Blessings Book

Throughout my life I have been quietly noticing the Lord's "tender mercies" in my life and the lives of my loved ones.  A few years ago a dear friend gave me a "Blessings Book" that I have used to record some of these tender mercies.  As I have been reading through these entries, started about five years ago, I have realized how important it is to write things down when they happen and also, to record our feelings about the experience and what we learned from it. Remembering these experiences has brought so much gratitude to my heart.  Following are a few tender mercies from my life. . .

Two years ago our son was called to serve an LDS mission to Lyon, France.  The most common reaction he got from people was "Oh, you're going to France?  You won't see very many baptisms.  That is going to be a HARD mission."  The very next day, being the beginning of the semester, he was able to pick up a French class to help him learn the language and also, he got a new roommate, a young man who had recently returned from the France, Lyon Mission who told him it was the very best mission in the world.  A year later, Nate's former bishop and his wife were called to serve in the same mission.  He has had so many positive experiences there and has learned to look for miracles or, "the Lord's Hand in all things."

One day near Christmas, I had been thinking of a friend and her family who struggled financially.  I had a feeling that I should make a chocolate pie for that friend.  When I took the pie to her home, she met me at the door and explained how they were trying to celebrate two of their children's birthdays that evening and hadn't had time to bake a cake.  The pie was to be their birthday cake.  They expressed so much love and gratitude for that simple pie that I was in tears (thankful tears) when I returned to my car.

Last year just after the Christmas holidays our daughter Tara and her two small daughters were staying with us.  One morning I went down to see how they were doing and I found our daughter sitting up asleep in bed, holding her sick baby.  I went upstairs to say my prayers and felt a voice say to me, "you could drive them home."  (They were scheduled to fly home several days later.)  I immediately ended my prayer and asked my husband about it and he readily agreed.  So we drove them home to Arizona that day.  They were all so very happy and relieved to be home with their husband and daddy.  The baby had RSV but was able to recuperate at home.  As a bonus, my husband and I had a very fun, bonding experience driving home together.

The Young Women in our Stake were invited to sing in the choir at the General Young Women's Conference in March 2013.  My husband and I were able to attend two rehearsals and the broadcast itself.  During the dress rehearsal, Sister Elaine S Dalton, General Young Women President came to speak to the girls.  She brought the very quilt that my daughter and I had made for her the previous Fall (when she spoke to our young women in the Alpine Tabernacle).  She told the girls that day that the quilt was her favorite gift ever, that she loves everything about it; the roses, the Young Women Value colors and their signatures on the back.  It was humbling to see how much she treasures the quilt that Rebekah and I had so much fun making together.  The whole experience of being there and seeing the changes in the lives of some of the young women as they participated in the choir was a blessing to me!  It was a life-changing experience for some.

I testify that our Father in Heaven loves each and every one of us!  He cares about the big and the small things in our lives.  He knows what makes us happy and sad and He is in the details of our lives.  I know this to be true!  If we are watching, we will see God's tender mercies, His hand working in our behalf. . .miracles, if you will.

 -Kathryn Frandsen