Category: Health

Come To Know The Why

With my intense anxiety on slick roads, being in a solid, secure vehicle with suitable tire traction for the projected conditions was a singular, come to know the why moment, a reason, if you will, our car randomly stopped working. 

Have you ever asked yourself these questions, silently or out loud, “Why do bad things happen to good people?! Why did this happen to me?! Why did this happen for me?!” Though the answers may remain a floating question, without an answer and elusive at times, other times you may, to a degree, come to know the why, the reason for the reason. One such time for me came the weekend of my dad’s unexpected passing. 

Each morning, after I drop off my youngest at school, I will back into a parking spot until about 15 minutes beyond the school start time, as vehicles coming and going can get pretty congested and crazy, which in turn spikes and intensifies my anxiety. While I wait out the time for a bit, I’ll turn off the car to conserve gas and either attend to various tasks on my phone, read a physical book, or listen to a podcast. 

On this particular Thursday morning, upon ready to head back home, as I turned on the car, it would not start. A slew of flashing lights appeared on the dashboard. Not only that, it was as if the car lost its grounding and was slipping away. It felt like the car was moving forward. Even with my foot on the brake pedal, I was concerned about the car rolling into the parked car in front of me, so I applied the emergency brake as well, which seemed to do nothing at all. 

Not knowing what was going on, I straightaway pulled out the dealership manual from the glove box to figure it out, and still, with no idea how to solve for what was going on, I reached out to my husband who came to my assistance. We ended up leaving the car in the school parking lot. Once home, I called the dealership and learned it was likely the battery. My husband returned to the school and jumpstarted the car, alone a tender mercy I had backed into the parking spot, and the car then sat in our garage, undriveable for several days before the proper installation of a new battery could take place. In the meantime, it was a tender mercy we had a backup vehicle to drive, a truck in particular.  

The next evening as my husband and I had just finished a dinner date, I received a text from one of my siblings that I was processing as we were leaving the restaurant. I wasn’t sure what to make of the message, if it was for real or not. We did not travel far before I elected we stop and pull into a gas station and I shared with my husband the message, “not sure if dad will make it through the night”. The validity of the message left me up in the air as to what to do. Though uncertain, as I had no preliminary knowledge of my dad being physically unwell, I decided it would be better to go see him than not. 

It was a tender mercy not only that the gas station we had stopped at was right next to the interstate that traveled directly up to my dad’s residence, but also that we were in the truck the evening of the first winter storm advisory of the season. With my intense anxiety on slick roads, being in a solid, secure vehicle with suitable tire traction for the projected conditions was a singular, come to know the why moment, a reason, if you will, our car randomly stopped working. 

Upon reaching my dad and visiting with him and getting updates from my siblings, I learned that one and half weeks earlier, my dad was vibrant, vivacious, and energetic, and it was shared that he could live another 20 years. And then, just like that, over a one week span, his bill of health declined. Though his physical appearance looked frail, he was coherent in conversation and mentally cognizant of his surroundings. As the evening hour waned and my dad expressed desire to rest, my optimistic self believed he would make a full recovery, which carried me through the night as my husband and I returned back to our home. 

The next morning I received a call from a sibling that had stayed with my dad through the night and attended to his care. As he observed my dad’s suffering in the early morning hours, before daybreak he took him to a hospital emergency room, upon where my dad passed the moment he was wheel-chaired inside. 

As my mom, no longer married to my dad, and many of my siblings were gathered around my dad’s emergency room bedside until they moved him to the morgue in the basement of the hospital, it was decided that we would all go back to his tiny apartment and move his minimalistic belongings from his place to one of my sibling’s place who lived nearby. The question was asked if anyone had a truck. Though a very surreal moment that my dad had in fact passed away, it was a tender mercy, with our car inoperable, my husband and I had come up in the truck. 

When our car randomly stopped working, I had no idea that two days later my dad would unexpectedly pass away and that being in the truck would be a tender mercy. In addition, my receiving the message and being with and conversing with my dad the night before he passed was a blessed tender mercy! 

As the weekend unfolded, I had come to know the why, the why my reliable car, without warning, had faltered a couple of days prior. 

When have you come to know the why something undesirable happened “for you”, which, the occurrence, in and of itself, was a provided tender mercy?

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.

Say What?

Say what? How is it that doing good for another could adversely affect oneself and possibly others?

Say what? How is it that doing good for another could adversely affect oneself and possibly others? 

