Tender Mercies

When Brad came to visit me yesterday, I asked him about church.  I knew it had been his turn to conduct fast and testimony meeting and asked him about the testimony he shared.  He said he was grateful for the tender mercies of the Lord.  He was thankful that I was already in the hospital when the emergency came.  When we requested an LDS elder at the hospital to come help Brad give me a blessing, it ended up being the brother of one of Brad's coworkers.  Brad testified that small things can be a reminder of God's love and watchful care.

The phrase "tender mercies" comes frome the Book of Mormon.  In 1 Nephi 1:20 it reads, "But behold, I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance."
Ever since Apostle David A. Bednar gave his talk on tender mercies, I have loved that scripture.

Here is a short clip:



Throughout this hospital expeience I have been overwhelmed when I. think of how fortunate we are.  Here is a list of some of the things I've been considering:

• I am so grateful to live in a time and place with advanced medical care.  If I lived long ago, or in a third world country, I most likely would die in chilbirth and the baby might too.  Isn't that a sobering thought?
• Brad and I are thankful to have great insurance and a high deductible plan.  We would be paying the same $4,000 saved in our HSA if I had a regular delivery or if I spend a month in the hospital and have a newborn in the NICU.  Can you imagine having to weigh the risks of possibly hemorrhaging at home to save money or staying in the hospital and paying hundreds of thousands of dollars?
• I am grateful that I was over 32 weeks when the bleeding started and am now about 33 1/2 weeks.  If she were to be born now she'd probably still spend time in the NICU, but she should be okay. Women with Placenta Previa can occasionally bleed as early as 24 weeks.  Spending three months on bed rest in the hospital would be awful, but would be so much better than having a baby so premature.
• Most of the time my family and I have excellent health.  Other than my zero complications baby deliveries, I haven't ever spent time in the hospital.  Parker missed one day of kindergarten due to illness and that is pretty typical of our family.  When we do get colds, they're usually mild and we recover quickly.  Even now on my 7th day in the hospital I feel pretty good, but it does help me better appreciate the health challenges of so many.
• Our children are staying with their grandparents who love them dearly. We have kind neighbors who have offered to help out too.  I can't imagine what would happen if you didn't have anyone to care for them.  I miss them  terribly, but know they're in good hands!

There are so many things that I could mention, but that gives you the idea. I am so grateful for the tender mercies of the Lord.