Tender Mercies and Random Acts of Kindness

Chapter 11 - Recognizing His Hand in our Lives

What better day than Valentine's Day to recount all the small yet thoughtful ways we have felt everyone's love for us? I will be adding to this chapter often as so many people have reached out and will continue to do so as we go throughout this journey.

             

"I ... will show unto you that the tender mercies 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." (1 Nephi 1:20, The Book of Mormon). This is my new favorite scripture. I read it the other day and it resonated with me like never before. Since this whole process started, we have been so aware of these "tender mercies" from up above. Some may call them coincidences, but I don't think there is such a thing as coincidences. There is One mightier than us all who knows us perfectly and directs our path through life, and when we can recognize His hand in our lives, it's pretty awesome!  I thought it was appropriate to keep track of these so I could look back on the hard days when I need to feel how blessed I really am. This list is not exhaustive, and I'm sure I'll forget some, but here goes. 

•  multiple priesthood blessings of comfort offered to each member of our family
• an official diagnosis that has answered so many questions of why he's been sick for so long (some may not agree that this a tender mercy, but for me, it was comforting)
• a caring doctor who followed up with us and was thorough with his explanations and told us it was fine to text him at 3:00 in the morning
• being able to be seen by an oncologist the day after the colonoscopy
• having the strength to tell our kids this hard news
• helpful information that has been shared with us by others of things that have worked for them or family members or friends. We're figuring out what we want to use in our case. 
• visiting with and getting questions answered from neighbors and friends who are going through the EXACT same thing as us!
• running into people at the hospital and clinics who can offer love, hugs, helpful advice and words of encouragement
• seeing a friend at the temple who I haven't seen in years. She was an angel in human form who was sent to me when I really needed her (she had no idea what was going on, but offered a big hug that was so helpful)
• seeing and sitting next to another friend at the temple and feeling of her love and support for our family
• Every time we go to the temple, we see someone we know and love. Yesterday I saw a former ward member who shared with me that her husband had stage 4 prostate cancer and just finished treatment and is doing great! So reassuring to hear that some progress can be made even with stage 4 cancer, despite the doctors’ “death sentence”
• a care package from Scott's office filled with all of his favorite things and uplifting quotes
• so many delicious meals delivered to our home to feed our family
• friends inviting me to walk with them and listen as I talk
• numerous heartfelt gifts delivered to our home, including: a handmade blanket, a bouquet of Dum Dum suckers with a note saying "Cancer is Dum", pizza and redbox gift cards so our family can enjoy pizza and movie nights, generous monetary donations, flowers, notes and cards with heartfelt good wishes
• a neighbor offering us an endless supply of alkaline water from their special filter. Apparently that helps with intestinal and gut issues. It has been so good to visit with them every time we go over to get some more. (We eventually bought our own).😊 
• having people visit us and offer words of encouragement and love, just what we needed to hear
• a friend paying for a cleaning lady to come to our home and give it a nice deep clean
• numerous people giving rides to our kids when we couldn't
• a care package delivered from church friends on an especially hard day. It was just what I needed! :)
• a surprise Valentine's day visit at work from one of my gorgeous young women, bringing with her a beautiful red rose
• so many encouraging calls, texts, social media messages and people following, and complimenting me on, this blog. Please keep reading! :)
• so many wonderful, long, loving hugs 
• so many people offering to help with ANYTHING that we need and I KNOW that they will! :)
• hundreds, if not thousands, of prayers🙏 offered in our family's behalf, which we have "felt"!  I didn't think it was possible to feel someone's prayers for you until this trial, but I know that is what's keeping us buoyed up.