Category: Safety

Snow Globe Bubble Phenomenon

A snow globe bubble phenomenon

What an experience being inside a literal snow globe bubble! I did not know it at the time until I braced my way out of it. This fascinating experience had an impact on me, one I called a snow globe bubble phenomenon.

As I was departing a nearby city to begin my return back home, snow flurries, a soft blanket of big flakes, began to fall at a rate that quickly clouded and obscured visibility all about the surrounding vicinity, a bowl-like area encircled by hills and distant mountainous regions, a fog cover that engulfed and blocked the view of homes on either side of and including the uphill roadway exiting the community.  

I considered staying put until the snowy conditions past and the fog lifted, however, I felt impressed to continue onward. Lo and behold, not more than 10 minutes or so later, as I came up and over the hill and began my downward descent, the sky and horizon ahead of me was clear and sunny. In addition, the roadway in front of me was completely dry. WOW! I was taken aback with awe. 

I presumed the snowy conditions and less than ideal visibility existed all across the region, extending beyond the community I was departing from, and would lend to a nerve-wracking and slow drive as I traveled back home. It was a tender mercy as I felt impressed to drive onward rather than stay put, within a short distance ahead, I was no longer in the snow globe bubble enveloping the valley behind me. 

My immediate thought as I came up and over the hill and saw the sunny, clear skies and dry roadway was, “Do not overestimate how bad it is and get stuck when just feet away all is dry and sunny.” As life gets tough, sometimes waiting it out right where you are prolongs your circumstances, rather, if nudged to keep moving, you are that much closer or quicker to exiting the harsh conditions.

Once back home, I experienced another tender mercy. My amazement of the snow globe bubble phenomenon continued. I wanted to catch a side by side photo moment of the sunny, clear skies in contrast to the snow globe bubble. In doing so, while stepping on what I thought to be a solid covered surface was a water drain. As the loose lid over top the hole shifted and tilted sideways, my feet slipped out from underneath me. I fell dominant hand down into a prickly mulch patch.

It was a tender mercy as I was enthralled and drawn to the amazement of the horizon before me and the snow globe bubble phenomenon I had just experienced, I was able to get back up quickly, brush off my clothes, and fairly unfazed, one by one remove the painful prickles from my hand.

When have you experienced a snow globe bubble phenomenon in which you felt impressed to not stay put, waiting out the besetting conditions enveloping you until they past, rather, move forward, and within minutes, your circumstances changed completely? 

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.

Far Better Than The Fear Anticipated

What became, as I went for it with overwhelming trepidation, was an experience far better than the fear anticipated. 

Following this morning’s school drop off, as I set out to run a planned errand, I received a spontaneous, strong impression to approach a fear head on. What became, as I went for it with overwhelming trepidation, was an experience far better than the fear anticipated. 

Though I grew up with snow, and lots of it, I did not know the angst of driving on hazardous roads conditions, icy roads in particular, until I experienced it first hand. Ever since, the trepidation I feel on snow packed roads with the potential for black ice has become quite intense. 

Over the weekend, via a social media feed, I saw a clip of the first snow of the season in a location a drivable distance away. When the spontaneous, strong impression came on, accompanied with the impression, it was a tender mercy an acknowledgement that today, being a beautiful Fall day in my area, sunshine, white clouds, and blue skies, was a perfect day and a great opportunity, prior to a family snowboarding and ski trip this winter holiday season, to practice driving in the recent snowfall and acclimate to my surroundings while the roads up to where it snowed were clear and dry.  

Though our children have been desirous and very much looking forward to this long-awaited, infrequent, outdoor time on the slopes, I silently, on the other hand, had been petrified and anxious about going as I visualized in my mind treacherous roads along the way.  

As I headed towards the fresh snow, I felt overwhelming anxiety and fear that did not let up the entire way there. My hands tightly clutched the steering wheel. My face went pale. My focus on the road, my breathing, and maintaining my mental confidence overtook my ability to enjoy the Fall beauty around me. I was in full on panic mode, yet, my why—to feel less anxiety while traveling if the roads were snow packed and icy when the time came for our family trip—was my drive to act on the spontaneous, strong impression.

A quarter of the way en route, anxious that my safety and well-being on this solo adventure could be in jeopardy, I felt it best to make a pit stop and call my husband and share with him my plight, where I was headed and the why, so he would know of my whereabouts. 

Ironically, upon my arrival, there was no snow. The snow had melted. The stunning, Fall scenery before me was far better than the fear anticipated. Not only was it a tender mercy I acknowledged the spontaneous, strong impression as an opportunity, while the weather was favorable, to face my fear, without resistance, for a desire for lessened anxiety if winter driving conditions were treacherous, it was also a tender mercy that though I missed taking in the beautiful landscape on the way there, I was able to soak it up and fully enjoy it on the way back. 

