Category: Protection

Black Trash Bags

As we were returning home from a beach trip, it was not long after the sun set and with two hours still to go, we saw a lightening show in the horizon fill the dark sky. It continued the duration of our drive back home. It was only a matter of time we would be in the path. With threatening rain at any moment, we exited the interstate as quickly as we could to find a lit location where we could stop to cover our belongings in the back of the open truck bed with black trash bags, brought in the event we encountered showers.

With the scent of rain in the air and a gentle gust of wind, we all worked fast to cover our bags and then we continued moving onward towards home. Each minute we remained “in the clear”, I was grateful. I also felt a surge of excitement that if we drove through a downpour, our possessions would stay dry. It was more or less a feeling of comfort that we came prepared. The phrase, “If ye are prepared, ye shall not fear” came to my mind during the experience. Not only did we have sufficient black bags to protect our exposed luggage and belongings from getting wet, which did occur 15 minutes before getting home, we were able to stop with adequate time to cover what we wanted to keep dry.

What are the blessings you have received when you have been prepared?

tendermercym♥ments~jld

Saved By The Light

Early in the morning, before heading to bed just after midnight, I went to the kitchen to get a cup of water.  On the counter was the cup I had been reusing throughout the day with a paper towel over the top.  As I removed the paper towel and took the cup to the fridge to begin filling it up with water, the water light came on and I saw a spider on the rim. Immediately, I took the cup to the sink to dump out the water and rinse out the cup in hopes of also dumping out the spider. It took a few times of dumping and rinsing before the spider fell into the sink at which time I just got myself a new cup. Had there not been a light on the fridge when I got the water, I would not have seen or known that the spider was there. I am grateful for the light to have spotted the spider.

When have you been grateful that you saw something concerning to you before putting in your mouth (moldy bread, a spider…) or stepping on (a scorpion, spider, snake, fire ants, broken glass…) what was alarming and a danger to you?

tendermercym♥ments~jld

Task Completed

I was not looking forward to spraying the interior of my house, however, the spiders and bugs are entering in as Spring is here and Summer is quickly approaching.  I am most concerned that I may step on a scorpion and with a family trip coming up, I do not want to return home to an unpleasant surprise as we did many years ago watching a live scorpion scurry across our kitchen floor. I made it a point to take care of the spraying today.  It took a couple of hours to prep (sweep and pick up dead bugs and trash along the floorboard) and spray the interior rooms.

It was a task needing to be done.  I was grateful to be able to do it while my kids were in school and the house was empty allowing the spray to dry undisturbed.  Although is is a task I do not enjoy, it was worth the effort to have peace of mind that I can walk around in my house and worry less about stepping on a scorpion or a spider or crush a bug.

When have you felt gratitude for a task completed, not one that you particularly wanted to do, but in doing so felt a peace of mind?

tendermercym♥ments~jld

Overflowing Abundance Of Blessings

I met up with my youngest child and his school class today to tour a cavern. I was grateful for simple directions to the location. It was a tender mercy I did not get lost or turned around. How many times do you rely on GPS for directions and you find yourself in a completely different place than where you intended?  I’ve had that happen to me time and time again. Today, I was grateful that was not the case. I had a little bit of familiarity with where I was in the beginning to navigate with more confidence in myself than in GPS, and then I relied and trusted in the correctness and assistance of GPS the rest of the way.

It was a beautiful, scenic drive along a route with little traffic and my steering wheel had no pulling and tightness. I am not a fan of congestion or traffic and so the smoothness and easy flow of the drive was a tender mercy! My steering wheel for the past couple weeks has, on and off, tightened while turning. This morning, it happened briefly; but the entire drive to the cavern and back, it was a tender mercy there were no issues.

Preceding the approximate 45 minute drive, one hour before leaving, my right leg was acting up and was very restless. When I experience this discomfort, napping relieves it. After I dropped my children off at their respective schools, it was a tender mercy I had time to take a nap, resting my body before making the drive and I had no further problems with my leg.

And, it was a tender mercy there was a discount on the ticket price for school chaperones! I was happy for the discount. It was still pricey, but less, by several dollars, than an otherwise very expensive entrance fee ticket to the cavern.

