Tender Mercies

Life has a way of getting ridiculously busy to the point that I forget what matters most. To do lists, constantly running around, and the noise and chaos of every day life seem to suck the meaning out of everything. It's not until I stop, stand still, and listen that I remember and see what truly matters.

A wise man, a prophet named Nephi who lived in ancient America pointed out the importance of observing the tender mercies of the Lord in our lives.

He taught that the Lord's tender mercies do not occur randomly or merely by coincidence. Faithfulness and obedience enable us to receive these important gifts and, frequently, the Lord's timing helps us to recognize them.

The tender mercies of the Lord are available to all of us and our Savior is eager to bestow such gifts upon us.

For the last two days I've been feeling ill down in bed(literally), with some kind of stomach flu. First let me say I am not a good sick person, I can only handle being stuck in doors for a small amount of time before I start to feel like a trapped animal. So after two days of being indoors my little boy Alex and I went out to the back yard.

While Alex played on his swing seat I sat in my chair and breathed in the fresh air. Not having been outside for days it felt wonderful to feel the breeze on my face. I looked around and saw the beautiful mountains of red that surround our home, the plants in our garden,(the few that have survived our first year of gardening and the harsh summer sun,)and then I saw my son.

Earlier today I was feeling frustrated with Alex's behavior and choices. I started questioning myself wondering if I was making a difference in his life, and wondering why Heavenly Father had chosen me to be his mother. But a Loving God gave me the eyes to see deeper than my frustration, to see into Alex's heart, to see his worth and potential.

Though not of my flesh and blood, the sweat, tears, prayers, and miracles I've gone through with this little one during the last year and four months has forged a bond between us as strong as flesh and blood. I love him as I would my own flesh and blood, and am amazed that I was entrusted to help mold this child of God.

These are just a few of the tender mercies I saw today. My hope with this blog is that by being more aware and looking for the tender mercies of the Lord I and those that follow and comment on this blog will be able to more clearly see what truly matters, and remember that all good gifts come from our loving Father in Heaven.