Psalms 25:6-7

Psalms 25:6-7
6     Remember, O LORD, thy tender mercies and thy loving-kindnesses;
for they have been ever of old.
7     Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions:
according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness' sake, O LORD.

Kari read this to me last night and I spent a lot of time today thinking about these verses.The two parts that touched me were:

"O LORD, thy tender mercies and thy loving-kindness"
and
"Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions"

"Lord's tender mercies are the very personal and individualized blessings, strength, protection, assurances, guidance, loving-kindnesses, consolation, support, and spiritual gifts which we receive from and because of and through the Lord Jesus Christ." (David A. Bednar - April 2005)

Every day I pray to the Lord and ask, "Oh Lord, please try not to remember how stupid I was as a young person."...I wish I knew then what I know now...Life would have been very different for me.

I remember when Tim was about 12 or 13, he went with me to the LA Temple. I went in for a couple of hours and Tim hung around outside, tormenting the newly-wed brides and watching movies in the Visitor's Center. On our way home I stopped to get gas. Tim went inside the store and I filled up. As I filled up a VERY skuzzy- looking woman came up to me and gave some cock and bull story and said she needed money for blah blah blah. I told her to go away and buzz off. She walked away and all of a sudden it hit me, "What if her story were true and she surely was in trouble and needed cash for blah blah blah." I stopped pumping gas, took about 10 steps over to her and gave her $10. I returned and continued pumping the gas. After we drove off, Tim asked me why I had, "given that woman some money," (he had watched me out the window of the store). I told him that she needed money for blah blah blah and I felt the Spirit move me to give her some money. Tim said, "she went onto the store and bought cigarettes and a couple of beers. Dad," he continued, "you gave her money for tobacco and alcohol." I thought about this for a couple of minutes and then told Tim, "I did as I have been taught to do...Christ has taught us to help the poor and the needy...I acted in a Christ-like manner...the burden is off my shoulders...and onto hers...someday she will have to account for the fact that she didn't use the money for blah blah blah...I can hold my head erect and report to the Lord that I obeyed His commandment that said, "A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you..." Tim and I drove on chatting about this and that and other things.

About 45 minutes later, we were driving down this windy road (Garlock Road), when all of a sudden there was a car screeching around the bend up ahead... in my lane!!! As the car swerved back into its own lane and passed me, I saw that it was filled with laughing teenagers and moving at least 30 MPH over the maximum speed. I slammed on the brakes, as I rounded the bend, and came to a stop. All of a sudden it occurred to me...the amount of time that I had missed being in a head-on collision was equal to the time that I had spent walking over to the skuzzy woman, giving her the money and returning to the gas pump.

Happenstance luck or tender mercy of the Lord????

I know what I believe...and you'll never convince me otherwise.

I believe that only through the tender mercies of the Lord, I remain on this Earth to tell you this story.