A highlight of the field trip was the tender mercy of being able to spend time with my son at the cavern, particularly right now as he enjoys having me join him on his field trips. It was a fun and memorable experience with him!  He was very loving, kind, and considerate of me. He alerted me and kept me safe from bumping my head while passing through a tight place. He saved me a seat on a bench a couple of times in areas where we could sit down and listen to the tour guide rather than remain standing. He saved me a place next to him at a picnic table with his friends at lunch time. He expressed and showed his love for me throughout the tour and gave me hugs. I am grateful I was able to join him and share this special time together.

I had been to this cavern two years earlier with one of my other children. I wasn’t thrilled about returning with the mindset, “been there, done that”, but I wanted to be with my youngest and have the experience of being with him. In the end, I enjoyed very much the tour and was grateful I had returned as there was a lot I had forgotten. It was a fabulous afternoon, even if a bit cold and windy. The time with my youngest was valuable and priceless and worth the pricey ticket to revisit the cavern with him.

Yesterday, I was experiencing a lot of doubt, fear, and concerns and it was a tender mercy those doubts, fears, and concerns were lifted on my way home as I chose to listen to a CD, “Say Love” by my favorite music artist, Hilary Weeks. Her music spoke to my heart and provided a strength I was lacking yesterday. Today, I felt the Spirit and a renewed calm and peace.

It was all in all a very pleasant drive to and from the cavern and an all-around very good day with multiple tender mercies and I am truly grateful!

Do you have days that are complete flops and you feel depleted, lacking energy, strength, and stamina and then you receive an overflowing of blessings that give you renewed faith and courage to face life’s challenges? How do you work through those difficult times? I tell myself to put one foot in front of the other and keep taking baby steps forward, one step at a time, even if it is a shuffle and I can barely pick my feet up. As I serve myself (like brushing my teeth), and others (making a simple family meal heating up a can of soup), I am actively doing something to keep myself afloat. What do you do to keep yourself up and going between those not so good and good days?

I am grateful for the knowledge that each day is a new day and there is “light at the end of the tunnel”. The amount of time in darkness may be unknown, but the light will come if I keep moving forward. It is this knowledge I have preceding the hard times and a hope I hang onto during really hard times that helps me get through the bleakest of moments. If I did not already have that belief prior to the challenges, getting through the challenges would be even harder.

tendermercym♥ments~jld

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

Protective Honk

One morning, as I was leaving my neighborhood to turn right onto a busy street taking my youngest to school, I was unable to see around a truck that was on my left side, waiting to turn left. Not knowing if any cars were headed in the same direction I was turning, I inched out just a bit when the truck beside me observed my moving forward and honked their horn. I paused becoming aware immediately that it was not safe for me to continue forward.

Most often, when I am honked at while driving, it is not a friendly honk. This honk, however, was a protective honk. It was a tender mercy when the driver saw that I could not see a car coming up fast, they alerted me by honking their horn. I was grateful for the neighborly kindness. I don’t know who was in the truck, but I was grateful that they were not only concerned about where they were going, but also concerned and cared about my safety and well-being.

When have you had someone do something to you in a way that typically would be considered unfriendly; but, in particular instances, they were in fact protecting you, looking out for you and helping you stay out of and clear of harm’s way?

I think of the times when I’m in traffic and I have to break hard because there’s a sudden slow down. I put my hand and arm out to protect my passenger in the event there is any impact. It can catch the passenger off guard not expecting my hand and arm to go out in front of them.

Perhaps when someone is getting your attention to keep you out of harm’s way, their tone sounds like they are screaming and yelling at you when in fact their tone is of worry and concern—panic?

Maybe someone tugs your shirt from behind to pull you back because you’re about to step into the street when a car, you can’t see, is coming.  Or, they pull you back to prevent you from stepping into a hole or getting hit by a tree branch?

Or, somebody flicks your hair, your cheek, arm, back, or leg because you have a bug or mosquito land on you or a spider is crawling somewhere on you?

tendermercym♥ments~jld