I have experienced many blessings this week. Some have been financial blessings, some have had to do with the children, and some were very 'small' but meaningful to me personally. I think of one in particular when I think of 'tender mercies'.
When we moved about 8 years ago, my engagement that was waiting to get fixed, was lost somewhere along the way. For about 6 years, I wore just the simple gold wedding band that matched it. Two Christmases ago, my husband suprised me with a brand new set of rings. They were beautiful!! It had an engagement ring, with a band on each side that had little diamonds in them. They were connected to each other, by a small band on the bottom. The problem was the band broke, and so we had to bring it in to get it fixed. They fixed it, and I went back to wearing it for about a year or so. Then it broke again. The little bar would get caught on everything I ran my hands through - trying to wash/brush mine or the kids hair, trying to make bread, put tights on the kids, etc. So, I would take them off when I took a shower, and put them up on the shower ledge. Not the one where you put the soap, but the very top. That is where I had had them the last time, and they had stayed safe. So, they stayed there waiting to get fixed again. They were there for a good two to three months - waiting for a little extra money, and for us to remember to bring them when we were in the area where the jeweler was.
About 7 weeks ago or so, we went away for our first trip away from the kids in over 5 years, and our first two night get away in over 10!! A few weeks after we came back, we discovered they were missing. We found one of the bands in the laundry room, but could not find anything else. A friend of mine later on asked if I was missing anything, and I told her about my rings. She said that her son had found a broken ring with out a diamond in it on her driveway. I was hoping it was just a coincidence, that that wasn't really my ring. We had had hurricane Irene come through after that weekend, and there was no way that a loose diamond would ever be able to be found after sitting in someone's driveway for a few weeks, under regular conditions, never mind a hurricane!!! We continued to pray and search our house - looking through vaccuum bags, under couches, under heat vents, through drawers - everywhere.
Last weekend was General Conference. President Monson told a story of how when we was young, during the Great Depression, he had worked really hard to earn five dollars. He had it in his pants pocket, when his mother sent it off to be laundered. There really was no hope in getting it back, however, he prayed and prayed, that it would stay in that pocket till it returned home. I thought maybe he was going to say that he got it back, because it turned out that it had fallen out somewhere at home, rather than actually going to the cleaners. As he told the end of the story, about how against all odds, the five dollar bill returned in the wet pants, right where he had left it, I felt really strongly the impression to pray again for my ring. I silently pleaded, that if the Lord could step in and return a five dollar bill, could He please help me get my ring back. I know that in the scope of life, a lost ring, is not of major importance. There are so many other things to worry about.
That is to me what makes what happens next a tender mercy. It didn't have to happen. On Wednesday, I called my friend to check on something else we were doing together, and she informed me that she had meant to call me. Earlier this week, her son was outside playing, and he found the diamond wedged in a crack in thier concrete driveway!!! This was not a huge multi-carot ring mind you - it was about a half carot or so. She now has, in her possession, my ring, which isn't as badly broken as I thought it was, and the diamond that goes in it!!
I have recieved a very personal, very tender blessing from the Lord this week. We have actually recieved several this week, and I am extremely grateful for them. They have greatly enriched our lives, and strenghthened our testimonies, that He is there, and that He loves us, and that He is watching over us. We know these things anyways, and do not seek after 'proof' that they are true, but when experiences like these are given, they are cherished, and held very close to our hearts.
May you look around, and be able to recognize all the 'tender mercies' that the Lord showers upon you this week!!
No comments:
Post a Comment