Tender Mercies

I had an incredible experience yesterday that can only be described as a tender mercy from my Heavenly Father. I don't want to go into too many details, but I saw someone that is very dear to me and my family. I've known he has been in some trouble, but I haven't personally seen him in about two months. He has constantly been in my thoughts and prayers. (especially because I work at the courthouse and know the kind of trouble he is in...) I love this kid so much and just want him to be happy and to be doing what he knows he should and to be taking care of himself.

I really believe that I was supposed to see him, not just for him, but for me as well. I needed to be able to give him a hug and tell him that I love him and remind him that I am always here for him. And in the process I feel like the Lord reminded me of the same thing. He is always there for me and loves me unconditionally. He wants me to be happy and be doing what I should and taking care of myself. I love how the Lord teaches us.

And of course the talk The Tender Mercies of the Lord by Elder Bednar came to mind. These are a couple of my favorite quotes from that talk.

"God does not have a list of favorites to which we must hope our names will someday be added. He does not limit “the chosen” to a restricted few. Rather, it is our hearts and our aspirations and our obedience which definitively determine whether we are counted as one of God’s chosen."

"The Lord’s tender mercies do not occur randomly or merely by coincidence. Faithfulness, obedience, and humility invite tender mercies into our lives, and it is often the Lord’s timing that enables us to recognize and treasure these important blessings."

"We should not underestimate or overlook the power of the Lord’s tender mercies. The simpleness, the sweetness, and the constancy of the tender mercies of the Lord will do much to fortify and protect us in the troubled times in which we do now and will yet live. When words cannot provide the solace we need or express the joy we feel, when it is simply futile to attempt to explain that which is unexplainable, when logic and reason cannot yield adequate understanding about the injustices and inequities of life, when mortal experience and evaluation are insufficient to produce a desired outcome, and when it seems that perhaps we are so totally alone, truly we are blessed by the tender mercies of the Lord and made mighty even unto the power of deliverance."

How grateful I am for the tender mercies that the Lord shows me every day!!