Unlike other impressions I have received for to take action immediately, on this occasion, I did not feel an urgency to right then and there stop what I was doing, rather, to go and do once I was dressed and ready for the day, at my own steady pace, and before an appointment I was scheduled to be at a couple hours later. I felt Heavenly Father was mindful of me that I not cut short or rush the care I needed to give to myself, of which was a tender mercy. His mindfulness of me, and the minimal window between said events and timing for the recipient, fell perfectly aligned.

I was impressed to deliver a very specific treat to a friend. It was a treat I would first need to go the store to get. I started out at one store that did not carry it and then onto another store. While in the first store, with the treat not yet in hand, I texted my friend to find out if they would be home during the limited timeframe I would be available to come by. As I awaited their reply, I was confident the treat would be at the next store and I trusted my friend would be home to receive it. It was a tender mercy both were affirmed, the specific treat was at the second store and my friend responded they would be home after having just finished running errands. 

Upon arrival at my friend’s home, I was invited inside. As a precautionary measure out of respect due to the prevalence of a COVID-19 variant, I sat a length apart from my friend on their couch. During our brief dialogue, they shared with me that they had recently been in contact with someone who had COVID. 

Slightly thrown off, “say what?” was my internal response and the following internal question, “How is it that I was impressed to bring my friend a treat if Heavenly Father knew they had been in contact with someone with COVID, that in turn, being exposed, I could get it and/or pass it on to another person?” It made no sense. I was not so much concerned for myself, however, concerned for an individual I was about to meet at my appointment who was headed a few days later on a trip to another country. 

Though it did not make sense why I would be impressed to bring them a treat if doing so would bring about potential harm to myself and others, it was a tender mercy I was eased with a realization that all around me were persons who had either had it, were exposed, or asymptomatic, no one immune, each susceptible, for which I felt a peace to not let the gravity of fear take hold and that all would be fine. It was a tender mercy the news did not set me back and I returned my focus to the joy of service rather than projection of the unknown future. 

When have you felt impressed to do something kind for someone, and with it, you learned, post follow-through, of potential harm that could come to you or others as an outcome, of which your “say what?” concern was replaced with peace of mind? 

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 totendermercymoments@gmail.com.

Is This The End?

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

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

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

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

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

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

tendermercym❤️ments~jld

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

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

Do Not Panic

I held on to the comfort I felt as I heard these words, “Do Not Panic”.

Hearing news that naturally would lend to panic, it was a tender mercy as the onset of this emotion flooded and enveloped my being, I leaned into the words, “Do Not Panic”, that instantaneously entered my mind. Though worry and concern still existed, in each instance the panic resurfaced, I held on to the comfort I felt as I heard these words, “Do Not Panic”, reiterated. 

Upon leaving our residence, as I headed to the car to pick up one of our children from school, a 45-minute drive away, I listened to a voicemail message I missed come through just moments earlier from their school. At the time of day it came through, I thought it to be a general school-wide message, instead it was an auto-generated personalized message during their current class time indicating our child had been marked absent. 

With no known reason why they would not be in class, my mind immediately went into panic mode, consumed with the thought of where could they be and quickly concerned with the possibility that something terrible had happened to them. As I sought to confirm their location per a family shared Find My Iphone App, their last identified location was at home the evening prior. At a time when I needed to know exactly where they were, with their present location unknown, as panic surfaced, it was a tender mercy I received in that moment, words of comfort, “Do Not Panic”, followed with an impression there was a reasonable explanation and all was well. 

Once inside my car, panic again set in as I noticed a bag my child had placed in the car that morning, with everything needed and important to them for an after-school function, was missing from its placement behind the front passenger seat. Concern that our car had been broken into, though everything, other than the bag, appeared to have been untouched, as my whole being began to sink with devastation that of all things taken, it was what meant a great deal to our child, it was a tender mercy the words of comfort, “Do Not Panic”, reentered my mind, along with a peaceful impression that my foremost thought a theft had occurred was not what it seemed. 

Along the 45-minute drive to the school, it was a tender mercy I did not deviate my focus away from the “Do Not Panic” words of comfort that entered my mind and I held onto and chose to trust and believe the impression that “all is well” and “it is not what it seems”.

As I arrived to the school and awaited for our child, who promptly entered the car, unaware and oblivious of what I experienced on my way to pick them up, in our dialogue about their day, I learned the reason they had been marked absent was that they had remained in their prior class longer to ask their teacher a question and the absence they had received would be removed. And, as for their bag, without my having noticed when I dropped them off, they had taken it to school with them. 

