Tender mercies

This week has been a tough one- okay the last two.  Lots of hard work, I got a lovely chest cold and my kids keep growing up with lots of milestones.  And the Lord has given me tender mercies to remind me that He sees me Knows me and Loves me. 

Sunday I was sitting through Sacrament meeting missing my grandmother. Wanting so much to call her and tell her about all the fun goings on in our life.  She would have loved to hear about wild child's party or to see pictures of her great granddaughter looking so grown up and past the stage of "go Donalds papa".  I wanted so much to talk to her about my worries and fears as a mother, my concern about if I was doing a good enough job, if I was making the right decisions for my family.  She always had the best perspective.  As I was walking out of sacrament meeting heading to Sunday school this sweet sweet lady in the ward pulled me aside and told me how much she loved my family and what a good job she thought I was doing with them and what great kids I had.  The way she said it and the phrasing she used were almost exactly how my grandmother would say them to me.  I very much felt at that moment like my grandmother was sending me a message through this sweet woman.  Tender mercies.

And in the last 24 hours I had two other sweet women be there for me and say just what I needed to hear. When I needed to hear it.  Tender mercies. 

I don't know if these three women even realize what such a small thing meant to me.  I hope to be able to be a tender mercy to others as I go through this life.  I often fall far short but my commitment is strengthened today to listen to and follow His promptings that I might be able to help others the way they have helped me.