Sunday, December 31, 2017

A Year of Blessings (The Tender Mercies of the Lord)



         I just finished putting my baby to bed and it’s about 2 hours until the New Year starts. As I was holding her I started thinking about all the blessings of this past year that have happened to our family and me individually.  It definitely has been a year full of trial and stress but I can’t help but see the Lord’s hand in our life and how he blessed us every step of the way.
        It started at the Beginning of the year and a little at the end of 2016. When we applied for an apartment (suggested by a friend) that had 6month to a year waiting list. We got a call 2 weeks later saying they had a bottom floor, 3 bedroom apartment available since all the other applications didn’t qualify. Which is EXACTLY what I wanted/needed for my family. The Lord blessed me with the strength I didn’t have to pack up an apartment while I was 37 weeks pregnant and sent angels from my ward and family to help me move TWO days before I had my baby.
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     The next big blessing came a couple months later while I was visiting my sister. (We were tight on money since we had 3 kids in diapers and so close to finishing school.) While I was visiting we were driving around she was telling me how she was stressed out because she couldn’t find a Daycare that would take all of her kids so she could keep going to nursing school. The thought came over me and I said, “Well maybe I can watch them.” She looked at me and said, “You’re joking, it’s too good to be true! I would even pay you!” I told her “No,” but she replied “Amy, someone is going to get paid and it’s either going to be you or a daycare.” She said she was praying for a solution and I was praying for extra income. The Lord knew both our needs and blessed us both. I knew it wasn’t a coincidence that I decided to go visit her.
(We were all excited when my husband came to visit while we were gone all summer along with our Christmas in July Party.)
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     Then after we came home from a summer of watching kids and celebrating my husbands hard work from graduating college the extra income stopped, but soon after my husband got promoted to Dairy Manager. The Lord just kept blessing us with one thing after the other to help our little family to continue to be provided for. 
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    Then in November we had interviews for a Job we applied for back in April. Lots of prayers were going up and fasting that we would get this job. The Interview came and a couple weeks later we got an email saying we would not proceed to the next step. Surprisingly a peaceful feeling came over me that it was going to be okay and we were not supposed to get the job that there is something else. It was confirmed to me when we went to my in-laws and my Father in law said the same thing to us He said, “Me and Angela were talking and thought you know they weren’t supposed to get this job because your needed elsewhere.” It’s been interesting ever since that point on how things have been adding up with other opportunities that we are looking at and I’m excited.
     It ended with December and started with decorating my house. My mother has a wonderful talent of decorating and crafting. She made this beautiful lantern center piece that I really wanted to duplicate. So I was keeping my eye out for a lantern on sale or hoping to find one at a Thrift Store.  Since brand new they can cost well over $30. Well one evening I went DI (Deseret Industries), just to get out of the house while the kids were in bed. I walked around the store wandering and didn’t find anything so I left. As I was walking to my car the thought came to me “Come back tomorrow to look for your decorations for your center piece.” I thought, “okay, I guess I’m coming back tomorrow. My husband came home from work the next day and I left. I was so excited to find my lantern and pieces for my center piece. I got there and looked down every possible isle it could be down at least 3 times. I lifted up all the decorations and scavenged the holiday décor only to find nothing. I felt I should look one more time. So I did. I found these beautiful burlap flowers, this wood circle and all the stuff to put together this woodsy/chic center piece, but still no lanterns. There was only one more place I could look which was the wood area. So I go over and I’m looking through everything. Finally, at the end of the isle right before the lamp shades I say a little prayer. “Dear Heavenly Father I would really like to find some lanterns for my center piece, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.” I open my eyes, look to my right and on the top shelf by all the lamps are two big lanterns side by side. I couldn’t believe it. I immediately thanked my Heavenly Father. Hurried and picked them up and put them in my cart to find they were only $2/piece!

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    So many more blessings came the following couple weeks with presents for my family and so much more. This year seems it has been blessing after blessing. The Lord is truly aware of us from the Big things like finances to the little things like a center piece lantern. They come with friends telling you about a place you should apply for, or a sister who needs help but ends up blessing you in return. It comes from promptings of going to a store when you weren’t planning on shopping or listening to a neighbor. It comes from paying your tithing, reading your scriptures, or serving your neighbor and visiting teaching your girls. It comes from you, from us, from the Lord. I’m so grateful for the people and the gospel in my life. This truly is the tip of the iceberg with the blessings that my family has received and I hope I can stay tuned so that I can bless others in this next year to come. I also hope that you can look for the blessings in your life and fill your heart with gratitude especially in this year to come.  

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