Tender Mercies Part #1

Today on the way home from church, I fell into typical conversation with the girls, as I asked them what they learned about in class today. K'Lynn told me that she learned about "Tender Mercies of the Lord". This was interesting to me. This is one of my favorite personal topics, as I feel them to be just that, very personal. I actually think it to be a fairly deep topic, which is why I was surprised that they learned about it in Young Women's.
Upon looking at her handout, it became an inspiration for me to: Review what a "Tender Mercy" is, To discuss these topics in Family Home Evening, and to review and personalize each of the topics in the handout and personalize them as I reflect upon my own special blessings, or "Little Miracles", as I like to refer to them.
In pondering my post, I came across a past favorite talk from Elder Bednar. He explains the following in relation to tender mercies: "Through personal study, observation, pondering, and prayer, I believe I have come to better understand that the Lord’s tender mercies are the very personal and individualized blessings, strength, protection, assurances, guidance, loving-kindnesses, consolation, support, and spiritual gifts which we receive from and because of and through the Lord Jesus Christ. Truly, the Lord suits 'his mercies according to the conditions of the children of men' (D&C 46:15)".
The handout my daughter brought home asked to share a time when you experienced or saw a tender mercy in family life.
When my sweet little Kandace pictured above was 2 1/2 years old, March 2nd, 2005, to be exact, she fell out of her bedroom window. The kids were in their room watching a movie, and I was in the kitchen cooking lunch (and talking on the phone). The night before, the kids would not stay in their room to sleep, so I had put the child lock on the inside of the door until they fell asleep. Upon them finally deciding to stay in bed, I opened their door, but I failed to put the lock on the correct side the next morning. The day of the fall, the girls had shut the door, but they were unable to get out easily as a result of the child lock.
That day was also one of the first warm spring days. The girls' room would get very hot. K'Lynn had decided that she wanted to open the window. So, she had piled a table on top of the toddler bed, and then a chair on top of the table to get to the window to crack it open. All the while, I am 20 feet down the hall in complete ear shot, and not aware this was happening (yup, they were sly). Shortly after this, Kandace later told me that she got up into the window because "I was trying to look at Pixie" (Pixie is our dog). When she leaned on the screen to call for our dog, the screen gave way, and she fell out the window.
As I was cooking macaroni and cheese, K'Lynn was continually beating on their door. As I stated before, I was on the phone. Her persistent knocking went on for a few seconds. I asked the person I was talking with to hold, and I impatiently asked K'Lynn what she needed. She sheepishly stated: "Kandace fell out the window" WHAT!!!!!!
I ran to our deck door to see my little Kandace lying face down motionless in our back yard. I immediately called 911. I feel so guilty admitting this now, but I was so scared of what I was going to find that I avoided going out to the back yard to see her. I struggled with that for a long time afterwards. Here I was so worried about what I was going to find that I didn't go to the aid of my daughter. About a minute later, she "woke up" and came to me. She said: "Mommy, I want to go to sleep" as she came over to me. I was still on the phone with 911 and still so scared. I didn't want her to go to sleep.
Shortly thereafter the cop arrived, and I kept asking him if he thought she was going to be OK. He kept telling me he couldn't say. Right thereafter, the Paramedics arrived. I was starting to feel a little better about things at this point. UNTIL.....I heard one of them radio in to get Life Flight en route. At that point, there was no calming me whatsoever. A short time after, the cops came out and told me that I needed to find a way to be strong or I would end up at another hospital and not be able to help my daughter (I was hyperventilating, and starting to go into shock).
As they brought Kandace out on a stretcher to take her in the ambulance down to the helicopter, they stated that she was asking for me. I went over to her, and told her that I loved her. I told her to say her prayers, and that I would say mine as well.
And at this point, you're asking how this fits in as a "Tender Mercy". I will borrow some expanded explanation from a talk I gave in Stake Conference just a couple weeks after her accident:

"About 3 weeks ago, I experienced the without a doubt most horrifying experience of my entire life. Our 2 year old daughter took a tumble out of her bedroom window. I went in to call the paramedics, and as I was trying to care for my little girl the best way that I could until help arrived, I was instructed by the 911 operator to have my 6 year old daughter go and get a towel to put on her sisters’ cut head. I frantically tried to find her, and eventually located her as it seemed to me at the time, hiding under my bed. Yet, I later asked her why she was hiding under my bed, and she explained to me, 'I wasn’t, I was praying that Kandace was going to be O.K.'. While waiting in the hospital later on, our daughter received X-rays throughout her body,  a cat scan, an M.R.I., a cast on her arm, and a good amount of stitches in the forehead. We were informed by the plastic surgeon that we could expect that Kandace would have additional bruising on her face, and we should expect to see two black eyes on her by tomorrow morning. Yet through this whole ordeal, she healed a lot faster than anyone including her Doctors ever expected her to. I was taught through a prompting that the reason being was because of the prayers offered in her behalf. I later learned that her name was put in the Temple prayer roll within minutes after her accident. I am thankful for the faith & concern of others’. The ultimate lesson taught to me about prayer was spoken to me later that night in the still quiet of a Hospital room, as I thanked my Heavenly Father with all of my heart for allowing me to keep my precious daughter here with me on this Earth as the whole full individual that I Knew her to be. As the spirit spoke to my heart that evening, the lessons taught to me were sacred & life changing. I thought I had a testimony of prayer & Priesthood blessings before this experience. I now know, as I know that you and I are sitting here in this room that Heavenly Father hears & waits with anticipation to answer our prayers".

In addition to these "Tender Mercies" listed above, many other precious and personal blessings came our way as a result of this trial.

I can honestly say, even today, almost 7 years later that our family has been forever changed by this. This experience has taught us that life is a journey not a destination, to treasure each and every day, to reflect upon what really matters, and to realize that there are a lot of wonderful people in your circle of influence who are ready and willing to help when we need them.

That day, our old Bishop (and dear friend) missed a root canal to come up to the hospital to help Josh give Kandace a blessing. He has since passed away from cancer. He always joked that he was secretly glad to have the excuse to not get the root canal. However, I happen to know he was a very busy man, and that the time taken out of his day to help us could not have been fun or convenient. Tender Mercies, special blessings from the Lord.

Not everyone is aware of how much a Helicopter ride to the hospital costs (even with insurance). If you have never had the opportunity to obtain this knowledge, be very, very glad. We had some pretty incredible financial miracles occur with this. Although they are a bit too personal to throw out in cyberspace, they were nevertheless also designated as tender mercies of the Lord in behalf of our little family.

Most of all, I am so thankful that Kandace had no ill effects as a result of the fall. Undoubtedly, a tender mercy from the Lord. I explained to my girls tonight that as we recognize these, we will do with them what the Lord would have us do with the changed versions of ourselves, and he will bless us with more Tender Mercies to move his work forward.

How thankful I am for these personal & sacred little (and not so little) miracles in my life. Definitely tender mercies from the Lord.