Tender mercy for the day (with some of my ramblings....)

I had my iPod set to random and this song came on by Reba McIntire - "You're Gonna Be" (click to read the lyrics). It really made me think today. It made me think of a parent's love.

What an uncomprehendable concept - the love of a parent.

I had glimpses through my life, having been raised by amazing parents that really loved all 4 of us - but didn't really "get" it until we'd had Gabe. I still have years and years to really understand it, as I know it's a calling and emotion that we really grow into through our whole life.

But what has me astounded and amazed right now is thinking of the love of our Heavenly parents. It's something I can't even fathom or wrap my brain around. On the LDS.org website it says, "Our heavenly parents provided us with a celestial home more glorious and beautiful than any place on earth. We were happy there. Yet they knew we could not progress beyond a certain point unless we left them for a time. They wanted us to develop the godlike qualities that they have." Kind of like our children - we want them to have the blessings and experiences we have to grow, and we have to learn that on our own sometimes.

But can you imagine how hard it must be for our heavenly parents to be watching us flail around here on earth with our earthly trials and tribulations? Yes, we have the gift of the Spirit to guide us, and to comfort us - but I can't imagine how hard it must be for our heavenly parents with their unequivocal love for us - their children. They watch us make decisions that make us stumble, they watch us ache, and they watch us get lost. They know the way, and they know what we need to do to return to them, but they can't make us do it....I imagine that is so hard.

We don't hear much if anything about our "Heavenly Mother" (out of respect I believe). But can you imagine her love, and her concern and caring for each of us? I think of hearing my own mother, and mother-in-law recently as I relayed some of the pains I've been working through and hearing them want to fix things. They want to help, they want to reach out and do whatever they can to make the hurt go away and feel better. I think that our Heavenly Mother feels those same feelings for us - as a woman - wanting to nurture and comfort. I think of her watching us and just wishing she could rock us in her arms and kiss all of the hurt away. How hard that must be for her.

So I thought of the lines in the song that say,

"You're gonna fly with every dream you chase
You're gonna cry, but know that that's okay
Sometimes life's not fair, but if you hang in there
You're gonna see that sometimes bad is good
We just have to believe things work out like they should
Life has no guarantees, but always loved by me
You're gonna be"

And I thought of all of the people that root for us. Our family, our friends, angels in heaven - and no matter what happens - we'll always be loved. I hope I can pass on this message to my kids, and that I can just continue to grow in the lessons of parental love - it's an awesome and amazing journey!

I thought this picture was tender. Now I don't necessarily believe in the world's view of angels with wings that fly - but I DO firmly believe that there are angels all around us in our lives. There to surround us and lift us up when we need, help to carry our burden when it's too heavy for us to do on our own, to cry with us, and to rock and comfort us when we can't seem to make it on our own.

Thank you to all of the angels in my life - you truly carry me when I can't do it on my own.