When I drive home from Young Women’s (Church youth group) I listen to a radio show that features personal story-telling. A lady who lives in New York told of the cramped living conditions and even smaller kitchens in most apartments. Apparently produce is very expensive in New York so when she had the opportunity to buy a very large bag of spinach at the unheard-of price of a dollar, she could not pass it up. One reason for the shocking low cost was it had never been cleaned so was full of dirt and even rocks.
Upon arriving at home, she had spinach-buyer remorse, having been prone to produce neglect resulting in spoilage in the past. What had she been thinking? She didn’t have the time to clean it properly; if only she had a salad spinner. She shared an amusing conclusion as to why she didn’t have a salad spinner, and reiterated how she really, really wanted one. Salad spinners were made for couples and families. She was a single. They were too big and continuously in the way. Too big for New York’s tiny cupboards, too big for the counter, just too big.
In New York when folks don’t want something they set it on the curb for others to look over and take home if they can’t live without it. Actually, we do that in the Midwest, too—at least in the country. In her younger days, she took anything she could get. Now, being older and wiser in the ways of critters such as bed bugs and other germ related pests, she left items that called to her and ignored their plea to go home with her.
One day she spied something sitting on a ledge, well away from the riff-raff on the curb. Upon inspection she discovered it was a tiny beautiful salad spinner. She couldn’t believe her eyes. Really? A salad spinner? But, having trained herself well not to pick up other people’s cast offs, she walked on without the salad spinner. By the time she reached the end of the block, the salad spinner won the day. She turned around, walked back to the shelf and grabbed the tiny salad spinner for one. As she was retracing her steps down the block she ran her hands over her very own salad spinner and thought about washing that spinach. Her fingers felt some embossing so she looked down at it. There scrawled across the lid was the word “Triumph”.
This is a fine young woman who is adept at storytelling. But by the salty language that was beeped out and the abbreviations she used knowing she couldn’t actually say the words on the air it is obvious that she is unaware of His Divine Presence. It has become clear to me over the years that those who speak thusly are unacquainted with the redemptive power of His Love. And, if they at some point in their lives have recognized Jesus as their Savior, somewhere along the path they have relegated Him to the junk drawer of their heart. They know he’s there, and when they have time or need they will search the contents for some trace of Him. These are whom the scriptures admonish us to remember with mercy not judgement.
When some serendipitous thing like being handed the very thing we need, such as a salad spinner, happens to folks who keep Jesus in their hearts we accredit it to Heavenly Father. We call it a tender mercy. It struck me that the Lord has given her a gift and she doesn’t even know it. I think He does things like that all the time. Like a loving Father who delights in surprising us with gifts when we least expect it.
We should always remember to thank Him for all the Tender Mercies that have been given us and our family. And, also for all the Tender Mercies we, like the salad spinner lady, do not recognize and they go right past us unnoticed and unappreciated. Ask Him to help you notice those Mercies; to notice and appreciate all His gifts to us.
Alma 38: 14 Remember others in mercy.
Alma 38:6 Spirit of God maketh these things known unto me.