Recently I had dinner with a friend and as we visited and enjoyed our meal, we reminisced about the many years we've known each other. It was a rather unusual introduction to each other...she refers to it as a tender mercy.
The year was 2000 and she was in a personal serious dilemma and had left her house, was walking down the street crying her heart out and praying for help as to what to do. She remembers stopping and sobbing right at a crosswalk and pleading with the Lord as to what she should do? Where could she get help? Clear as a bell she was told to come to my house!
We did not really know each other...totally different phases in our life on all levels but a knock on my door changed all of that.
I answered the knock and she stood there just sobbing and said...I need to talk to you. My heart just went out to her and I enveloped her in my arms and felt such love for her.
We got in the car and I bought us root beer floats and we went to a park. We talked & talked & talked. Tears stopped. Her heart-wrenching life experience happened to be something that I'd experienced years before and I'd been just as heartbroken as she was. She had no idea of that situation from my past but I was able to comfort her and reassure her and tell her what I'd learned in that particularly painful event.
My personal painful experience is now just a line of scar tissue on my heart of LifeLessons and no longer hurts. That gave her hope and she now, 15 years later, has a similar painless scar.
When we visited at dinner we were reminded of that beginning and as I've thought about that entire scenario I thought of a couple of things...
1- The Lord knows us and will direct us to those that for whatever reason, known to Him, can help us in dire straits.
2- We envelope in total HeartLove those that we help. We feel protective and tender towards them...long after the crisis is over. Forever? Thinking so.
3- Just like President Kimball said...the Lord usually answers are prayers through other people (well, something along those lines!)
4- Passage of time is a marvelous thing as in that passing there is a cleansing and healing and mending of brokenness that takes place, where none can see but God Himself and is only felt by the one being restored. Personal application of the Balm of Gilead! sometimes we are the ones that apply that heavenly ointment with tender gentle application. so soothing!
You, as I, have had similar experiences in your life in helping and being helped. Isn't the Gospel terrific???
It was a special time and made me realize again...I love my friends and yes, that includes you!
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