Tender mercies

A small but dramatic "tender mercy" happened yesterday. It was really cold here. The coldest day since April, in fact. Although it was in the 40s, we had one of those damp, biting winds that Texans are so familiar with. My red winter coat is really cute but it's not warm in a wind. (A real fault, if you ask me.) I had already decided I needed a good coat for a Pennsylvania winter. So while I was out buying my son-in-law's birthday present, I thought I might look for a better, warmer coat. And I was really hoping for a bargain. Aren't we all trying to be penny pinchers these days? Something prompted me to go to Macy's. Even though I doubted that I would find something cheap this early in the season, I realized that, at the very least, I could see what was available and stylish. Stylish was important to me because I am going to be wearing this coat a lot! I looked around and decided that down was what I needed. They had maybe a hundred down coats on sale for a really good price but a little steep for me so I didn't even try one on. But I particularly admired a coat by Calvin Klein and thought I might come back later. Then I went to my favorite store, Ross. You never know what you're going to find there. And I've walked out of it without buying anything as often as I've bought something there. On the rack in my size was the exact same coat I had admired in Macy's, only forty dollars cheaper. So now I have a beautiful, new down coat that will keep me very warm.

In our church, we talk about "tender mercies" a lot. This phrase is mentioned in the Old Testament, the New Testament and the Book of Mormon. We have had it defined to us in a special way. A tender mercy can be something that seems like a coincidence but, in fact, you recognize as a personal message from God. Now forty dollars may seem relatively unimportant to you, and in the large scheme of things, it is unimportant. But the knowledge that I am being watched over and personally protected is worth more than all my earthly possessions.