “fell into my lap” and one that entered my mind.  It was amazing!! Timing was everything. 

When have you reached a dead end on a project you couldn’t figure out why it wasn’t coming together and you had a “seeing now what I didn’t see then” moment that too may have been all about the timing? 

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.*