Tender Mercies

Nearly three years ago Elder David A. Bednar, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, gave a fabulous talk about the tender mercies of the Lord. It struck a cord with many people, myself included, who since then I think have taken more opportunities to see the hand of the Lord blessing our lives, even when there are difficulties...in fact, maybe especially when there are difficulties.

Yesterday I woke up feeling not so great. Sometimes in my pregnancies I have these days where my legs just ache really bad. This was one of them. They hurt no matter what I do, but it gets worse the more I stand. Unfortuneately, I had to do shopping in the morning at Sam's Club, and then take Number Three to parent/tot gymnastics. After we picked up Number Two from school, I needed to finish some shopping at Target.

Lots of standing and walking. Not enough food. Not enough sleep. By the time we left Target the kids were cranky. Number Four needed a nap. They all needed lunch. (This is why I don't generally run errands after Number Two's school.) I felt really really awful.

And the van wouldn't start. I didn't think it was the battery, because the music and lights came right on. I felt devastated and wanted to just cry.

And then...a true tender mercy...a friend of mine who is the most SUPER volunteer mom at our elementary school pulled up in her empty van next to me. She didn't have cables, and neither did I, and because the the kids were losing it (and so was I), she just offered to take me home. She helped me load my groceries from Sam's and Target. We moved the carseats and children. And when I got home, she even helped unload the groceries...which was a rare treat. I generally do it all on my own.

So even though today I got to squish four car seats/boosters into our Jeep and figure out how to get the van taken care of (turns out it WAS the battery), I can't help but feel grateful. I marvel how it is that my friend would show up at that moment.

And today, when I went back fully intending to try to jump the van on my own in the snow while the kids sat in the Jeep, a man volunteered to help me. I could have done it on my own, but it was nice to have help...especially when we determined that due to someone parked near the van that it would be easier to push it across to another parking spot to jump it...which wouldn't have been a great idea for a lone pregnant woman with four little kids waiting in her other car.

I can be a hard person to express love to. My best love language is Acts of Service but I am fiercely independent and I very very rarely reveal or express my needs to be served. But I am grateful that sometimes the Lord orchestrates such opportunities as a car that won't start in order for me to feel of His love and service, and tender mercies on my behalf. And in this case, I think it is exactly what I needed.