Category: Gratitude

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.*

Remembering The Kleenex

On the designated day of the week I had set aside to go bulk shopping mainly for one essential purpose and reason, I could not remember when I arrived what that specific item was that I had planned to get. Other household/food items came to my mind, but the #1 product I needed the most was elusive. I could not rack my brain or recall what it was so I prayed that if I saw the item, it would jog my memory.

It was a tender mercy when shortly after my internal prayer I saw a large pile of tissue boxes in a middle aisle and I was elated. That is what I needed more than anything else. I had been going through facial tissues very quickly over several days and I needed to replenish my stock as my seasonal allergies were acting up nonstop. Ironically, it wasn’t my sniffles that reminded me of what I needed above all else, it was seeing the stack of tissue boxes after saying a prayer. 

When have you gone to a store and forgotten what you most intended to get and while struggling to remember, you were pleased as you were reminded of what it was when you saw the product while shopping for other needed items on your list? 

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.*

Maintain The Course

Halfway into my travels to go explore and visit an out-of-town festival, I received a notification that it was scheduled to end before I arrived. Prior to leaving my house late afternoon, I found no information with an end time listed. I assumed the festival would run until early evening being that it was a weekend and we were on summer daylight hours. Regardless of the untimely and surprising message, I stayed the path leading to the event believing I may still be able to observe a tail end portion of it. I arrived 20 minutes after the supposed end time and the festival was still going strong. 

I could have turned around and returned home when I got the news, instead I maintained my course and continued forward. It was a tender mercy the festival was still in full swing. It was a wonderful experience being in attendance and I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the beauty of another place within our state. Even if I had missed the festival, the drive there and back was very calming, relaxing, and nice.   

When have you maintained your course and continued forward towards an event a short distance or miles from home even after learning it would be over before you got there and upon your arrival, it was still going strong?

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.*

Cake Carrier

Once the 8×8 cake one of my children had baked late at night for a school project, due the following day, cooled and prior to flipping it out of the glass pan onto another surface to then decorate it with the required details, the question became what to transfer it onto to be able to transport it without messing up the design. 

As I was contemplating the use of a cardboard box with sides used to hold water bottles and lining it with aluminum foil and then crumbling up additional foil to fill in any gaps to eliminate sliding, it dawned on me we had an 8×8 plastic container, with a lid, full of brownie bites. 

It was a tender mercy that I had recalled the package of brownie bites I had purchased days earlier for an event. I transferred the mini brownies to a gallon sized ziploc freezer bag and voila we now had a great way to secure and best support the cake, keeping the decorations from shifting outside of their designated and specific locations, as well as cover it and the cake fit perfectly in the container.

When have you wanted to deliver an item(s) from one place to another snugly and you recalled having a bin, container, envelope, etc. on hand that was a perfect fit?

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.*

Having A Backup Option In Case

I was really happy when getting dressed for the day that I came across a blouse I especially liked and had forgotten about until I saw it when sorting through my clothes. When I got oil-free makeup remover on the shirt shortly before leaving the house for church, I was concerned, though not for long. It was a tender mercy I had another dressy top and cardigan I could quickly swap out that went well with my skirt without needing to change my entire outfit. 

Before exchanging my blouse, I wanted to try and get what looked like the “grease stain” out while it was still wet. I dabbed the spot with water and even though I had a limited amount of time, I let it air dry. I was worried that if I blow-dried it, the supposed stain would set in. It was another tender mercy the blouse dried very quickly. Once it air dried completely, the spot was still slightly visible so I dabbed it with water again and after it dried the second time around, I did not notice it. If it was still present, my hair was long enough to cover it up. 

Not only was it a tender mercy I had a backup top and cardigan to wear if necessary, in addition, the spot on the blouse cleaned up nicely and particularly fast. 

When have you been concerned when an article of clothing became what appeared stained just minutes before needing to be someplace on time and not only did you have a replacement you could quickly change into if necessary, even better, after dabbing the area with water, the “grease spot” cleared up?

