Tender Mercies

Yesterday I helped the sister missionaries in our ward teach a new investigator and her daughter who was baptized a couple of weeks ago about the wonderful messages found in the Book of Mormon.  We read a few verses in 1 Nephi 1 and concluded with this verse:

"But behold, I Nephi will show unto you that the tender merices of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance."

 As we were discussing this verse, the sister missionaries turned to me and asked me to share some of the tender mercies I've experienced.  I didn't share these yesterday, but I would love to share them with you.

1.   In the summer of 2012 I knew Emily would be leaving for BYU-I soon and I wondered "now what I am I going to be when I grow up?"  I had been a full time wife and mother (which I LOVED) for about thirty years, but I knew I would need to stay busy so I wouldn't turn into a daytime talk-show watching, bon-bon stuffing woman.  Ron and I were friends with a couple in our ward.  One day, Darryl casually mentioned to Ron that he was searching for an administrative assistant.  Ron said, "You should consider Loralee."  A few days later he asked me to meet him at his office and after a 30 minute "interview" the job was mine!  That was one tender mercy!  But, that's not the end of the story.  Several months later when Ron was told his position at the community college was being eliminated, my paycheck combined with his unemployment made it possible for us to live frugally--but within our means

2.  After a year of BYU-I, Emily decided that she needed to serve a mission.  She was worried how we would financially do this--Ron didn't have a job and she was searching for work, also.  Ron told her not to worry--a way would be prepared.  Between family support and Emily finding a good job at Hobby Lobby, we knew that she would be OK.  About two months before she entered the MTC, Ron was offered a job with the state of California.  It has been the BEST work environment he has experienced in over ten years.  Another wonderful tender mercy of the Lord.

3. We have LOVED living in Morgan Hill.  We have LOVED living close to my mom, my brothers, their wives, and their children.  We ave LOVED the hills surrounding Morgan Hill and the cute downtown.  We have made so many good friends in our ward.  And yet...we still missed Stockton.  It was our home for twenty-six years.  We longed to go back.  We were renting out our home and even though we tried to make the house we were living in feel like home, there were limitations of what we could do.  Ron's patriarchal blessing says that as he lives a righteous life, that the desires of his heart will be granted.  His heart's desire was to return to Stockton.  The final tender mercy of the Lord I want to share with you today is that Ron received a promotion with the state of California.  His begins his new job in Sacramento next week. Once our renter's move out November 30th, we'll be moving back into our beloved home.  I know that realistically, things have changed, but I'm hoping and praying that Stockton becomes the beloved home that we remember.  

We have truly been blessed with so many tender mercies.  I am so grateful for the love I feel from our Heavenly Father.  I believe that as we keep our eyes and hearts open, we will see and recognize so many manifestations of the tender mercies of our Heavenly Father.