Tiny Miracles and Tender Mercies

Image from iamtonyang.com

We had one very special experience on Monday afternoon I do not ever want to forget.  It was another reminder to us of  how Heavenly Father is aware of the simplest details of our lives.   

We were both sitting at the table doing some computer work when one of the lenses popped out of Larry’s  bifocals.  Apparently the screw had come out at some point, so there was no way to fix them.  He can’t read anything at all without those glasses, so it was a problem.  As far as we knew, there were no optical shops in town.  So the only thing we knew to do was to go back into Apia to buy a pair of reading glasses that he could make do with till we got back to New Zealand.  

That was when I suddenly recalled that right before we left our apartment in Auckland, I had gotten a DISTINCT impression to  get the small glasses repair kit I keep in my jewelry box.   I don’t usually carry this on our travels, but I know well enough when I get a prompting I should follow it. So,  I had tucked it into my bag as I was packing.  However, in my preoccupation with getting everything ready to go, I had completely forgotten that I even had it.  

As we were preparing to leave, my mind suddenly opened up to a visual image of me picking up that little repair kit and putting it in my bag.   I walked down the hall to our bedroom to check, and sure enough, there it was.   We popped out the extra screw that was in the kit and in a few minutes had Larry's glasses put back together.   

We both had to marvel at this, as both the original prompting to pack the kit in the first place AND the reminder that I had it with me after I had forgotten all about it clearly felt like spiritual inspiration.   Sometimes these sort of promptings are about important matters of faith or key life decisions.   In this case, it came over a relatively minor thing that simply made our lives flow more easily.  Still, I was certain that it was a reminder that our Heavenly Father knows us in very personal ways and wants the best for us.  It made me resolve even more so to stay close to the spirit to recognize these promptings and then obey them when they come.

In addition, it helped me remember that I don't need great big miracles to recognize the hand of God in my life.   If I pay close attention, there are so many small things that others might brush off as luck, coincidence, or the product of their own thinking.  Not me.

I truly do believe with all my heart that there is a loving Heavenly Father who watches over us and guides us.  I believe in Guardian Angels who protect and prompt.  I know beyond any shadow of a doubt that the Holy Ghost as the testifier of truth brings thoughts to my mind or feelings to my heart at key moments to help me solve whatever challenges I face, or to answer questions both big and small.

If I have learned anything in this mission at all, it is that I am most definitely NOT alone.  We've done some great things during the course of our service, but we can't really take credit for it.  So often we have felt surrounded by angels. I know that in some of our trainings the spirits of the ancestors of the people we are with have accompanied us.  We have felt it.

 I have learned to trust that my life has purpose and meaning. I have learned to believe that if I stay close to the spirit, the Lord will use me in ways that will bless the lives of others, and in turn will bring me tremendous joy. I have learned that miracles and tender mercies come in many different ways, some small and some dramatic.  Above all,  I know without question that God is aware of me.  He knows my needs.  He knows my feelings.  He understands my nature to my very core.  He will always, ALWAYS be there for us - sometimes to help us resolve situations, sometimes to give us the strength and the calmness we need to simply endure the situation.  Either way, His love is real.  In this mission, we feel that every day.