Tender Mercies

As I sit here bawling my eyes out I feel like it wouldn't be right for this opportunity to pass by without sharing with my loving friends and family a very special experience that has occurred in my life today.

Only a few people know that I have been greatly struggling this last week. Something is going on in my body (I am not pregnant) and my hormones have been greatly out of whack. I have been experiencing some break through bleeding and bouts of nausea and lack of appetite. (Again, I am not pregnant). Most of all, because of my hormone imbalances I have been depressed. I have been uninterested in things that usually excite me and have been carrying a deep feeling of sadness within me.

Yesterday I taught a gospel doctrine lesson that focused on the commandment we are given to "be of good cheer" (D&C 68:6). I wanted so badly to be able to follow that commandment but I couldn't shake that deep sadness within me. I asked my darling husband to give me a blessing for the added measure of strength that I needed to succeed. In the blessing he counseled me to study out the content of my lesson and that as I focused on it, learned about it, and centered my focus on Christ that I would be able to fulfill that commandment. He specified that that didn't mean that I wouldn't have times of sadness, but that I would start to find it easier to be of good cheer in my life.

Today I have been trying really hard to do what I was counseled to do. I have done the things that I know bring me peace and happiness - writing, reading, working out, having some quiet time, etc. I didn't feel like I was doing a very good job but I was trying very hard and I felt elated when I finally shook that sad feeling after I completed a good sweaty workout.

My babies are taking naps right now so I walked out to the mailbox once my workout was complete and got the mail. When I brought it in I was surprised to see a letter from Discover Card that was obviously a check. {For those of you who don't know, Jake used to work at Discover Card from about 2008 to the beginning of 2011.} We had received a letter from them last month saying that they were settling some charges for those of us that had had Identity Theft Protection at one point but I knew that that was all settled at this point.

When I opened the envelope I was shocked at the amount on the check. I quickly flipped it over to read the explanation. It states, "Discover Financial Services has conducted a voluntary self-analysis of the Company's current timekeeping practice. As a result of this self-analysis, a decision has been made to make a two year retroactive back wage payment based on a system boot-up and sign-on time daily average of five (5) minutes." Now 5 minutes a day is not very much but when you extend that to the time worked for over 8 months... it adds up to a very shiny penny.

And you know what? This shiny penny almost exactly covers the amount that we had to spend recently to replace the shocks in our car and to get some new workout clothes for me. It is just a few dollars more.

I immediately burst into tears upon reading the letter and poured my heart out in thanks to my loving Father. I know that He knows me and that He is interested in my life and what is important to me. I am so grateful for the sweet tender mercies that He sends to our family. Our life isn't perfect and we go through challenges and trials, but I am so grateful for the peace and the knowledge that my faith brings to me and for the opportunities that I have to experience God's love first-hand.

Found on Pinterest

May the Lord bless you and yours as we move into this beautiful spring season and the celebration of Christ through Easter. May He grant you peace and love to face and deal with whatever trials you are experiencing. And, above all, remember that He loves you too.

Loves...Shayla