Tender Mercy

Today I was working in one of the Lord's buildings that I tend to and felt, as I do often, to go and look at something up in the furnace room near the gymnasium. I entered the room, tended to the thermostats and noticed that one of the settings was not correct. After adjusting it to the correct settings I realized that that particular furnace was not working. Now today was one of those days where I was supposed to be able to quit early and be home in time that Hope could get some sleep before she had to go to work at 6:00pm for a 12 hour shift, so a broken furnace, that by the way I did not have parts for on my truck, " shame on me", was going to put a damper on my schedule. I took a minute to think and ponder what to do....... I knew what was wrong and could fix it easy enough with the correct part, but the parts were 45 minutes away in Toledo. It was already 11:30 and I needed to get home to help with the baby and get the kids from school.

I said a short but direct prayer and the answer came..... " go get the parts, go home and go back later to fix it". I followed the promptings just as I had to go up there in the first place. It had started to snow and pretty heavily, I was concerned with lunch time traffic and for heading down the interstate from Bowling Green to down town Toledo was gonna be hectic. Before I left the parking lot I was on the phone to the supply house as to the availability of the parts I was in need of and sure enough they had 1, only 1! "Not a very hot Item" the salesman told me, so I said to him "well I am in Bowling Green, I'll be there as soon as I can". When I walked through the door, the guy behind the counter looked at me funny and said "I thought you were in B. G. when you called?", I said "I was "and he said "boy that didn,t take you very long"! I didn't have any traffic at all in fact that was the fastest I had ever made it there and I didn't speed! I grabbed the parts , had him order me 2 more for stock on the truck, and headed for home. When I walked through the door it was 1:15! Now I swear that I was not speeding at all. Were talking , B.G. to Sylvania & Jackman in Toledo, to Home in Liberty Center in 1hr 45min, with parts. Seemed hard to believe and then I thanked my Father in Heaven for His Help and Protection and anything else He helped with.

So the time came to go back and fix my furnace, I asked the boys if either would like to go and Connor said he would. When we arrived at the Church we took in the tools and parts and went right to work. Everything went smooth the furnace fired right up and we were able to look around the church. I showed Connor all around and showed him all the cool mechanical rooms even those ones that are up in the ceilings that most members don't even know exist, he just loved it! Then we went into to look around in the chapel, and he was in aw of the size verses our branch chapel. We looked around and then I said let us go up to the front and have a prayer, he said ok. Went up and knelt down in the very front, as I do much of the time when I am either enter or leaving a building, and I spoke a simple prayer and thanked our Father for giving safety, and skill, and for providing with safety as we drove in the wintry conditions. When I finished I looked at Connor, and there in his little eyes were tears, I asked Him "can you feel the Spirit of the Lord" and he said "That's why eyes are wet". I told him that that was God speaking to him In the presence of His Son in His house, and that we were fortunate to be able to feel that , I then explained that Those Buildings are Jehovah's and He is there if you only have enough faith to believe it. Through simple expression of innocents, my little treasure of a Son says "Oh I know He's here."

I never cease to be amazed at the infinite Power of God! He is truly mindful of our every need, whether it be time, availability, or comfort in knowing your children know, He is always there. His tender mercy's are always available if we but have the faith to believe! I cant help but feel that the reason I needed to go back tonight was for a purpose greater than my comprehension!