Tender Mercies
I've read about the Lord's tender mercies as I've more diligently searched the scriptures recently and while reading the LDS Institute manual, and blogging about it. When I first came across this term I looked it up on the LDS website, and what came up was a talk given by Elder David A. Bednar back in 2005 about The Tender Mercies of the Lord. He says "that the Lord’s 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." Very personal blessings. I thought "I wonder if I've ever experienced any tender mercies?" And I've been thinking about it, and then today BOOM! I had one, a huge one, and when it was over I almost cried, I was so touched and humbled that the Lord would do this for me.
Today was the last day of school, Lillie went to a friend's house afterward and when I went to go pick her up, it took longer than I had expected. I was going to be late for work. Once I finally got on my way, I left the house 20 minutes late. And then on my phone, it said that the traffic was worse than usual, red the whole way on the 91. I wanted to cry, I try SO hard to be on time for work, but I commute 40 miles each way, in rush hour traffic, so I'm late more than I'd like to be, but I still try really hard. I looked at the red on the map, and I just felt my heart sink. Then I had the thought "well maybe you can still make it, no don't be stupid you should just call now and tell them you're going to be late." So I started on my way, and literally watched time stand still. Everything moved at the normal pace, except the clock. I didn't drive like a maniac, I had already resigned myself to the fact that I was going to be late. Two things were going against me, the heavier than usual traffic, and the fact that I left 20 minutes late. But somehow, in some way, I walked into work and clocked in right at 5:00pm. When I saw that I wasn't late, that I had made it, as I watched my car and the traffic move, but the time stand still, my spirit felt a certain way that I've never felt before, and I felt tears well up as I realized that the Lord had done that for me. I knew at that moment that God is more powerful than all. He can control time and space, and he did it just for me. Not so I could make it to some super important event, some random place at a random time. It was just so that I wouldn't be late for work, and even now, it's so powerful feeling that he moved time and space to love me in that small simple little way. It is kind of my way of feeling that he is proud of me and the efforts that I've been trying to do to live a better life and grow spiritually.
But this isn't the first time that the Lord has made time stand still for me. Back in 2007 when I was working at the LA county hospital, I had a horrid commute. This particular day I decided to wait for the little shuttle that runs every few minutes down to the freeway to try and make it a little faster, but also because I was tired. But of course the shuttle never came, it broke down or something, and my train left in like 5 minutes. But where my train left was like 5 miles from where I was waiting in front of the hospital. So I ran, as fast as I could, and mind you I had just had a baby a few months earlier. I ran the 1/4 mile down the hill to the freeway, down 3 flights of stairs, just as a bus was pulling up. The bus drove at a normal speed the 5 miles to Cal State LA, then I ran up 5 flights of stairs, over the freeway bridge, down 5 flights of stairs, just in time to hear the train pulling up. I took this route home everyday and it usually took me about 20 minutes because I had to wait for the bus, go up all those stairs, etc. But this day it took me 7 minutes. 7 MINUTES! From the time I looked at my watch at the shuttle stop to the time that I got onto the train it had been 7 minutes!!! The bus had been there right on time, and the train was 3 minutes late, and because it was full I sat at the back and the conductor had left his departure log on the table, and I looked at it, and where it said "3 minute departure delay, reason, unknown" I cried inside. They didn't know why the train left their last stop late, but I knew. It was for me. It was so I could make it home in time to take care of my babies, so that I could be their mother, so I wouldn't have to wait 45 minutes for the next train. That day the Lord made time stand still for me, and he did it today too. And my heart is filled with gratitude.
Today was the last day of school, Lillie went to a friend's house afterward and when I went to go pick her up, it took longer than I had expected. I was going to be late for work. Once I finally got on my way, I left the house 20 minutes late. And then on my phone, it said that the traffic was worse than usual, red the whole way on the 91. I wanted to cry, I try SO hard to be on time for work, but I commute 40 miles each way, in rush hour traffic, so I'm late more than I'd like to be, but I still try really hard. I looked at the red on the map, and I just felt my heart sink. Then I had the thought "well maybe you can still make it, no don't be stupid you should just call now and tell them you're going to be late." So I started on my way, and literally watched time stand still. Everything moved at the normal pace, except the clock. I didn't drive like a maniac, I had already resigned myself to the fact that I was going to be late. Two things were going against me, the heavier than usual traffic, and the fact that I left 20 minutes late. But somehow, in some way, I walked into work and clocked in right at 5:00pm. When I saw that I wasn't late, that I had made it, as I watched my car and the traffic move, but the time stand still, my spirit felt a certain way that I've never felt before, and I felt tears well up as I realized that the Lord had done that for me. I knew at that moment that God is more powerful than all. He can control time and space, and he did it just for me. Not so I could make it to some super important event, some random place at a random time. It was just so that I wouldn't be late for work, and even now, it's so powerful feeling that he moved time and space to love me in that small simple little way. It is kind of my way of feeling that he is proud of me and the efforts that I've been trying to do to live a better life and grow spiritually.
But this isn't the first time that the Lord has made time stand still for me. Back in 2007 when I was working at the LA county hospital, I had a horrid commute. This particular day I decided to wait for the little shuttle that runs every few minutes down to the freeway to try and make it a little faster, but also because I was tired. But of course the shuttle never came, it broke down or something, and my train left in like 5 minutes. But where my train left was like 5 miles from where I was waiting in front of the hospital. So I ran, as fast as I could, and mind you I had just had a baby a few months earlier. I ran the 1/4 mile down the hill to the freeway, down 3 flights of stairs, just as a bus was pulling up. The bus drove at a normal speed the 5 miles to Cal State LA, then I ran up 5 flights of stairs, over the freeway bridge, down 5 flights of stairs, just in time to hear the train pulling up. I took this route home everyday and it usually took me about 20 minutes because I had to wait for the bus, go up all those stairs, etc. But this day it took me 7 minutes. 7 MINUTES! From the time I looked at my watch at the shuttle stop to the time that I got onto the train it had been 7 minutes!!! The bus had been there right on time, and the train was 3 minutes late, and because it was full I sat at the back and the conductor had left his departure log on the table, and I looked at it, and where it said "3 minute departure delay, reason, unknown" I cried inside. They didn't know why the train left their last stop late, but I knew. It was for me. It was so I could make it home in time to take care of my babies, so that I could be their mother, so I wouldn't have to wait 45 minutes for the next train. That day the Lord made time stand still for me, and he did it today too. And my heart is filled with gratitude.
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