Tender Mercies

This was the draft of a post I started last Monday:

I feel incredibly stressed at the moment.  I spent the last hour researching a bit on moving trucks and it just made me feel a bit ill at ease.  We are going to drain our entire savings just to move.  Ug.  And there are so many factors to consider! What size, what day, where to (that would be good to know, eh?), what to do with the cats, how far can we go in a day, sell or keep the washer and dryer...  The enormity of the situation is starting to hit me and I just don't know how we are going to do it.

I have my good days when I think "It's okay!  We are capable people.  We are going to figure this out." And then I get a day like today and I feel sunk. 

 I didn't post it because I was afraid Blake would read it and feel awful.  And I didn't want that.  So, I saved without publishing, cried to my mom, said my prayers, and went to bed. 

Now, let me share some of the "Tender Mercies" I have been blessed with since that night. And let me testify that I feel God's love in these small but significant events. 

#1- On Tuesday morning I read this scripture from Alma 58:11 during my studies, "Yea, and it came to pass that the Lord our God did visit us with assurances that he would deliver us: yea, insomuch that he did speak peace to our souls, and did grant unto us great faith, and did cause us that we should hope for our deliverance in him." That message was for me.  I could hear Heavenly Father talking to me.  And it brought me peace and hope.

#2- Blake was scheduled to get into Norfolk at 4pm on Tuesday.  We were all very excited for him to get home to us!  But in Atlanta, Delta needed to get a pilot to Norfolk and the plane was full.  They asked for a volunteer to give up their seat.  Blake thought for just a second, but then jumped up to offer his seat.  Luckily, earlier in the day they had asked what it would take, between $100-$500,  to have him give up his seat. He chose $500.  Now when he volunteered he pointed out that number and they readily gave him a voucher for $500 to use within the next year.  Suddenly that trip was not so expensive!  He got home to us at 6:30pm, $500 richer.  :) What a blessing!

#3- Wednesday evening came and we had still not heard from the MTC about the job.  We assumed that meant bad news for us, but it was emotionally draining not to have a concrete "no." I felt very depressed throughout the day.  I finally broke down to Blake in the evening and he held me while I cried.  What were we going to do?  I mentioned that I felt like we just needed a little more time.  Just 2 mores weeks! We have to be out on July 31st.  But where would we go? How could we drive to Montana without knowing for certain if Blake was accepted into the Master's Program?  But how could we take all of our things to Henderson to stay with my parents for a few weeks but then have to repack it all to drive to Montana if we did?  And if we stayed here, who could keep us for nearly 3 weeks?  My head spun as I tried to think of the best solution.  

The next day we wrote down our options and began our pros & cons lists.  We felt like Blake should talk with our friend Ryan to have someone to bounce some ideas off of.  Ryan called back right as we were making the lists.  Now, can you believe that Ryan and Karen are leaving this Sunday and their still furnished home will be empty until the movers come to pack it up on Aug. 18th?  And can you believe that they offered to let us stay there during that time?  Can you really believe that God found us the two more weeks that I cried out for?  My heart is so full! He "delivered" us.  I am overwhelmingly thankful for our good dear friends for their help.  What a blessing they have been and continue to be in our lives.  

#4- It can be daunting to know where to start when trying to pack a house.  And an extra person there to get you going can make an enormous difference. Lori Jensen, my RS president called that afternoon.  She didn't say, "Is there anything I can do?" she said, "I have a free hour right now.  Can I come over and help you with something?" That is the best way to offer service.  Not asking what can be done, but offering something specific.  I had her come and she brought her daughter Keri who played with Collin while Lori and I got the garage in order and mostly packed.  It took an hour to do what would have taken me 3 or 4.  Thank you Lori for your service and even more importantly your example of how to serve better.  

#5- Our friends, the Jensens, invited us for dinner at their home for that Thursday.  It was wonderful that have a good meal that I didn't have to take time to cook. As we spoke to them, Daniel asked if we needed any boxes.  He said they had dozens of them from their move here and had been trying to get rid of them.  We were able to stack these great boxes perfectly into our trunk.  A small thing, and yet, something we needed. 

#6- I have had 3 separate friends take Collin for me for several hours at a time this week so that I could pack and get things done.  That makes a huge difference!  And I don't feel like he is just sitting in front of a TV all day.

#7- My good friend Lauren came to help me pack on Monday. As we worked in the kitchen and talked about our potential plans to do a Masters program, she offered to give us a GRE study book that she had bought.  She found out her program that she is starting this fall does not require her to take the GRE but it was too late to return the book.  MSU has become our plan A which means Blake needs to take the GRE by the end of the month.  And now he has a brand new GRE study book.  
 
Has not the scripture I read been fulfilled?  Has God not "visited us with assurances that he would deliver us?" I am in awe as I recall all these little moments in which I have felt Heavenly Father's "tender mercies."

So we didn't get the MTC job.  And we can't be sure we will get in to MSU.  And there are a multitude of other things that haven't quite turned out for us.  But it doesn't really matter because I have faith that we will find our way.  And God is letting us know in little ways that he is close.  It is not easy, and I still don't know how this is all going to work out, but I do know that it will.  And that is enough.  That is faith.  "...insomuch that he did speak peace to our souls, and did grant unto us great faith, and did cause us that we should hope for our deliverance in him." All is well, all is well.