It was a tender mercy, All Was Well! Not only that, it was a tender mercy that despite my physical health ailing me, head pressure included, I heard the message, “Do Not Panic”. 

When have you experienced a worrisome moment and you heard the words, “Do Not Panic” enter your mind, and what on the onset got your heart pumping was not actually as it appeared and all was good and well?

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.

Not The Anticipated Probable “What if” Scenario

When a scenario I had never heard of before was presented to me and one that was not the anticipated probable “what if” scenario alternatives that had entered my mind, my fear and anxiety dissipated.

Upon a prompting I received to obtain preventive protection in the event of a sustained injury, trepidation set in as my mind contemplated probable “what if” scenarios I envisioned lie ahead for me. When a scenario I had never heard of before was presented to me and one that was not the anticipated probable “what if” scenario alternatives, my fear and anxiety dissipated. 

A couple of days before my annual well-woman visit, out of the blue, I received a prompting to get a tetanus vaccination booster. To this unexpected peaceful impression, angst also set in as I wondered why I would need it and thoughts of painful, “what if” scenarios that may be in store down the road for me from stepping on a rusty nail or broken glass to being in a car accident entered my mind. 

I knew I was given a booster within the last decade, however, I could not recall exactly the date. On the evening prior to my appointment, without any thought of the prompting, it was a tender mercy as I was casually organizing and decluttering a bin of papers, I came across my last tetanus vaccination record.

While at my well-woman appointment, I asked whether the office in-house lab gave vaccinations. Though they said no, I knew I was to receive it. So straightaway, following my appointment, I went to a CVS store. 

As I walked inside, it was a tender mercy when greeted by a concierge, I was able to bypass an entrance line designated for those receiving the COVID-19 vaccination and alongside the concierge, they guided me straight back to the pharmacy. While I awaited to be set up to receive the vaccination from the pharmacist, it was a tender mercy that during a brief dialogue with the concierge, they shared a reason for the tetanus is to be able to be in close proximity to infants and month old babies, a why I had never heard of before and one that would not incur an injury to myself or others. All of a sudden, my trepidation for the anticipated probable “what if” scenario I considered a likelihood washed away. I was relieved. 

Because of the prompting, though I do not like needles, I did not fear getting the vaccination, only the probable “what if” scenarios that would warrant preventative protection. And, because of the enlightenment from the concierge, it was a tremendous tender mercy that when the pharmacist indicated they were done, I didn’t even realize I had already been given the vaccination. I thought they were still prepping the site to administer it to me. Due to my relaxed state, the pharmacist described the needle like going into a sponge verses a rock. Not only did it not hurt when the pharmacist inserted the needle into my arm, my arm was not sore after either. 

When have you feared an anticipated probable “what if” scenario associated with a preventative prompting and a non-injurious scenario shared with you dissipated your anxiety? 

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.

Upon The Aftermath, It Made Sense

It was a tender mercy that upon the aftermath, it made sense not only why I had received the impression so as to jumpstart the release of the toxin from my body, but also that I had indeed received an impression.

After I returned home from a dinner out and prior to the close of the evening, I had a sweet tooth and craved chocolate. In that moment, I received the impression to drink lemon water instead, but opted against the lemon water and went for a piece of chocolate, a packet of applesauce, nuts, and water. An unforeseen side effect of what I may have been exposed to while eating dinner showed up hours later. Upon the aftermath, it made sense why I had received the impression to drink lemon water. 

Several years back while on a trip to a touristy destination, I did a lot of walking all throughout the area and ate yummy seafood sandwiches. Following the trip, I felt an internal heat penetrating my upper thighs. I thought it was attributed to all the walking I had done. However, I learned it was an allergic reaction to the seafood I had eaten. 

Because the onset of the reaction was not sudden, I was not aware of the cause until later. Much like working out and your muscles don’t feel sore immediately, then sometime later when you feel soreness, you may wonder why and realize it was from working out.

It was weeks before the burning, inflamed sensation let up and the toxin from the bottom feeder fish I had eaten completely exited my body. This allergic reaction was confirmed when I returned to the location less than a year later. After again enjoying the seafood, I experienced the burning sensation in my upper thighs once more for weeks.

At the time I craved the chocolate, I felt fine. Little did I know the significance of the impression to drink lemon water. The evening of eating out proceeded a 24 hour fast and I wanted to savor and enjoy a sweet treat and some sustainable food beforehand. As eating chocolate and lemon water together is counter productive, the either or choice went to my craving and not to the prompting I had received. The next day, the burning sensation in my legs began and I quickly understood. Upon the aftermath, it made sense why I had received the impression to drink lemon water. 

