Tender Mercies

Sometime in life we get to have the kind of experiences that reach deep inside and touch our souls. Many times these experiences come through the trails of other people. And while sometimes people facing the trial say, "Why me?" others find themselves asking, "What can I gain from this trial?"

Over the passed year I have been blessed to witness a very dear friend bravely take her trial by the hand and daily choose to, as she said it, "find out what God wants me to learn through all of this." She may not even remember saying it, but when she did, it hit me hard, reached into my soul and changed me. If while in the midst of one of the most difficult trials I could imagine, she can think about what God wants her to learn, I can for sure do the same in my small, tiny, daily annoyances!

Besides the fact that my life has been touched, I know a sweet boy who has also been changed by the life of a little girl. His heart has been opened and a level of compassion that will be a blessing to others throughout his life, was cultivated.

I think one of the biggest questions in life, is, "Why do bad (or difficult) things happen to good people?" I know that I don't have all the answers, and I cannot speak for other people. I also, would never want to be so presumptuous as to say that another's trial is for my benefit. But what I do know is that if it wasn't for pain and suffering, the compassion, love, and goodness of humankind would never be known. For, it is in those moments when our hearts and souls are changed that we reach outside ourselves to demonstrate God's Love. For "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another." John 13:34.

And in the end, we see that in Life's biggest trials we find God's most precious blessings.