When have you sought out to conquer a fear upon a spontaneous, strong impression within a favorable opportunity to do so and you were met with a scene far better than the fear anticipated?

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.

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.

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 Quick Reaction Time

It was a tender mercy my quick reaction time protected our family from serious harm as well as our not going off course.

During a four day road trip en route back home along a touristy path to further stretch out and extend our family vacation a bit longer, over and over again, a quick reaction time upon multiple near potential and serious accidents and an almost consequential delay kept our family safe and on course. 

At times when I have been unable to shake off situations that catch me by surprise and struggle to regain my bearing and center myself or get a handle on whatever has turned my world upside down, a domino effect of other things consecutively going badly, one after another, seems to then occur.

It was a tender mercy that after each close call incident along our path back home, I was able to immediately resume driving with an unrelenting, engaged focus and a composure that was solid and unrattled. I was able to continue onward with confidence and keep each isolated incident behind me in the rear view mirror and not let it negatively affect or impact me beyond the moment when it happened.

The various occurrences that took place in which it was a tender mercy my quick reaction time protected our family from serious harm as well as our not going off course included—

The time when I was merging onto an interstate and my abrupt and controlled swerve in the nick of time kept our vehicle from nearly colliding side by side with another car right at the point where our lanes merged. And, at a later time when I was concerned we were going to get sideswiped by a car driving too closely in the lane next to us, my same abrupt and controlled dodging maneuver to steer away from the vehicle kept us safe.

The time I was midway through a traffic light that had turned yellow as I approached the intersection in a business corridor and a driver turning left also drove through the yellow light and crossed in front of me. Being that I was traveling at a slow speed, I was able to brake suddenly before any impact between our cars took place. 

The time I was able to sufficiently slow down in time and swoop around the back end of a double trailer truck without going onto the shoulder of the highway when a truck driver crossed in front of me as they exited a roadside business, and the length of their semi-tractor-trailer truck blocked all the lanes on our side after they stopped in the median before turning left to enter the highway headed in the direction behind us.

The times I kept our car steady when jostled during multiple gusty wind areas on the interstate. 

The time our auto headlights seemed to have gone out as dusk turned to total darkness and I was able to quickly turn on a different light setting that appeared dimmer and have visibility to navigate that way until the auto light seemed to work again after I rotated the auto light setting off and then back on again. 

The time I was blinded for a split second by the bright headlights of cars coming at me from the other side of the interstate and the automatic lane departure warning sensor in my car beeped as I steered outside of my lane and my quick reaction time upon hearing the alert kept me inside my lane during the brief moment of not being able to see.  

The time I was on a straightaway stretch of road and overlooked a crucial turnoff I needed to take and within less than a 1/2 mile of passing the unseen road, I realized I was headed in a direction that would have prolonged our drive time substantially and I was able to turn around right away and stay on the shortest route to our destination. 

When have you been on a road trip and you and your passengers were protected from a potentially serious accident or almost going off course due to your quick reaction time, and following each occurrence, you were able to remain composed and focused on the road as you continued onward? 

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.

The Underlying Source Of My Anxiety Fully Came To Light

For more than two decades, I have dealt with intense anxiety while traveling here and there in a car with no idea why or from where it originated. It was not until recently that the underlying source of my anxiety fully came to light.

For more than two decades, I have dealt with intense anxiety while traveling here and there in a car with no idea why or from where it originated. It was not until recently that the underlying source of my anxiety fully came to light. 

I have racked my brain for years desiring to pinpoint any occurrence from whence I acquired the anxiety. Repeatedly, the same multiple memories of driving incidences would come to mind—the time during my childhood days while in the backseat in our family station wagon when our car was one of several vehicles abruptly tapped forward at a traffic light…to a time as a passenger in a vehicle with a road rage driver…to a time in high school as an occupant in a small car with friends and the friend who was driving drove through a stop sign at a main thoroughfare and crossed several lanes of traffic…to when my mom almost ran a red light at an intersection when she misheard my siblings in the backseat say a word that sounded like go…to the time as a teenager on a family trip when I drove through a mountain pass at night and the lights of a diesel truck blinded my view momentarily as the driver rounded a bend heading downhill from the inner lane next to the mountainside and I was climbing uphill in the outer lane alongside a cliff‘s edge. 

Though all were scary moments and it was a tender mercy no one was scathed, I would shake my head and say “nope, none of those feel like the source of my anxiety” and I would continue to wonder and ask the question, “why do I have this anxiety and from where did it originate?” No doubt I have been impacted by each incident, yet nailing down the underlying source of my anxiety has alluded me, until recently when I was back in the city where my first driving accident occurred 30 years ago.

