Tender Mercies

Tender Mercies, those two words soft and sweet. I think they hold a different meaning for each of us. It's the title of a great movie( one of my favorites) and the title of a song by Eliza Gilkyson.

For me, tender mercies are those moments of such exquisite kindness and love that it takes your breath. A couple of years ago, on Halloween, we were driving through Ms on our way home.

I remembered that it was Trick or Treat time and we had no treats at home, so we stopped at a Dollar General in a small town. It was apparent that we were in a low income area, much like where we live here in Alabama. As I walked through the door of the store, there was a young couple in the checkout line, with a small son, maybe 2 or 3 years old. When the little boy saw me, there was such a flash of recognition in his eyes, his face lit up, and he smiled from ear to ear.

Then without a single word, he ran to me, threw his arms around me and gave me the biggest, sweetest hug I have ever had. His parents were in shock, and began to apologize, but he continue to hug me, holding ever so tight. All I could do was hug back, because I felt I had been touched by an angel. It was electrifying, loving, such a powerful hug and neither the little boy nor I wanted to part. The parents finally pulled him away from me, and as I looked at him, there were truly tender mercies shinning in his eyes. By the way, I am as white as milk toast, and this little boy and his family were African Americans. I have thought about that moment so many times, wondered about the child and his parents. It was a moment of true love, of kindness and sweetness like I had never felt, before or since, something that I wish I could share with everyone that I meet. My wish tonight, is that each of you in some way find your tender mercies, and that not only you find them, but you share them.