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Thursday, February 1, 2018

Strange Tender Mercies



“What are God’s miracles that remind you that He is close, saying, “I am right here”? Think of those times, some daily, when the Lord has acted in your life—and then acted again. Treasure them as moments the Lord has shown confidence in you and in your choices.”

This quote comes from a talk by Elder Ronald Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in the last General Conference. It caught my attention because I was thinking about some things happening on a blog site I like to follow. The author is a very knowledgeable Latter-day Saint and has a plethora of followers. Most are fellow-saints who are interested in the views of the writer, but a few are more inclined to attempt to poke holes (or chasms) in the faith of believing readers with disparaging remarks and snide comments.

RANT ALERT: (It baffles me that there are people who feel their time is best spent berating others who believe differently than they do. There is no effort made to speak with kindness, or respect as you would to someone who is lost or confused about life. The sole purpose seems to “share” venom that has built up in their system and, apparently, must be released on poor unsuspecting souls (though, by now we all know what to expect). What is it that leads people like this to spend their time chasing down sites where believers – in one thing or another – share experiences, beliefs, and common interests? Is their life really that dull?)

Anyway, as I was pondering the universe and all its secrets, I had a thought that would not let go of my brain. It goes something like this:

The blogger I follow has several of those folks who like to “disagree” with him on very basic principles of truth. No amount of discussion can dissuade them from the ‘belief’ that anything put out by the author is designed to ‘destroy the world.’ It is obvious that they have no interest in trying to understand anything that is shared – and yet, they come back day after day with scorn, untruths, and taunts for those who do believe. Often, I say, “what drives them to keep coming back?”

That’s when there was a little (cause I’m not really that important) epiphany that hit me as I was out walking and thinking, related to the message of Elder Rasband.

I thought to myself, might there be a purpose in God’s plan for people like this who are always assaulting those who do not share their beliefs. Could this be one of those tender mercies Elder Rasband mentioned that our Heavenly Father is offering to them as He tries to persuade them to come back to Him. Maybe by keeping these souls connected to a source of truth (even though it is inconvenient and uncomfortable to believers and appears to be completely useless in teaching the offender) God is leaving a way open for these dissenters to eventually find the truth they purport to seek. You know, the more you hang around someone, the more they grow on you. Is it possible that the God we love could be that ‘sneaky’ with His children?

While the word sneaky does not really fit my description of our Father in Heaven, I do believe that He has plans that we cannot even begin to understand for His children. Think how he helped Zaccheus find a connection with Jesus. A man small of stature, Zaccheus had to climb a tree to get a good look at the Savior but he was also easily accessible when Jesus desired to dine with him in his home. Devious or sneaky is not an attribute I would use to describe of God or His Son, but they will always use the situations available to find ways to bless Their children.

So, I am going to take the approach that these fellows who are so rude, obnoxious, and difficult to endure on the Internet are really people who are preparing themselves for a blessing from the God of Heaven who knows them and will do all He can to bring them home.

Now, they just need to see what is available to them. 😊

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