#findHim

Yesterday we had our second home church as a family. The spirit was so mighty in our home as we discussed the scriptures and shared personal insight. After home church I felt so uplifted and edified. That peace I felt was quickly shaken by the news that Jakob, my son who had been serving an LDS mission in South Korea, would be released from his calling as a missionary. I immediately felt an overwhelming blanket of sadness and frustration. I had held back the hefty feelings of everything that had changed over the last two weeks pretty solid until THAT news. It wasn't the type of news that was absolutely devastating itself, but it felt like that particular piece of information was the final piece of the Jenga tower holding everything else up and once it was pulled, it all came crashing down.

To be honest, I actually love having home school. I like the feeling of having all of my kids around me even if they drive me freaking nuts, make 5 billion messes a day, and eat ALL the food ALL the time. It feels safe and cozy to me to have them near. I love not having a million errands to run and kids to uber all over the city every single second of the day. Quarantine life is seriously my dream life. I think the sudden transition of it all just rocked me in a way that I haven't been able to get used to yet. My gym is now the garage. My son is home and done with his mission. My kids do school on the computer. Stores are closed and the ones that are open display signs of "social distancing". My star athlete's spring season is finished. My husband works for an online travel company which is taking a massive hit. I worry every single day about the economy and the aftermath of all of this mess. But the truth of the matter is that every single human on earth is being affected by this, not just me. The 2020 seniors are missing all of their end of year activities. Some families are watching their loved ones fight for their lives in the hospital. Many have lost their jobs and some have lost their entire businesses. The trolling on social media is outrageous, everyone is suddenly an expert. Parents are having to adjust to working from home and juggling babies or homeschool. Some families aren't able to get the supplies they need because others have selfishly hoarded like crazy. The fighting between political parties is never-ending and ugly. There is SO MUCH grief and pain being experienced. THE LIST COULD GO ON FOR DAYS.

As I was driving around town today, something smacked me right in the heart. I noticed several things that caught my attention. One street had yellow ribbons tied to every single tree that lined the road. Sidewalks were decorated in chalk art with uplifting messages and precious pictures. Many homes had heart-shaped messages taped to the doors probably delivered anonymously to put a smile on someone's face. Families were taking walks together and holding hands. THERE WAS SO MUCH JOY just sitting right there, waiting for us to recognize it! Tender mercies sent straight from the Lord directly to each and every one of us through His hands here on earth: YOU.

Tender mercies from the Lord are very individualized blessings. They can come in the form of almost anything because the Lord speaks to each of his children in their OWN language; whatever is familiar to THEM. It could be a song that contains lyrics you needed to hear that day. It could be a sign that makes you smile because it's something you’ve been thinking about recently. Maybe it's a friend who brings you something special without knowing you were having a bad day. Even just noticing how magnificently EXQUISITE this earth is could be exactly what you needed to uplift your thoughts. Tender mercies can come in the form of strength, protection, assurances, guidance, loving-kindness, consolation, support, and much more. They are different for every single person based on their own individual circumstances and conditions. Basically, if it makes you smile and feel special or warm in your heart, it's a tender mercy from above!

When we focus on the tender mercies in our lives, we redirect our thoughts to Christ instead of dwelling on our own problems. We recognize that we are not alone in ANY trial, He is ALWAYS present. He doesn't usually take our pain or suffering away COMPLETELY because trials are for our growth, to be more like Him. But He is gracious enough to show us through these tender mercies that He is aware of our circumstances and HE LOVES US. He wants us to rely on Him and trust in His plan for us. He is teaching us to find joy in areas we would normally overlook or take for granted, to show more gratitude for all that He has blessed us with. Recognizing what His "voice" looks or sounds like to YOU, allows you to better communicate with Him, therefore strengthening an already solid relationship with Him or even building one that never existed before. Being able to continually reflect on the tender mercies you've experienced or witnessed in your lifetime builds a solid foundation of His love for YOU and a testimony of the truthfulness of His gospel. David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said, "I testify that the tender mercies of the Lord are REAL and that they do not occur randomly or merely by coincidence. Often the Lord's timing of His tender mercies helps us to both discern and acknowledge them."

Never in the history of EVER has the entire world been affected by the same thing at the same time WHILE ALSO having access to social media to broadcast all of it. IT. IS. SO. HEAVY. Why don't we all try to make our social media feeds a little brighter. What if we all join together and set aside our fears, anxieties, and frustrations as we #findHim in our daily lives. I promise you won't regret it. Show me ALLLLLL of the tender mercies you witness!! I cannot WAIT to be surrounded in His love. Let's completely saturate the interwebs with LOVE!! Tag me on Facebook or hashtag #findHim on Instagram (@bealittletookind OR @jesslynlowe) so I don't miss a single one! I NEED this joy so bad right now. We all do. 

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