My word for June 8th is MERCY
Fathers Day is nine days away and many children are racking
their brains to decide what to do for their dad. Others are going to spend the day going back through fond
memories of their fathers. As I
reflect about my dad there are several things I think of such as, bomber pilot
in WWII, witty, and intelligent. One thing that my father blessed me with was the fact
that he was an alcoholic. I know
you are questioning right now in your mind, blessed, ok and how is that? Keep reading and you will figure it
out. From the earliest time I can
remember, Daddy would come home from work, take off his suit, mix a drink, and
sit in his recliner. By the time
the evening was over he was what I called snockered. However, after I had left home to go to college, my dad
decided to quit drinking. I
remember going to visit him in rehab and what a difficult time it was for
him. Even though difficult, my dad
did it, joined AA, and never drank again.
I only had my dad for ten years after that, but it was during those
years that my dad and I grew closer.
When he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and we knew he only had a
few months to live I wrote him a letter.
In my letter there was one thing I wanted my dad to know before
he died. That one thing was that
his alcoholism, even though difficult for a child to live with, gave me a gift. Living in that situation is what gave
me the gift of empathy and also the ability to have mercy for others. Our home
situation defines us, makes us who we are. We have the choice to use these experiences to benefit us or
destroy us. One day while teaching
some of my students were discussing their homes. My students looked at me in a way that said, “What do you
know about living in a dysfunctional home.” When you see me you would never think that I had lived in anything
but the perfect home. I decided
then that I needed to explain to them my childhood. After the conversation, their bottom jaw was on the
floor. I remember one of my guys
saying, “but you don’t look like someone who has been through that.” It was in that moment that my
relationship changed with my students.
I became real to them. They
were filled with compassion and kindness.
My dad’s alcoholism had blessed me.
In the Webster’s dictionary mercy is defined as,
“that benevolence, mildness or tenderness of heart which disposes a person to
overlook injuries, or to treat an offender better than he deserves, the
disposition that tempers justice, and induces an injured person to forgive
trespasses and injuries and to forbear punishment, or inflict less than law or
justice will warrant. The word
mercy is translated thirty-nine times in the bible. In thirty-one of these it is used meaning, the kindness of
man toward man, the remaining eight it is used as the kindness of God towards
man. God is full of mercy. He is moved by compassion. God’s compassion flows to the lowest situation,
your greatest need, your greatest weakness, and your greatest failure. We should all have hearts that are
exploding with kindness and forgiveness, mercy. We have to look at every situation and see what we can learn
from it, not how it can damage us.
God will give you grace and strength. He will help you to be strong and overcome your
weaknesses. He will
enable you to be filled with mercy, for those that you feel you could never
show kindness towards.
There are two scriptures that show reference
to mercy that I am drawn too. One
is Psalms 103:8
~The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in
love. The other is Deuteronomy 4:31 ~ For the LORD your God is a merciful God; he will
not abandon or destroy you. We
shouldn’t abandon people. Be
filled with mercy showing kindness and compassion towards those that have cut
you deeply or as I should say blessed your life through adversity giving you a
lesson in which you can turn into a blessing.
Dear Lord show mercy upon us. We want to be more like you showing
compassion and kindness towards those that have hurt our hearts. Guide us so that are hearts are
softened. We all know that times
in our lives we deserve punishment, but instead you give us mercy. During 2012 help us see that many times
in life the experiences that are difficult teach us the best life lessons.
http://www.whatthebibleteaches.com/wbt_110.htm
What the Bible Teaches, Chapter 110, THE MERCY, OR LOVING KINDNESS, OF GOD
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