After backtracking to assess and try to figure out the source of the burning in my legs, it was a tender mercy I recalled the years earlier when I had the same sensation occur and concluded that though my meal was a non-seafood dish, it was probable that a trace amount of fish cooked and served to other patrons may have gotten into my food too. Per my experience on prior occasions, a successful means of clearing out toxins from my body had been drinking water with a quarter freshly squeezed lemon combined with pure cranberry juice.  

Though, from the get-go, I disregarded the impression to drink the lemon water and acted rather on my craving, it was a tender mercy that upon the aftermath, it made sense not only why I had received the impression so as to jumpstart the release of the toxin from my body, but also that I had indeed received an impression. Within a couple of days of drinking warm, honey lemon water first thing in the morning, it was a tender mercy the burning sensation became mild to hardly present and as I continued to then drink lemon water with pure cranberry juice daily for breakfast, the burning sensation gradually and eventually subsided. 

When have you had an upon the aftermath, it made sense experience in which you not only understood the why you received a particular impression to act, but that it also confirmed you had indeed received an impression?

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.

This Too Shall Pass

Amidst the time period of nerve-racking worry and concern, it was a tender mercy I felt comforted “this too shall pass” and relieved once it did.

Here we go again! Another first-timer puppy owner scare! And, like the ones before, once again, a surety all was well came. On this occasion, it was when the phrase, “this too shall pass” entered my mind.

Our 6 1/2 month old puppy is notorious for eating paper products—napkins, paper towels, receipts, book covers, etc. out of the trash and off of countertops. 

In an instance, while preoccupied and not solely focused on her, it was a tender mercy an out-of-the blue, spontaneous alert to check on her and check on her now popped into my mind. In rapid succession came the question, “where is she?”; acknowledgement she was missing; another similarly posed question, “where did she go?”; an instinct that she had gone into our master bathroom; and a prayer while in immediate route there that I would get to her in time before she ate something she was not to eat.   

Sure enough, she had gone into the bathroom. However, by the time I got to her, per the evidence of small remnant pieces on the bedroom floor next to the bathroom of an item that had been thrown out, it appeared she may have eaten some of it, though I was not for certain if she had.

I was really concerned. And especially so because it was her bedtime. I questioned, “Do I keep her up or put her in her crate for the night?” I wrestled profusely with what to do. I read up on google about various options to handle what she may have ingested—from giving her hydrogen peroxide to induce vomiting within 15 minutes of ingesting a foreign object, or if that time had passed giving her straight pumpkin for the fiber to help in removal of it within 10-24 hours, or feeding her rice in place of her regular diet until she pooped it out. 

Being that the veterinary office was closed and I did not know until the day after that a veterinarian was on call after hours, the only person I knew to reach out to was Heavenly Father. As I knelt in prayer desiring to hear an answer to my prayer, one by one I asked about each option and the response for each was a no. Rather, the answer I received for what to do was “you do not need to do anything”. 

I questioned if the dialogue between Heavenly Father and I was actually me giving myself the answer. Urg! So frustrating! I have come to recognize His voice and yet here in this important moment, I was not sure whose voice I was hearing, my own or Heavenly Father’s. I did however feel a peace to do nothing, but I was not content. I wanted a surety that the answer I received was from Heavenly Father, so once again I turned to Him in prayer for help to know with certainty  if the answer came from Him. 

Through my desire to undoubtedly hear Him and faith I would receive that clarity, I decided to read a random article in the Liahona. A few paragraphs in, I stopped at a paragraph that began with the word nothing. I questioned if that was the confirmation I needed. Though I still felt a peace and comfort to do nothing, I was not settled and sure that I was hearing the answer from Heavenly Father or from my own thoughts. 

After I kept our puppy up for a time and saw no signs of her having any issues, I placed her in her crate. She slept well all night long. Sometime during the night, as my mind was in rest and relaxed mode, I awoke to these words, “this too shall pass” in reference to all the other questionable items that she had before ingested and pooped out and that it would be the case this time as well. It was a tender mercy these words solidified and confirmed that I did not need to do anything. 