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.*

I Need Help

It has been a joy to be a teacher to a class of junior primary children at church. On one particular Sunday, the portion of the lesson I felt strongly I should focus on most was that “Jesus wants little children to come to Him so He can bless them”. Each child matters to the Savior. As I imagined the love and gentleness He showed each child individually when He was here as He interacted with them, sat with them, and “took them up in His arms”, I wanted so badly for the kids in my class to feel that same love from Him for them as if He were in our classroom Himself.  

I didn’t know exactly how to go about teaching the lesson nor precisely what I could share so they could feel the Savior’s love for them. I needed help so I prayed and asked Heavenly Father for inspiration. Although I approached class with a general plan and had put different items in my church bag prepared for any which way the lesson may go, I had no idea ahead of time specifically what I was going to do. 

Through prayer and seeking help, it was a tender mercy I received divine guidance and direction over and over again throughout the class time. I was able to adapt quickly and shift gears frequently to adjust to the children’s shortened attention spans and in the moment, one by one inspiration came to my mind and miraculously the lesson came together smoothly and the Savior’s love for each child was felt.

When have you desired to be an “instrument” in Heavenly Father’s hands to help others feel of His love and the Savior’s love for them and your prayer was answered?

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.*

Phew—No Parking Ticket!

Late Saturday morning as I was looking out our front window, I noticed our car was still out in the street from the night previous. I began to panic and my heart started racing rapidly. I was concerned that we had a ticket either on our driver’s side door window or windshield. 

In our neighborhood, parking on the street overnight is not allowed. And, if you do so, you can expect to come out the next morning and see a ticket on your vehicle. As I stepped outside to move our car back into the driveway, I was nervous. Then I realized it was Saturday and that on the weekends if you’re parked in the street overnight, you won’t get a ticket.

It was a tender mercy that on any night to not remember to bring the car back into the driveway, it was on a Friday night that I had forgotten and we did not have a ticket on our car. 

When have you expected to get a ticket for a traffic ordinance oversight and you were relieved when you were not, after all, in violation of a restriction and issued a ticket?

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.*

Circling Back To Pay A Compliment

Within moments of saying goodbye to friends I had spent over an hour or so with and before making it all the way to the door to leave entirely, I felt impressed to return and express my gratitude for the goodness one of them has rendered to so many in our community. And then again, shortly thereafter, when departing a one-on-one conversation with another friend in the parking lot, I was impressed to turn back around to share a positive attribute and strength I saw as one of their gifts, verbalizing my admiration of their thoughtfulness and acts of charity they give so willingly and generously to others. 

Initially, these tender sentiments of appreciation I felt for both of my friend’s kind actions had remained only in my mind and heart until I received a prompting to go back and share my thoughts with them. At first, I hesitated and upon a re-occurring prompting, I circled back and complimented each of them in person. 

When I am with my friends, I often feel a gratitude well up inside of me as I hear and observe the ways they serve others, but I don’t always speak up and share my feelings with them. I think, surely they already know the impact and difference their gifts, talents, and good deeds are having in the life of someone else, right? However, much of the time, I don’t know for myself whether what I do is making a positive impact or not in the lives of others and when I hear that it is, it just feels so good and enhances and brightens my day. 

It was a tender mercy that as I circled back to compliment my friends, I was able to witness a spark in their eyes as they lit up and smiled. I saw a happiness come over them as I conveyed to them my genuine, sincere thankfulness for the ways they are blessing others’ lives. Although it felt awkward to have returned after leaving, I was grateful I did not ignore the prompting.  

When have you felt prompted to circle back and return to a conversation you just ended with someone to pay them a compliment? 

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.*

Remained Intact

After a fairly recent hailstorm, many homes in our neighborhood received sufficient enough damage to their roofs to warrant a total replacement of shingles. As contractors were scraping off and removing the old shingles from our neighbor’s home, I was concerned when the debris fell into our yard and on top of our grapevines. Since planting the grapevines a few years ago, this would be our first year harvesting them and we’ve been looking forward to enjoying our homegrown grapes. It was a tender mercy when a single shingle landed directly on top of the grapevine canopy and the clusters of grapes weren’t impacted and remained intact.

When has your home, vehicle, garden, fruit vines, trees, or other possessions on your property survived a very near casualty?

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.*