Have you ever had a day where you think to yourself "I deserve a reward just for being nice today and not killing anyone"? They happen occasionally for me, and yesterday was certainly one of them! I woke up with that grumpy chip on my shoulder that kept confirming to me that there are far too many stupid and annoying people in this world. I feel pretty guilty about this because one of my closest friends is in town (she lives on the other side of the country) and she was my first appointment for the day. While her hair color was processing I got to play with her absolutely adorable baby girl, who we will call Minnie (because I love Minnie Mouse and sadly enough the first thing I saw when I looked up from my computer to think of a good alias was a Minnie Mouse doll. Yes, I know that's a little childish. No, I do not care.) I loved every second I got to spend with Minnie and her Mom and I am so grateful that I started my day off with them because my next appointment was a doosey!
You know that one crazy old lady that every one in town knows but has a different nickname for? The one that feels shortchanged by life so she expects everyone to bend over backwards for her? The one who is racist, loud, inappropriate, and overbearing? Ya...so...I have the great privilege of having the crazy lady's undying loyalty. Yeah. Me. so I got to spend 4 hours yesterday perming and setting her hair. It is all I can do to be nice to her on a good day so yesterday was definitely a challenge. By the time I finished her hair, one of the girls one the other side of the salon said "man! that woman wears me out all the way over here!" so you can imagine what direct contact with her radioactive personality is like. After finishing all of my other appointments and being sucked emotionally dry by the crazy lady, I was pretty much begging for some kind of reward for surviving the day!
Well, I got my reward today, over and over! It wasn't any of the rewards I had requested (yes I did list off rewards during my evening prayers that I felt were appropriate for simply enduring my day...I know...I can be kind of a brat to Tinfu...I'm sorry.) My rewards today were very small and simple and yet so amazing. I constantly had the spirit confirm to me that numerous occurrences today were tender mercies. Even just in conversations today people would ask me about something in the recent past and I would update them on it and as I did the spirit would whisper "see...tender mercy". I lost count of all the Tender mercies that were brought to my mind today. When I wasn't realizing a new tender mercy I was searching my memory trying to recall the scripture about the Lords tender mercies being over all...but I couldn't remember the rest of it. I just looked it up. "The tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith..." Even the tender mercy scripture was a tender mercy today! If his tender mercies are over me then doesn't this say that he hath chosen me because of my faith? who knew I still had faith? I'm feeling a little better about life today...!
Now to end, I wanted to get on here and share a huge tender mercy from the other day but it never happened...so here it goes...
I found a new Mormon message the other morning and it made me cry. I have loved this story ever since the first time I heard it as a teenager so I was so excited that I could now listen to it in an apostles voice. I always caught on to the part about how Tinfu knows what he wants you to become so trust him...but this time it dawned on me that for the past 14-16 years I have loved a story about how sometimes it really hurts to not get what you think you deserve, and that getting angry at the one who knows what you truly NEED does not benefit you in any way. He is the Gardener here...He knows what he wants me to become. Even if it hurts when he cuts me back, it is still for my benefit. Ironic, isn't it?
Also I apologize that this really wasn't a short post...I just dont know when to shut up...
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