Tender Mercy 1: The Crash

Events in the last two days really made for the perfect beginning to this tender mercies journey, in a kind-of crazy way that I never would have asked for myself. Here we go....
On New Year's Eve, I was going about one of my last morning's off before going back to work. I went to the local Smith's store to purchase some groceries, dropped them off at home and then got back in my car to head to the gym. I reached an intersection about 1-minute away from my house and stopped at the red light. I had been there probably only about 20 seconds when I heard a BOOM, SCHREEEEECH and saw a large, gold truck coming straight towards me and my baby (My 2000 Honda Accord). In that one second I braced myself for impact. If a camera could have captured the look on my face, ooooooo...it makes me shudder to even think about it. The truck slammed into my car head-on, then flipped and landed on it's driver's side. The impact pushed my vehicle back about 12-15 feet and crunched my front-end. As quickly as it began it was over.
As soon as my car stopped moving, my hands flew to my phone and I shakily called 911, waiting an ever-so-long 2 minutes before I got an actual operator. I got out of my car as I dialed and went along with about six good Samaritans to the turned-over truck to check on the driver inside. Then I noticed another car in the intersection that was completely crushed in the front.
I can remember so much, yet a lot is a big blur.  Throughout the next hour, I gave my report to the police officers that arrived on the scene, talked to a couple paramedics who wanted to see if I was okay and tried to see if the man inside the truck was okay. He was conscious, but had a bleeding head wound that needed medical attention. I was praying that he was going to be alright, saying prayers of gratitude that he was alive after the rolling his vehicle did. I tried to hold in the tears that I knew were going to come but that would have to wait til I was taken away from the chaos on the road. I let my loved ones know I was alright and tried to keep warm-it was absolutely freezing outside and I was in my workout clothes! Fortunately my parents were both home and could come get me and take me home.

My car after the accident

The truck after emergency personnel sawed off the top to get the driver out.

While this was a traumatizing experience, and two days later I am still literally shaking and feeling emotionally fragile, I am not ignorant of the blessings and miracles here. And the amazing tender mercies that Heavenly Father has bestowed upon me, and also others involved. I want to share a few of them, as they are too real and good not to be shared!

• It was a miracle that, with how fast the truck was traveling, my car wasn't crunched up worse. Although the impact was hard, the airbags didn't go off, and there was no one behind me, so I and my car didn't hit anyone else, which would have made the damage to my car and my body much worse, and would have meant one more person or persons would have been hurt.
• The other two drivers involved both sustained injuries, I walked away without a scratch or bruise. Two days out, I have begun to have some neck discomfort that I will address, but I wasn't seriously hurt. I normally don't wear my temple garments when I work out, but that morning I simply felt and wanted to wear my top, and I truly believe that having that on protected me from bodily harm. Seriously! That is a promise we are given, and who am I to question that promise?!
• There were angels in the forms of ordinary people who saw the accident and responded by running into the road to help us. They stepped forward when something dangerous happened right in front of their eyes. They weren't asked to answer a call of need, they just did it. A sweet nurse who works at St. Mark's hospital just down the street from where the accident occurred kept asking me if I was okay, and though I said I was, she ushered me to her car, got me a blanket and brought over the paramedics to see if I was okay. I gave her many thanks and a big hug as she left, but I wish I could find her and thank her further for the kindness she showed me.
• The paramedics and firefighters who responded to the scene had been at the Smith's I had gone to not 15 minutes before the accident occurred. The two paramedics who came to see if I was okay remarked that they had just seen me at the store. They were sweet and brought some added smiles and laughs that put me at ease. It may seem silly, but at that moment, they were familiar faces in sea of chaos that brought peace to my heart and let me know that my Heavenly Father was there.
• Rental Insurance!: My family has never had rental car coverage in case of an accident, but recently my mom purchased that for my brother and I. She remarked several times after the accident that it must have been inspiration from the Lord to get that coverage for us. She had no idea it would be necessary two months later for her daughter to have that coverage. I do not doubt this in the least.

