While traveling to an event I was attending for the first time in a part of town where businesses had barred windows, I felt uneasy and outside of my comfort zone. Even though the actual location of the event seemed ok, I did not feel completely safe. Being in a questionable environment, I was vigilant and cautious of my surroundings as well as conscientious of my desire to exude confidence and have faith that my time while at the event would be positive and valuable.
Upon arrival, I backed in to the only available legal parking spot remaining on the property and closest to the building which was on the grass in front of a railroad track. Once out of my car, I was approached by a friendly, considerate delivery guy who expressed his concern for me being parked too close to the tracks and shared that if a train came through, he did not want rocks on the track to kick up and hit my car. I responded with gratitude and returned to my car moving it forward several feet away from the tracks. It was a tender mercy the fellow was there when I pulled up and provided that information with me as sure enough, partially through the event, while I sat near a window that overlooked where I had parked, I heard an approaching train and observed it go by.
After my brief interaction with him, it was another tender mercy that as I did not know where to enter the building, another attendee who arrived shortly after I did showed me the way. She happened to be directly involved with the event and invited me to follow her via a shortcut, through a side door that opened right to the event. As I entered, I was warmly welcomed and greeted by others.
When have you been in a place outside your comfort zone and the timeliness of kindness shown to you by another was beneficial and helpful?
As much as I appreciated the timeliness of the acts of good will, I was, likewise, leery and apprehensive being in a new place and among individuals I was meeting for the first time.
Once inside, within a few short minutes, I realized that I did not have my phone with me. I had last used it in the car when I turned off my phone navigation system after parking. As I always keep my phone on me when I am out either in a back pocket or in my purse, I became worried when it was not in either place. In one second I had my phone, and the next I did not.
Aware of my heightened sense of feeling unsettled on top of having passed several people when I discovered my phone was missing, my mind went to the worst-case scenario that I had been pickpocketed. A part of me was skeptical and unsure who I could trust and ready to accept the loss of my phone, whereas, the other part of me was hopeful that I had simply misplaced my phone. Although I experienced a sudden panic, rather than allowing myself to dwell on the former possibility, I leaned in the direction of the latter taking a proactive “benefit of the doubt” approach while trying to not only appear calm, but also stay grounded and clear minded. Immediately, I backtracked my steps a couple of times and repeatedly checked all my pockets and my purse.
As I stayed focused, prayed, and continued to search without giving up, it was a tender mercy when I went back to my car a second time and leaned over the driver’s seat to look inside the middle console, I saw my phone partially lodged between the console and front passenger seat.
After finding my phone, I realized that in my hurried attempt to get back in my car to move it more so away from the railroad tracks and then get into the event as quickly as possible, I had set my phone down in the front passenger seat and only grabbed my purse when I got out.
When have you experienced a troubling situation and the actual outcome was better than your worst-case scenario thought?
tendermercym❤️ments~jld
“How have you noticed Heavenly Father’s awareness and mindfulness of you today?”
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Soon after stepping outside to do some quick yard cleanup, 40 minutes prior to picking up our youngest kids from school, I found myself unable to get back in the house.
After making chili for a church function, I was unsure how I was going to transport it as I was concerned about it spilling in the car on the floor and the seats. I had a few minutes to figure it out before we needed to leave to be on time. As I asked my husband what we could do, he had a brilliant idea to put the crock pot inside a medium sized stock pot. It fit perfectly and if there was any spilling, it would be in the stock pot rather than in the car on the floor or the seats. It was a tender mercy that in a moment when I was trying to find a quick solution, my husband was standing nearby and thought of one right away. It was an ingenious solution.
It is tradition for our family to have a weekly weekend movie night and stay up till midnight. One day when a couple of our children and I stopped at Redbox to pick up a couple movies, the first movie came out just fine and as the second movie began to come out, it got stuck and I had to pull it a bit to release it. When I got it out, I noticed that a corner was all chewed up.
When I pulled up alongside my daughter’s car as she was preparing to fill it up with gas, each time I tried using my credit card, it was declined. I could not figure out the reason why. After several attempts, we decided to try another pump. As she drove to a different one, I went back to my car and noticed a picture indicating how to insert the card. I had been doing it wrong, sliding my card in backwards. From the image, I was able to put my card in correctly and grateful that the picture helped me figure it out so that my daughter was able to get gas in her car.