Once up for the day, I continued to research all I could to educate myself regarding every concerning question I had. I also reached out to a veterinarian and received concurrence that I did not need to do anything unless our puppy showed signs of having problems which she had not up to that point behaved any different than her normal self. She ate, pooped, and peed like clockwork. Eighteen hours later, it was a tender mercy a portion of what she had ingested did pass and a couple hours after that, the rest, I assumed, came out. Amidst the time period of nerve-racking worry and concern, it was a tender mercy I felt comforted “this too shall pass” and relieved once it did. 

When have you been concerned about what to do in an unsettling situation you had experienced before and you received a confirmation that like the prior similar instances, “this too shall pass” and all would be well?

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.

Rest Assured, All Is Well

Prior to receiving the impression, “rest assured, all is well”, concern enveloped my entire being as I observed what our puppy may have ingested.

Just like that, as my undivided attention turned momentarily away from our puppy, when I returned my focus to her, prior to receiving the impression, “rest assured, all is well”, concern enveloped my entire being as I observed what our puppy may have ingested.

While our family was hanging out watching TV, our four month old puppy was playing with her toys, when out of the corner of my eye I observed her chewing something suspicious. I quickly got up off the couch and knelt down by her side. When I looked in her mouth, I saw that she was chewing on some polyester stuffing from one of her toys that had ripped apart. I attempted to pry open her mouth, however, fear that she would clamp her teeth down on my hand as I reached into her mouth, I stopped any attempt and immediately called on one of my children, who has with such ease been able to sweep her mouth and remove a variety of questionable things she has been caught chewing on. Within the split second it took for them to get to her, they were unable to find the stuffing anywhere in her mouth. 

I was so frustrated with myself that I did not have the skill and courage to get it out of her mouth while I had an eye on it and I was very concerned she had swallowed it. What did it mean if she had? I sat back down on the couch, no longer engaged on whatever was on TV, but fully invested in researching and seeking to know what to do if she had swallowed it. I read of the possibility it could cause intestinal blockage and to get her to a veterinarian immediately OR it could come out in her poop within 24 hours and in the meantime to observe if she showed any signs or symptoms of illness. 

As a first time puppy owner, I was clueless and had no idea the seriousness, if any, I was up against. Do I lean towards a more assertive action and take her to the veterinary hospital, as the veterinary clinic was closed, or the passive approach to wait it out with hopes she had no digestive issues and it would come out the next morning?

While uncertain what action to take and not wanting to become anxious, it was a tender mercy I felt “rest assured, all is well”. Simultaneously, I was prompted to go where she had been chewing on the polyester stuffing and run my hand along our carpet, a color tone the stuffing blended in with easily. As I got down on my hands and knees and brushed my hand over the area, it was a tender mercy I found the polyester stuffing that had been in her mouth. I was relieved she had spit it out and not swallowed it. 

Several days later, I observed her biting a hole in the corner seam of a fabric covered sand bag, up against our back door to keep the winter cold air out of our kitchen. As a quick remedy, I tied off the hole with a twist tie and flipped the bag upside down to hide the corner from her and hoped she would not be able to access it. Unfortunately, one afternoon as I left her resting unattended in the kitchen while I took a phone call in another room with better reception, she managed to remove the twist tie and further increase the size of the hole. 

When I returned to the kitchen, sand was spilt out on the floor beside the bag and the wire twist tie was missing. Though I was concerned she may have chewed and swallowed the twist tie, I refrained from becoming panicked, just yet. As the thought entered my mind of whether or not to make an emergency call to a veterinarian to have her checked out, it was a tender mercy I felt a peaceful calm that it was not necessary. I felt confident and rest assured, all is well and that I would find the twist tie. 

After I swept up the spilt sand and continued sweeping in the kitchen where she goes to hang out and chew on the treats we give her, next to the towel she lies on while enjoying her treats was the twist tie wire. It was a tender mercy that though she had chewed some of the paper off of the twist tie, the entire wire piece had not been ingested by her. I was relieved and grateful that during these two health scare instances, I received the impression that rest assured, all is well. 

When have you experienced a health scare instance of a loved one and you received a much like impression that rest assured, all is well? 

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.

I Don’t Always Know What Is Best

When have you had an “I don’t always know what is best” moment in which a better decision than the one you were about to make came by way of a peaceful impression?

As a mom, I don’t always know what is best. Have you ever taken on something your kids could do because you were concerned with looming what ifs it didn’t get done or in the way you hoped and therefore you decided to do it yourself instead? Essentially, trusting yourself over trusting in your kids.

As our adult children have ventured out on their own post high school graduation to attend college, they have left behind memorabilia and possessions they did not want to take or needed with them. Recently, as my husband desired to declutter our attic, he contacted one of our children via FaceTime to go through and assess together with them their stored belongings to see and decide what they wanted to keep, have sent to them, or have thrown out. 

