Is It a Coincidence?

I have witnessed a few tender mercies in the last couple of weeks, and I just want to write them down so they are not forgotten.

Last Friday our whole family went to Sofie Vasquez' funeral. It was a happy celebration of a beautiful girl's life. Yes! Sofie will be extremely missed. There were many heavy hearts in attendance, but Jacey and her friends stood unified side by side with their arms around each other as they said good-bye to their close friend.

Jacey was a little nervous to go to church on Sunday because this was the first Sunday most of the ward members that knew of Jacey's loss would have the chance to comfort her. She held up pretty well until Bro. Barker got emotional when he asked how she was doing. Apparently, he lost a good friend when he was 12, and still misses him.  The tears kept flowing from there. She was also sustained and set apart as the new Laurel president of our ward. I watched my beautiful daughter crying for her friend as she was set apart to serve others. It was something Sofie would approve of. Then I had the distinct impression that Sofie was close. Which led to me making the connection that Sofie was the Laurel president in her ward when she passed away. I wrote Jacey a note that said, "Sofie is close...she was Laurel president." She nodded and bent her head and wept some more.

The second experience occurred last night, but it was really a continuation from the Saturday right after Sofie died.  Jacey was signed up to take the ACT again. Jacey and I had a set score in our mind of what she needed to get and she wasn't quite there yet. Every time Jacey has taken the ACT she has not been 100%. Something has happened before each test that could distract her a little. This time it was Sofie. She told me she is definitely not taking the test again. She didn't want another bad thing to happen. I sent her off to take the test praying that she would have divine help with the test because her heart was surely broken. I even asked Sofie to help her.

When Jacey got to Davis High School that day, she sat right next to her friend Ally. Whom she hadn't seen since Sofie died. I felt then that it didn't matter what she got on the test. That maybe the real reason she had to take the test that day was to comfort Ally, and to be comforted by Ally. She had absolutely no idea how she did on the test. Her heart wasn't in it.

Last night she found out her score on her test, , , Jacey got three points higher on the test than the last time she took it. Coincidence?  I don't really think so. I absolutely believe that Sofie helped Jacey. Was it coincidence that she got the exact score Sofie got? Alright, maybe this one wasn't.

I love you Sofie. Thank you for the tender mercies that remind us that we are never alone.