Last but not least, as this was one of the biggest tender mercies of this whole thing: Today I went to a car agency to pick up a rental. The man at the counter asked me what happened in the accident. My mom and I started to briefly explain and we hadn't talked more than 10 seconds when the only other customer in the building looked at me quizzically and asked, "Did you get hit by a gold truck that flipped?"
    "Yes!" I said. "Did you see it? I have been wondering about and praying for that man." And I had. I had no idea what condition he was in when taken to the hospital, and knew I could only pray for him, He was in the Lord's care.
    "No," he replied, "But the man in that truck is my Landlord." I was absolutely dumbfounded, jaw dropped open wide, the whole works. Can you believe that?!?! I asked if his landlord was okay and he replied that he was limping and had a black eye but looked like he was going to be okay. I couldn't believe it.
I haven't felt much peace the last two days, and so today asked in great earnest that my Heavenly Father would send me a tender mercy to let me know that He was aware of the difficulty I am having dealing with this; that He hears and loves me. That right there was the tender mercy. That is NOT coincidence. There is no way it is coincidence! That that man would be there, in that same car rental agency at the exact same time as me, is remarkable. And only explainable by the grace of God. I think that man will tell his elderly landlord that the girl whose car he hit is praying for him, and doesn't bear any ill will against him for what happened. Who knows, maybe that'll be a tender mercy for him too.
I know God lives, I know He knows and loves me. He knows and loves YOU. His tender mercies are
everywhere, even in the trials and rough spots in our lives, not just in the good times. Please follow along as we continue with another 100 tender mercies :)

The Tender Mercies:101 Project

Hello! Welcome to another little piece of mine in the vastness that is the World Wide Web. This blog is extra special to me, as it's purpose is very near and dear to my heart.

I have always loved to write. I have found one of my callings in life in the last several years, and that is to life others with hope, help and happiness. I combined these two loves in three other blogs, but this is one of my most exciting adventures!

I am a firm believer our Heavenly Father and that He knows each one of us, completely and individually. I see His amazing grace and tender mercies all over my life and the lives of those around me. "Tender Mercies", that is a phrase used by many in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, mostly well known as being defined by Elder David A. Bednar, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the LDS Church as the following: "I believe I he 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)." [General Conference, April, 2005]
I was reflecting on this a few weeks ago while trying to drum up blog post ideas. I had major writers block and was about to give up the brainstorming session for the day, when suddenly these three words came into my mind: "Tender Mercies:101". I literally stopped moving for several seconds as ideas immediately began to flow freely in my mind. I can tell you, those words did not come from me, it was divine inspiration!
Tender mercies are things that I didn't really recognize in my own life easily.  I've lived for the past 14 years with chronic pain and illness, and went through a great amount of that time in frustration, bitterness and misery.  It's hard to feel happy when you are hurting and sick all the time. I thought my state of health was because I was being punished for doing something wrong, or for not being good enough. I was hard on myself and didn't have a very good relationship with my Heavenly Father.  I saw all the things going wrong in my life, and counted them like I should have been counting my blessings.
In time I realized that was dragging me down was focusing on what I thought was the Lord punishing me in my life (which was sooooo not true), instead of where the hand of the Lord was for good in my life. I realized that it was the little things, the "tender mercies" that God was giving me to help me get through the hard circumstances, one day at a time, that helped me feel the love, support and happiness I was missing.  I started focusing on the ways the Lord's hand was in my life, and therein, my outlook changed. This took lots work: asking for the Lord's help to recognize tender mercies, reflecting upon them as I did and expressing gratitude for them. That work was so worthwhile! And in this idea lies The Tender Mercies:101 Project.

Here is the project and the promise:

• Project: Ask the Lord for help to recognize the tender mercy the Lord gives you in your life. Count each and every tender mercy until you reach one-hundred-and-one. Keep track of them: write them down in a journal, in the Notes section on your phone, whatever way works best for you!
• Promise: You will notice how the number of tender mercies in your life have increased, and how much your gratitude, feeling of love from your Heavenly Father and joy have increased also.

I know this can be true for you! I know it because it has been fulfilled for me, and because it is also the Lord's promise, and He does not lie! 

This blog is here to chronicle the journey of the 101 Project. I will post 101 Tender Mercy stories in about as many days. They will not be just mine, but mostly those of other's who see the hand of the Lord in their lives. Please join us on this journey, and share your own tender mercy! Try the promise, I guarantee you will change because of it :)