Tender Mercies

I had the opportunity to attend youth conference with my stake this week. I also have had the opportunity to help plan the conference over several months. Because I was in on the planning (I was one of ten youth helping to plan it) I wasn't sure how much I would get out of it because I was in on most of the 'surprises.' But the Lord gave me, and showed me, many tender mercies during this youth conference.

We were split up into 14 'families' of various sizes. I thought that I would know about 4 out of 12 youth in mine, and then two of those people didn't end up coming. There ended up being seven youth in my family (including me) that came, two of which I didn't know. I ended up actually knowing more people than I thought I did, I just didn't recognize them by name. One person I realized later my brother knew a few years ago, and had driven him nuts then. It was a tender mercy to me that I didn't know that, because I got to know them now, without any bias, and found them to be a really nice person (and my brother agrees at this point too).

We had some waterfront time, and I had decided to take my camera on the water so I could take some pictures. I had a plastic bag to put it in to keep it dry if my camera bag happened to get wet. The canoes we were in were lighter than the ones that I'm used to, and therefore aren't as stable. My brother and I happened to be in the same canoe (we didn't plan to do that) with someone else on my 'family.' We were moving along and managed to get someone to ram into us. The boat leaned far to the left, and I tried to shift my weight to the right, but we still tipped too far and the canoe capsized. Fortunately we all had life-jackets on, and were able to stay afloat. The rescue boat came and got us and took us to shore. I took my camera out and realized that water had gotten inside the plastic bag, the same thing happened to my brother. Fortunately the cameras only got wet, and not submerged so they should (hopefully) work okay as long as we get all the moisture out.
I got wondering why the Lord hadn't warned me not to take my camera on the water, but then I realized that I probably wouldn't (or didn't) pay attention to that thought because I had already had decided to take it, and I didn't plan on getting in the water. Fortunately I had planned for getting in the water, and had the bag and had packed extra clothes. I realized that the Lord probably prompted me to remember to put the camera in the bag, because I didn't have it in earlier so I could get to it easier. I either was prompted to take a picture shortly before waterfront, or was just prompted to put it in the bag when we got there, I can't remember which at this point.
I'm grateful that the Lord gave me that tender mercy, so I just have a funny story to tell later without a tragedy connected to it.

I guess I have a thing for high adventure stuff. I went to a leadership camp last month where we did a lot of it. Heights don't seem to bother me if I'm harnessed to a rope with a belay. The main challenge course at the camp we went to is a zip-line (there are other, smaller ones too). I had done the exact course before (they have multiple zip-lines) and so I knew I would do fine on it. I made sure everyone else went before I did so if anyone couldn't do it, it would be someone who had done it before. There were several people who freaked out a little while walking across the beam to get to the zip-line platform or on the platform itself, which was to be expected, heights scare a lot of people, and there were a few who refused to go on the zip-line, and had to get off another way. Because I don't really get freaked out by that I didn't know what I would get out of it besides a fun ride.
I climbed up the telephone pole so fast that the person in front of me was still hooking up to the zip-line when I reached the top, so I had to wait a second to cross the beam. I was wondering if crossing the beam would unnerve me at all, but it didn't seem to phase me. I walked across so fast that the person in front would still be on the zip-line for a minute, so the missionary prepping people for the zip-line had me walk backwards on the beam for fun! That was really cool for me. Then when I could finally go on the zip-line I had a little trepidation before I jumped off, (a good reminder/reassurance that I was still human) but was only standing on the edge for a second before I took a deep breath and jumped as the missionary told me to take a leap of faith. The zip-line was a blast and I got to touch the pole on the other end with my hand, which I couldn't do the last time I had done it.
I was grateful for the several tender mercies I was given in that experience, walking backwards, incredible balance and speed, jumping off so fast, and touching the pole.


The second night of the youth conference we had a testimony meeting. The testimonies that were borne were so touching, and it reassured me that everything we had planned did touch and change people, which I was starting to get anxious about a few days before the conference. There were several people who got up who I would not have expected to get up. I was content to sit and listen because it was so good, though I felt that I could have gotten up too. The stake president finally got up and said that after those who were up to go next were done we would end and go to bed, but we would have another opportunity the next night to bear testimony, which was not scheduled, but we could fit in. The next night was just as good as the last, and testimonies were borne for two hours and ten minutes. As I was sitting on the stand waiting to bear mine, I realized that I had originally wanted to end the youth conference with a testimony meeting, which hadn't worked out, but ended up happening anyway.
This is probably my favorite of all the tender mercies I was given over the youth conference. That I knew that what we had done had made a difference, and that we ended the conference the way I had originally wanted it to end (maybe it was inspiration earlier?).


The Lord loves us so much, and gives us so many tender mercies. If we look for them (not seek, there's a difference) we will see them all around us. The fact that I was able to see all of these is a tender mercy in and of itself. Once I was shown one I was able to find so many more, and it made youth conference all the more special for me. These are just a sample of what the Lord did for me, and I think that I have yet to find all of them from this youth conference. I know that if I just look out for them I will find so many in my everyday life.


What tender mercies have you seen in your own life?