The Lord’s tender mercies

"The Lord's tender mercies do not occur randomly or merely by coincidence. Faithfulness, obedience, and humility invite tender mercies into our lives, and it is often the Lord's timing that enables us to recognize and treasure these important blessings"

  David A. Bednar

The classic story The Velveteen Rabbit was read to many of us when we were young. Now we read those pages to our children and grandchildren. The timeless tale reflects on the love between a little boy and his stuffed toy. As the story progresses we read: "The little Rabbit grew very old and shabby, but the boy loved him just as much. He loved him so hard that he loved all his whiskers off, and the pink lining to his ears turned gray, and his brown spots faded. He even began to lose his shape, and he scarcely looked like a rabbit anymore, 

except to the boy."

Love, the rabbit learned, is found in simple acts, like the attentions of a child. Love is the affection of a parent. And ultimately, love is the tender mercies of our Father in Heaven. We show love when we offer quiet encouragement to another, applaud a friend's success, easily accept another's differences or shortcomings, or refuse to be offended. We feel love when others show us patience, when they don't judge or turn away from us if we let them down. We find that sharing love helps us past changes and challenges—just because someone is with us along the way.

All of us in this hard-edged world long for the kind of love that ages with us. The rabbit was more precious when his fur wore thin. And so it is with us. Love brings us to life; it grows with time and connects us soul to soul. Love is what the Velveteen Rabbit called "magic."