As I was driving home on a parkway during rush hour traffic, I received a premonition I would be in an accident. Moments later, the car in front of me exited the lane and entered a middle lane to turn into a shopping center and then the driver changed their mind and came back over into my lane right in front of me, at which time my front bumper hit their back bumper. Fortunately, it was a tender mercy no physical injuries to either of us or visible damage to our cars occurred. That being the case, the driver was satisfied all was well and we went on our way. 

The year or two following and for a number of years after, while attending college and serving a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints I did not have a car. I either walked, biked, or used public transportation to get around. My first recollection of the apparency of my anxiety was while my husband and I were driving in highly congested areas on our honeymoon six or so years after the accident. From that point forward, my anxiety has surfaced every time I am in a car, yet I have not been able to put my finger on the underlying source until now.

Throughout my entire stay upon my return to this surrounding area where the minor accident occurred, I felt an overwhelming anxiety, greater than usual while driving from place to place. Then suddenly, one evening as I was out and about I had an aha moment, an epiphany. It was a tender mercy it became clear to me right then that my anxiety resulted from the accident 30 years prior. 

Interestingly, I have on many occasions shared the facts of the accident as it comes up in a dialogue from time to time with a purpose to express my gratitude for the head’s up warning, our safety, and that I was not ticketed. Where I was not physically injured, I had not connected nor realized that the accident had mentally impacted me and has shown up each time I am in a car and want for there to always be a conservatively safe distance kept between my car and the vehicles ahead of me in the event a driver quickly pulls in front of my car. It is when that safe distance is breached, I experience intense anxiety, which happens frequently. 

Though this knowledge did not eliminate my anxiety, it was a tender mercy that the underlying source of my anxiety fully came to light and I now know the why and from where my anxiety originated. In addition, it was a tender mercy when one evening as I was close by the very spot the accident occurred, I felt a peacefulness. 

When have you experienced bouts of anxiety to any degree of any kind and not known the why and from where it originated and you felt a comfort when the underlying source of your anxiety fully came to 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.

Back Up Again After The Fall

Even after slipping and falling while mountain biking, I was determined and set to get back up again after the fall and finish the course.

While participating in an outdoor adventure with my husband and children, one that I had never before done, I was a bit nervous from the start to the finish of our mountain biking experience, but I did not let it show. At one point along the way, as I made a jagged turn, slipped, and was unable to regain my footing before landing, I was determined and set on getting back up again after the fall and finishing the run. 

A couple weeks prior, as Spring Break was approaching, our family came together to discuss and plan out what we wanted to do during that time. It was decided that we would each select one specific activity of our choosing that we would then all do together. Among the activities was an indoor waterpark, outdoor ropes course and zip line, escape room, drive-in-movie, and mountain biking.

I enjoy biking, leisure biking that is. However, mountain biking is a different kind of terrain for me to which I was partly apprehensive, but willing to give it a try. As I love being in nature, I figured if I kept my mind focused on that aspect and that alone, I would do just fine. It would not only offset my anxiety of riding an open chairlift to the top of the mountain, but also offset my anxiety while biking down a narrow, rocky trail with threatening edges and intense switchbacks along with other bikers, who by far were faster, more experienced and gutsy than myself.

While ascending uphill the first time around, I was unaware that there was a safety bar attached to the chairlift. It was a tender mercy when almost 3/4 of the way up, one of my children in a chairlift ahead of me noticed that I was riding unrestrained and made it known to me that there was a safety bar I could pull down in front of me. After I gently brought it down, I felt more secure and at greater ease while being high above the ground. 

Once at the top of the mountain, of all the runs, I opted to time and again go down the singular green course that was marked as the easiest of them all. The first time downhill was a dry run. I was pleased that though it was a challenging course, for a beginner like me, it was doable. The second time downhill was my favorite. I was comfortable, felt relaxed and really enjoyed the ride. On my third time downhill, I missed staying up high along a berm going around a bend and turned too sharply into loose dirt within the mid and lower portion of the switchback. Being unable to steady myself, I slipped and fell.

Although I tried resisting the fall, my feet and bike had no traction. I was sliding sideways into base so to speak. Once I came to a solid stop, as I lifted myself back up on my feet and brushed off my pant legs, I could feel my right elbow, right knee, and the inner portion of my left foot start to sting. 

Considering that I was wearing fitted pants and a fitted jacket, I felt it best to keep the sustained injuries covered and not expose the open sores to dirt and debris until I could properly care for them. It was not until we returned home that I observed the extent of my injuries. It was a tender mercy that though my leg was scuffed up just below my right knee, there was no bleeding, only the appearance of broken blood vessels and a visible, yet painless bruise, my right elbow had no scraps or marks whatsoever only a slightly tender internal bruise, and my inner left foot had nothing more than a tiny nick. It was a tender mercy that my having worn long pants and a long sleeve jacket not only served as a covering from exposure to the elements, but also as a protection from being more so injured.

