Some days are exhausting and stress filled, and yesterday was no exception. Today as I've been thinking more on the days events and looking for some tender mercies, I realized that the day was certainly full of them!
The first TM I saw was a reminder that sometimes things look that seem like a big deal through some miracle will not be as bad as I originally thought and sleeping through my learning experiences won't help me get through them. It just gives me more time to worry about them.
After lunch, I got to take my afternoon class to the computer lab to do our first session of our end-of-level testing. Everything was going along fine until one student raises her hand and is in tears. I rushed over to her computer to see what was wrong only to find that her computer decided to shut itself down in the middle of her test. Not really that big of a deal, we had her switch computers and log back on. Her answers by some miracle had been saved, and we moved on to the next question. As I'm looking around making sure everyone had answered the question, I realize that one of my sweet pickles has fallen asleep. I attempted to wake him up only to realize that wasn't going to happen... I finally got him awake enough to get him to calmly go take a nap in the office while we finished the test. When he realized that he was going to have to make up the test during PE time later in the week, he got very worried about it.
I find myself wondering when in my life I have fallen asleep during a crucial time in my life. The truth is that I used to often go to "sleep" when I was going through hard things. I would shut down and do a whole lot of nothing. It was never a good thing as the problem would still be there, and I would have to deal with it eventually. I have learned that even if I can't solve it at the time I can still take some small action steps that can help me not be so depressed and worried about it. Some of these things have nothing to do with my problems, yet they are easy to do. Things like studying the Gospel, praying and asking for help from my Father, fasting, and going to the temple.
The second TM I found was a reminder that I can do hard things. After school, the weather was starting to get crazy. The wind was blowing wildly and dirt was being blown all over. I decided to go run at the gym instead of outside. After many months, I stepped into the gym and was met with that lovely gym odor. I almost cried. Tears of joy. I know that sounds funny that the yucky, sweaty smell of my gym would make me happy, but it did. It brought back a thousand memories that have happened in that gym over the last three years. Even now I get emotional thinking about it. All the pain, blood, sweat, tears and puke that all culminated in me recognizing my soulful brilliance and choosing to live it. Being reminded of all the amazing stuff I learned and discovered is always a good motivation to continue with my new goals. I can do anything. I've proved that time and time again.
The last TM I discovered was that sometimes it's the little things that can really make a difference. When I finally made it home, it seems like more and more things kept piling in on my already exhausted and worried mind. I was lying on the couch trying not to have a meltdown when I realized Myhandsomeguywiththekillersmile was making me some popcorn without me asking him to do it. It was such a small thing, but it totally changed how I was feeling. I felt so much better after someone did one small thing for me. It's so important for us to remember that it is really the little things that make the biggest difference to people. We can offer people smiles and quick texts or notes to tell them we love them and we're thinking about them. We can take out the trash. We can make them a big bowl of popcorn. And in doing those little things we can make a huge difference to them!
I hope you can remember that when you are having a rough day that looking for the tender mercies will help you see the blessing you have in your life and that things are actually going perfectly for you! Our Heavenly Father is constantly pouring down huge blessings that come in small packages on our heads and unless we stop and truly look we won't see them. Take a moment today and see what blessings He is sending you!
Luvz,
Meg:0)