In the end, what remained for the keeping was a backpack, a few memorabilia, and an important document of recognition which all fit nicely inside the backpack. The backpack was then set aside to be given to them whenever the next time was that we would be with them again. Right around that same approximate timeframe, one of our other adult children called and shared their plans of driving home from college to spend Thanksgiving week with us. 

Perfect! It was a tender mercy that on their return trip back to school, they would be able to take the backpack to their sibling that was unable to come home for the holiday. And, in addition, hand-deliver a Christmas stocking to them filled with wrapped gifts from my husband and I. 

Initially, that was the plan, however, as my mind gravitated to “what if” concerns, I was reluctant and hesitant about sending the backpack, Christmas stocking, and gifts with our child upon the close of their visit. As they would be driving almost a full day and straight through the night to get back to their college residence, worry and fear set in for their safety and well-being, especially during the longer hours of night driving due to daylight savings and if they encountered possible inclement weather conditions along the way. 

If in the event they were in an accident, my mind pictured the loss of the belongings we sent with them scattered about the roadway that may or may not then make it to their sibling. Oh, how my mind goes into natural worry wart mode.  

That being the case, I felt it would be better to not send the belongings with them, but rather wait till our family drove out to visit our adult children at a time when I was confident our travels to them would be much safer. However, I don’t always know what is best. Upon my hedging on what to do, it was a tender mercy I received a peaceful, calm impression that all would be well during our child’s travels back to school. With that impression, I sent their sibling’s belongings, Christmas stocking, and gifts with them.   

It was a tender mercy our child made it all the way back to school safe and sound and that all throughout their travels I felt a constant peace and calm. Also, it was a tender mercy that my husband and I were able to watch via FaceTime the child who was unable to come home open up the gifts we had gotten for them to enjoy during the Christmas season. 

When have you had an “I don’t always know what is best” moment in which a better decision than the one you were about to make came by way of a peaceful impression?

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 Back-up Plan To The Rescue

Fortunately, a back-up plan to the rescue did not preclude the mammogram screening from happening within the specific window that was best for me.

A strategic process that has gone smoothly every other previous mammogram screening I’ve gone in for was almost disrupted. Fortunately, a back-up plan to the rescue did not preclude it from happening within the specific window that was best for me. 

This is one of those appointments that I do not schedule out in advance due to not knowing exactly where my body will be in relationship to my menstrual cycle. It was a tender mercy that the imaging center accepted walk-in visits. And, where deodorants and lotions interfere with the testing and applying lotion is a necessity for my dry skin, being able to spontaneously decide the day of for when it was most optimal for me to shower and skip the lotion around my chest area and hold off on the deodorant till after the screening was a tender mercy. 

Upon arriving at the imaging center for the routine annual health mammogram screening, while in the parking lot, it was a tender mercy I was impressed to contact my insurance company to confirm if the imaging center was still in-network this year as it had been last year even though their office location had recently changed. Initially, because the new address was not showing up when the insurance representative looked it up, the center was considered out-of-network. However, it was a tender mercy the insurance representative reached out to the imaging center and learned that they would be billing from their previous address until their new address was updated with the insurance company. Based on that, the insurance representative was able to confirm that the imaging center was still in-network and the visit and screening would be covered in-network. 

Once inside the office, I was informed that the internet service had just gone down 20 minutes prior to my arrival and they would not be able to check me in. Oh no! Of all days, on the day and during the time most ideal for me when I was prepped and ready! The options I had was to wait until the service came back up whenever that may be or return home and wait until I got the call that it was back up again to return for the screening. I opted to wait. 

Within a few minutes, it was a tender mercy the front desk staff member had an ingenious idea, a back-up plan to the rescue. I was asked if I had been to their office before or if I was there for the first time. Where I was a walk-in, it was assumed I was coming in for the first time. Upon my responding that I had been to their prior location a year ago, they contacted one of their other offices that was not impacted by the outage. Since my information was already in the computer system, they were able to check me in, complete the screening, and once the service was back up, they were able to upload my mammogram images to my information in the computer. It was a tender mercy that due to the employee’s back-up plan to the rescue I was able to get the screening done during the most ideal time for me.  

When have you been prepped and ready for something that was almost put on hold and a back-up plan to the rescue did not preclude it from happening during your most optimal timeframe?

tendermercym❤️ments~jld

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

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