Tender Mercies and Small Miracles

“I testify that the tender mercies of the Lord are real and that they do not occur randomly or merely by coincidence. Often, the Lord’s timing of his tender mercies helps us to both discern and acknowledge them….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….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….I testify that the tender mercies of the Lord are available to all of us and that the Redeemer of Israel is eager to bestow such gifts upon us….Each of us can have eyes to see clearly and ears to hear distinctly the tender mercies of the Lord as they strengthen and assist us in these latter days.”
― David A. Bednar
Lately, I have been thinking a lot about life and the ups and downs associated with it.  It always baffles me how you can be going along all smoothly and then BAM!! something happens.  And, why is it that BAM always comes in groups?  Why???

While I was in Utah, Kevin called me to tell me that the pool filter had exploded and the pool was turning into a cesspool.  We had recently made a couple of investments that didn't pan out as we'd hoped, and money has been tight...to put it mildly.  Luckily, I had planned ahead for our Utah trip, and hadn't spent as much money as I had set aside for the various activities we usually do.  I got on Amazon and found a new filter for a fairly good price, ordered it, and had it shipped to our house.

 

I had intended to leave from Utah to Arizona on Sunday, July 21st, but felt, for some reason, that I needed to head home on Thursday, the 18th.  We packed up the car and headed out early Thursday morning, stopping in Cove Fort to have breakfast with Grandma and Grandpa Hawkins.  When we got to Cove Fort, we ate a yummy breakfast and visited for a little while.  Tanner had some hot chocolate that had milk in it and was feeling really sick, but the rest of us were anxious to get down the road.  As we started the car to leave, it started making a loud noise. 

 

 

My dad looked at it, and WD40'd the working parts.  We decided to have one of the other senior missionaries (who happened to be a mechanic) take a look at it before we headed home.  After looking at the engine for a few minutes, it was discovered that one of the spark plugs that goes to one of the engine cylinders had come loose and was making a horrible sound.  During this time, Tanner was able to finally throw up the contents of his stomach and was feeling MUCH better.  Poor kid.  Allergies are horrible!!  After some discussion we decided that we would continue home, and stop in Cedar City at the Chevy dealership to have the engine checked out.  We said our goodbyes to the grandparents and said a prayer that we would be able to make it to Cedar City without incident. 

When we got to Cedar, we pulled into the dealership and I went in to ask for help.  I stood at the customer service desk for at least 10 minutes as a worker typed on his computer, completely ignoring me.  Finally I blurted out that I needed help and wondered if he was in the business of offering that.  I'm sure I ticked him off, which is probably why he took his own sweet time to come out and look at my suburban (which, by the way, was packed to the HILT!).  He told me that they could probably get the suburban in to look at in "about 2 to 2.5 hours".  It was at this time that I observed about 5 mechanics milling around, shooting the bull, and basically wasting time.  Needless to say, I was PISSED and decided to go on ahead to St. George.  After I shed a few tears of complete frustration, we said another prayer and headed out to St. George.  I had Kevin call ahead to the Chevy dealership there, and they were expecting me when I pulled in.  They immediately looked under the hood, identified the problem, and told us that it would probably be an hour before the engine would be cool enough to get a closer look at and work on.  We gathered up our electronics, got Lucy out of her kennel, and left the dealership on foot in search of some grass and shade.  There wasn't much grass or shade anywhere, and the Chevy employees weren't very helpful in suggesting a good place for us to wait.   We made our way across the street and found a tree lined street with some grassy areas for us to sit while we waited.  Oh, and I should mention that the grass and shade was at the Ford dealership.  We sat there for about 15 minutes when a Ford employee pulled up on his golf cart and asked us what we were doing sitting out in the heat.  I proceeded to tell him of our woes, and he immediately offered to have us come sit in their waiting area.  He said that they had a/c and televisions, and that the dog was welcome to come in, too.  He mentioned that he couldn't believe that Chevy hadn't offered to let us go into their waiting lounge.  Even though the offer was hard to refuse, I didn't feel right about sitting in the Ford dealership, while the Chevy dealership worked on our car.  I thanked him and declined, and he told us that if we changed our mind we were welcome to come in and wait.  He left, but was back within 10 minutes with ice cold bottled water, and a cup for Lucy to drink her water out of.  He chatted with us for a few more minutes and then went back to work.  It was then that we found out that the evaluation on our car was complete and we headed back over to Chevy to hear the news.

It would be at least a 10 hour project and a $1000 part--and this didn't include labor costs.

Oh my.

The mechanic had been communicating with Kevin and it was decided that the mechanic would tighten the loose spark plug as much as possible, and that we would head down the road.  We all got back into the car.  As we pulled away from the dealership I made a decision that we would get gas and food, and then we weren't going to stop until we were in our driveway in Mesa.  Sitting at a stoplight, I asked Tanner to say a prayer, asking that we would make it to Mesa safely, and that the car would run as it is supposed to.  We got gas, and McDonalds food, then pulled onto the freeway.  We didn't stop until we got home.  We literally ran out of gas as we passed our mailbox in our neighborhood and we coasted into our driveway. 

 

This cemented in my mind that we are given trials to strengthen us.  The Lord know that when we are going along and things are smooth, we aren't being challenged to change and grow.  When our faith is tested, we learn.  I also think that the Lord uses things like this to remind us that we need Him...that we need to exercise our faith and learn from everything that happens to us.  There were so many tender mercies over that week of trials that reminded me that He is aware of me and my family:

• Having enough money to buy a new filter part
• Stopping in Cove Fort, where there happened to be a mechanic
• Tanner being able to throw up and not have to travel in pain
• The man at the Ford dealership
• Answers to multiple prayers
• Leaving on Thursday, instead of Sunday, when the dealerships would have been closed

And miracles like being able to complete our trip without a fully working engine and rolling into our driveway on a completely empty tank.  (The car wouldn't even start to pull into the garage)

 

While trials are hard and not fun at all, they are given to us to teach us.  They remind us that we need to rely on our Heavenly Father, and remember his Son in all things.  It reminds us that He is not only aware of us, but wants the best for us, and wants us to be the best we can be.  Trials do this.  They refine us and remind us.  They force us to learn and grow.  And, as much as I hate them, I am thankful for them and what I can learn from them.

“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.”
― David A. Bednar