I kinda like to think that there are Tender Mercies everywhere. Even during hard times. Especially in hard times. But it's during these hard moments that seem to be the most difficult to seek out those so called tender mercies. What is a tender mercy anyways? Let me try to paint you a picture from an experience I had today around lunchtime.
The plan was to take the kids to music class, where a group of ladies bring their toddlers together for an hour or two of song singing and tricycle riding. It's truly a great time for the kids to play together and the ladies to socialize. As it reached the noon hour today, I noticed the baby was becoming restless, hungry, and tired. So I told her brother that it was time to go; most everyone else was packing up to leave anyways. He had been doing so well in leaving when I say it's time to, but today he was just not having it. He threw a classic three-year-old tantrum and as a new nanny without any kids of her own, I was just beside myself not knowing what to do. Needless to say, it took the assistance of an angel in the form of another mom to coerce him into his car seat. We arrived home all safe and sound, and I was relieved to be home. But that was not the end of it. No, I was really getting trained in Motherhood 301.
We had only been home for a few minutes when he bolted out the front door in a panic, screaming for his mom to return home. How he loves her dearly. Naturally, I picked up the baby and followed after him. Watching him throw a fit on a neighbor's lawn a few houses and around the corner, I opened up my heart in an audible prayer and asked my Heavenly Father to guide me to know how to calm this upset boy. All I wanted to do was love him but he would not let me. Here is where my tender mercy appeared. Within seconds of closing my prayer, I had the distinct feeling to sit down and be still. I just needed to wait it out. So I sat down on the sidewalk, put the baby in between my legs, and we chatted. Well, I guess I did all the talking. But I was just throwing out ideas of things we could do together at home. Bake cookies, make mom a picture, play with trains. Build a tower. Watch a movie. Take a nap. Read stories. Five or ten minutes passed and finally he wore himself out. "Do you want to go home?" I asked him. With a thumb in his mouth, he answered in the affirmative, and that he wanted to carry me. So I put him on one hip and the baby on the other, and we walked the five houses home.
"...tender mercies are the very personal and individualized blessings, strength, protection, assurances, guidance, loving-kindnesses, consolation, support, and spiritual gifts which we receive from and because of and through the Lord Jesus Christ." -David A. Bednar, 2005.
Later that afternoon as I rocked the baby to sleep in my arms, I felt that even though it was a really tough morning, His tender mercies are all around me. I just need to remember to look and recognize them. It makes the hard times worth it.
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