Despite the fall, once I got back up, I was determined to finish the course and I was set on being able to round that same bend over and over again undeterred. It was a tender mercy I did not get stuck in a mental block and I was able to continue mountain biking the remainder of our four hour time at the bike park without again slipping and falling.

Even though the luster of riding casually and blissfully down the nature trail was somewhat lost after I fell and I became more cautious and deliberate as I maneuvered down the course, at times skimming one foot a top the ground as I came around the switchbacks to stay upright and not lose my balance, I strived to simultaneously soak up and take in as much as I could of the beauty around me.

When have you been somewhat nervous about trying something adventurous for the first time and though you fell down and got a little scraped up, you got back up again after a fall and finished the course multiple times over?

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.

Matter Of Fact Plan Of Action

When plans changed unexpectedly, I did not skip a beat as a revised matter of fact plan of action transpired.

When my original plan for getting our kids to school changed unexpectedly, I did not skip a beat as a revised matter of fact plan of action transpired. 

On this winter morning, once we were all in the car ready to go, I started it up and noticed the tire pressure light was on. At first, I assumed the light was indicating a decrease in tire pressure attributed to the cold 37 degree weather, but as I recalled a prior tire incident, I immediately felt inclined to walk around the car and quickly glance at each of the tires before driving away. 

In doing so, I saw that one of the back tires appeared low. While accessing the condition of the tire, it was a tender mercy that right at that time, my husband had just stepped out of the house to leave for work and observed what I was doing. He came over immediately to assist. As I knew I would not be able to go directly to a shop to get the tire repaired before getting my kids to school on time, right away, I knew what to do. I decisively and proactively, without hesitation, went into Plan B action mode. 

While my husband was using an air compressor to add air to the tire, I shared with him my matter of fact plan of action to take our younger kids to school in the car used by our teenage drivers who were not using it at the time. It was a tender mercy the car was available as a backup and the worries I would have had about the possibility of the low tire going flat at any point during the approximate one and a half hour roundtrip commute was alleviated. And, as there was a concern on this very cold day whether the heater in the backup car worked, it was a tender mercy it did and we were warmed up fairly quickly. 

Though I had plans to take our car in to have the tire repaired preceding a scheduled meeting I would be facilitating not long after returning home from dropping off our kids, after calling the shop and learning of the lengthy wait time, due to the tight time constraint, I once again moved forward with a revised matter of fact plan of action to instead go to the shop following my meeting and before picking up our kids from school. 

By that time, it was then early afternoon and over the course of several hours since my husband had added air to the tire, the tire pressure had dropped from 35 psi to close to 15 psi. Although I was quite nervous about the slow leak causing the psi to drop so significantly and worried if the low tire pressure would hold up long enough to get to the shop 20 minutes away, it was a tender mercy the tire was not yet altogether flat. 

In hopes of being able to make it to the shop without getting a flat, I attempted to fill up the tire using the air compressor, but I didn’t know how to use it and when I looked up a YouTube video for a demonstration, it wasn’t any help either. So, I placed the air compressor and an extension cord in the trunk of my car and prayed and prayed and prayed that first and foremost I would make it all the way to the shop without losing anymore air. And secondly, if I did lose more air, I was prepared and prayerful that someone along the way would be able to help me.

Before leaving our home, I examined the tire once again and saw where a heavy duty nail of sorts had become lodged in the tire. Despite my naivety of how physics works, I was hopeful and optimistic that as the tire rotated around and around while in route to the shop, the pressure on the nail as it butted up against the pavement over and over again would lock and seal any air from escaping till I got to the tire shop. 

Along the way, although I felt anxious, I tried really hard to keep my mind focused on trusting in the Lord and staying relaxed. It was a wonderful tender mercy that not only did I make it safely to the shop without getting a flat tire, it was super amazing where now that I only had 1 hour before I would need to leave to pick up my kids from school that a garage bay was open and available when I arrived and I was able to pull right in before several other customers came in following behind me and my tire, which was discovered to have also had a screw in it too, was fixed right away for a very minimal charge. 

All in all, it was a tender mercy that before leaving home to take our kids to school, I became aware of the tire that was low before it became a full-fledged flat tire.

When have you had an experience to which you became aware of a situation before it resulted in something more so problematic? And, when have you had plans change unexpectedly and you were able to proactively with decisiveness move instantaneously forward with a revised matter of fact plan of action? 

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.