Tender Mercies – a call for stories!

Maybe you’re not a millionaire. Maybe you haven’t yet realized that big vision for your life. Maybe your relationships aren’t what you want them to be. Maybe you’re still waiting for that breakthrough that never seems to come. Maybe you struggle with your health, or maybe you’re caring for someone else who is. But even so…

Have you seen God’s hand in your life, sustaining you from day to day?

Have you been given just what you needed, when you needed it, even if it was small and simple? Think: a tiny droplet on a blade of grass. It might not be full-on rainfall, but as the dew distills from heaven, have you noticed what God has done for you today?

I want to hear about it. Submit your stories here, and join my newsletter to be included when I share what others have submitted.

Where the idea for this project came from:

Photo credit: Vanessa Kay, Vanessa Kay Photography

I had a wonderful conversation with one of my readers (Vanessa), whom I’ve never met. It started about six months ago when she contacted me, expressing an interest in joining the Mindset Mastery program. She has given me permission to share our conversation.

She wrote:

Hi Leslie, unfortunately I don’t have [the price of the program] in my combined bank accounts…and I still haven’t paid my rent or utilities yet for August…so clearly I need this program, lol. But I totally believe it’s just what I need. I’ve read all of your e-books and have listened to every single podcast….and I have had some really amazing miracles already. 

From there, she began telling me about the tender mercies she’s experienced. Her gratitude and acknowledgment to God for his day to day support has inspired me. It’s created a desire in me to request and gather similar stories from others (like you!) who are practicing the principles of rare faith, and who recognize little blessings, even when the big things are not yet achieved. The more we see God’s hand in our life and acknowledge it, the more blessed I believe we will be.

She related:

I have some pretty amazing and truly unbelievable things happen in the last year and a half, including:

  • Being given a $10,000 horse that was a star of a huge touring show (Cavalia) and who now brings in my most consistent income each month
  • Having a mere acquaintance actually give me her minivan when I had no car that would fit my family or reliable transportation so I could work
  • Getting my really talented daughter onto a gymnastics team that cost $360/month where she won 1st all-around at every single competition but one – for free (well bartering) and now having her coached privately 3 days a week by a coach who has coached Olympians for free
  • Getting my husband’s son, who his mom said he could never live here full time to come live with us – and wiping out $13k in arrears overnight.
  • Making it to Utah to sing in the tabernacle with my daughter – one of the highlights of my parenting life – with only $30 in my account

That’s just a few of the stories – there are others that are not so huge and unbelievable as well – that I’m working on that illustrate the same principles you have written about in Jackrabbit Factor, Hidden Treasures and Portal to Genius. The problem is finding the time to get it all done – and that’s my biggest concern about attempting the Mastery program – although clearly I need it and I feel like it might be the answer I’m looking for.

You see, while I have been able to manifest some really amazing blessings (and I feel like I’ve had inspiration on some really great ideas), I’m clearly missing a key point somewhere. For example, it’s now the 13th of the month and I have yet to pay my rent (I don’t even have a portion of what I need yet), my utilities are all in danger of being shut off at any moment, and my husband has maybe a day left of medicine that keeps him functional. And my new van just broke down this week on the freeway on my way to my dream job and it looks like it might be the transmission died, which I have no way of paying for. And this is pretty typical for me at this point in the month.

Yet somehow I make it through every month.

I hope you don’t mind if I give you a little background on me. I’m sure you’re super busy, so don’t feel like you have to read all of this, but I feel like it might help to give you some context!

It’s interesting because I have listened to every single podcast and read every blog post, but I especially enjoyed the one where you shared more about yourself from a gospel perspective (I think maybe the perfectionism and prosperity one? or maybe the one on stay at home moms actually) and I feel like I can relate to you on nearly every level. From trying sooo hard to be perfect in keeping every single commandment as I grew up, to wanting more than anything to get married and have a family and be a stay at home mom and have that and making my home a wonderful place being my highest goal. I really never dreamed of having a career or making money. In fact, money in my eyes, was a necessary evil and certainly not to be sought after. Because before seeking for riches we should seek after the kingdom of God right? I even started out my married live driving a beat up old VW bug with no heating or AC and parts just broken off and prayed at our wedding reception that we’d have enough cash in the cards to get us home.

After 14 years of a very difficult marriage that ended with a court-ordered 5-year restraining order and little to no financial support for myself and my kids, I found myself in the difficult position of being a single mom and trying to fulfill the roles of both provider and mother. Throughout my marriage, I had made staying home with my kids a priority, even when pressured to bring in income and put my husband through school. I did this by taking a job managing apartments and starting a photography business that I could work on mostly while my kids were sleeping or at school.

