Tender Text

As I have mentioned, I really look forward to getting emails from Drake on Tuesdays. This particular week, his email was exceptionally short, but included a promise that he has sent a paper letter in the mail (I guess people still do that from time to time). I tried not to feel too disappointed, but instead focused my energy on checking the mail at the post office. Every Day. For the Whole Week.

By Friday (the last day mail is delivered for the week), no letter had arrived.

I don't want to sound pathetic or anything, but I was really down that I had not received any real news from Drake for the week. It has been hard for me having him gone.

So there I am at home on Saturday evening, and I get a text message. It is not from a number that I recognize, but lo and behold, it is a picture of Drake and his companion! A sweet sister in the ward where he is serving took a picture of them as they prepared to serve the ward their Thanksgiving dinner. Oh the joy!

I quickly texted back a thank you, and then we began chatting back and forth. Come to find out, this woman had a son serving a mission two blocks from the capitol in Washington DC at the time of 9/11. She heard pretty quickly that he was okay, but soon after, she got a letter in the mail that had a picture of her son. A woman had taken a photo of him and sent it to her so that she would not only know that he was okay, but that in the midst of that terrible time, he still smiled. He was happy. From then on, she always tries to send a picture to the moms of the missionaries that serve in her ward. And what a timely tender mercy it was for this mama. I know he just left and that he is in good hands, but to see his smiling face when I was feeling a little blue was a witness to me that the Lord is watching over us, and that he loves us!

Thank you so very much for being a blessing to me, sweet sister in Tacoma! Your text was truly a tender mercy, and I am thankful!