Tender Mercies

By Lori Agler

My good friend grew up in Southern California under the watchful care of a generous and loving Stake Patriarch. He supported her parents, gave money and scholarships to the kids to attend college and missions, and spent many days and weekends taking her and her siblings on special outings. He passed away several years ago. She wasn’t able to see him in his last days on earth as she lived in Utah and her entire family had moved away over the years. After he died she longed for some piece of memorabilia to remind herself of him. His own relatives had separated the assets and didn’t give much thought to my friend and her family. She was mournful and sad. During this time she traveled with her husband on a business trip. The plane was fairly empty with few people on it. She struck up a conversation with a woman not far from her seat. They soon discovered a connection to our hometown, Hemet. The woman had lived there recently. In the course of the conversation my friend mentioned the Stake Patriarch, how he had died, and how she longed for something of his. This woman said, unbelievably, that recently she had gone to a yard sale in our hometown and bought a set of scriptures that belonged to the Stake Patriarch. She took down my friend’s contact information and said she would send them to my friend. My friend was thrilled and still marveling she called and related the story to me. How remarkable this was to me that God answered the plea of my friends heart. How wonderful his tender mercies. I know there are many instances like that in my life where, sure, I would be just fine without the tender mercy but because of it, I felt loved and known of God. God surely loves each of His children.