It was very much a struggle to keep my family going in the high-cost area I live (Newport Beach, CA), but somehow I barely managed to make ends meet living on the barest of necessities for a couple of years until I connected with an old high school friend (we had never dated, however) who ended up learning about the gospel, taking the missionary discussions and was baptized. Six months later we began dating and a year later we were married. He had a good job making almost $90k and I was so thrilled to finally be able to really focus on my kids and family and home and not on spending every moment worrying about where our next meal would come from. I still did a few photography jobs here and there for some extra income, but I stopped marketing and focused on my kids. Our little family was so happy and harmonious.

But less than a year later my husband began getting very tired and dizzy. Long story short, he began getting sicker and sicker and doctors could not figure out why. Within a few months he could no longer last even an hour or two at work and his doctor put him on temporary disability. That went on for a year as he continued to get worse and worse. I started trying to ramp up my business again, and fortunately, he was still bringing in 40% of his previous income via short-term disability insurance, but that ended almost 18 months ago. Since then it’s been just me, only as his income left the picture our expenses have skyrocketed. AFter 2.5 years of so many tests it was figured out my husband has Lyme disease and multiple other infections and a pretty much non-existent immune system (so many infections including mycoplasma pneumonia, h. pylori, epstein-barr, multiple parasites among other issues).

We paid for COBRA as long as we could but it was an extra couple thousand a month. We finally qualified for medi-cal based on my income, but this insurance covers almost nothing of what he needs. The only doctor that understands his issues doesn’t take that insurance and charged $500-$900/visit, then his medications and supplements are another $1000/month. So basically, every month I need to come up with about $7000 just to pay for bare necessities (housing, food, utilities, gas and car maintenance, my business expenses and medical expenses). The biggest issue for me however, even more than money, is time. Eric at this time needs nearly a full time caregiver to prepare him food on a specialized diet (no gluten, dairy or sugar), feed him, help him get to the bathroom, help with personal care, getting to doctor appointments, etc. He’s pretty much bedridden 90% of the time. He does have his good days once in a while when he’s able to do more to take care of himself, but pretty much all of the responsibility of running our household of 4 kids, 2 dogs, 2 cats and 2 horses (my steadiest income at this point is leasing them out) – paying the bills (when they can even be paid!), shopping, cleaning, cooking, running kids around, helping with homework, getting to sports and choir – as well as trying to earn enough income to keep everyone going is all on my shoulders. So I have a lot of nights where I’m only sleeping 3-4 hours because I work best when the kids are all asleep!

I don’t want to sound like I’m having a pity party here though, because I am constantly buoyed up by amazing people and wonderful miracles that happen monthly around here. I have an amazing landlord who has been so patient and kind – he could have kicked us out of our home many months ago. I began last year writing in a gratitude journal at least weekly (sometimes daily), and as I look back I can see so many tender mercies and blessings that have happened to sustain me and my family. I even started an IG account just to document for my family the many ways we’ve been blessed. Whereas I used to absolutely panic every month that I had no way to pay the bills that come pouring in, I can now just see that the law or polarity or rhythm is in effect and if I just keep my thoughts positive and my vibration high, things will work out, even though I have no idea how at this moment in time.

…I’m super interested [in the Mastery Program] because I feel like I’m missing some key puzzle piece here possibly, and I know for certain that applying the principles I have learned thus far have had really amazing results. 

…I hope you’re having a great month and you’re truly an inspiration to so many. And I’m so grateful for all of the resources you have so generously provided for free – I have taken advantage of all of them! And they have helped me sooo much! And I’m sure they’ve helped thousands and thousands of others have a more prosperous life. So thank you!

She has suffered an unbelievable run of unfortunate events, but did you notice her attitude? Did you see how she noticed and called attention to all of the things going WELL? I’m convinced that this is why she could also say: “Somehow I make it through every month.”

This is going to be the first in a series of articles about Tender Mercies. Stay tuned for more coming soon…

What about you?

So, maybe you’re not a millionaire. Maybe you haven’t yet realized that big vision for your life. Maybe your relationships aren’t what you want them to be. Maybe you’re still waiting for that breakthrough that never seems to come. Maybe you struggle with your health, or maybe you’re caring for someone else who is. But even so…

Have you seen God’s hand in your life, sustaining you from day to day?

I want to hear about it. Submit your stories here!

If you stumbled onto this article and want to know how our family tripled our income just by learning how to think differently, I invite you to discover the seven laws that govern prosperity. Click here to read Hidden Treasures: Heaven’s Astonishing Help With Your Money Matters FREE.

Leslie Householder
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This Post Has 3 Comments

  1. Agus

    Leslie Householder, thank you for this post. Its very inspiring.

  2. Ann Siggard

    Vanessa is my daughter and such an inspiration to me! Together we’ve shared the ups and downs of life and strengthened and supported one another. I’m so blessed to be her mother, confidant and friend our whole family is blessed because of her faithfulness and trust in God no matter what!

  3. KISHORE

    INTERESTING. SHALL CONTRIBUTE STORIES, SURE…

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