Mercy

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"Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.

They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.

I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him.” (Lamentations 3:22-24 NIV)

“How are you?”

When somebody asks you this on any given day, what’s your first response? I think for most of us it is often the same, standard answer such as, “Fine”, “Good”, “Ok”. It’s not the norm to get an enthusiastic response. Most of us are so busy, just working our way through the daily grind. We get into this habitual rhythm of life, and it can become a rut if we are not careful. Before we know it, we are calloused, fatigued and comfortable in a less than flourishing mode.

Last night my son Bailey and I had a talk, he shared about how he is struggling with how to respond to the question, when someone asks, “How are you?” I think it’s easy for many to assume as they hear what he is up to with his music and theater commitments, that he is doing so fantastic! That’s not reality. I listened to him share his struggle with worry, with worrying about worrying, self-doubt, self-guilt, the whole self-confidence thing that the moment you don’t know how you are feeling-you wonder, “What’s wrong with me?” and, what if all I know to say is, “I don’t know”? As our conversation continued, we reminded each other about the lessons learned from Pastor Chris’s message this past Sunday about worry, and we both agreed we need to work on releasing it and just trusting God with everything that is a burden. These are conversations I cherish with my children, and it causes me to pause and remember late night conversations at bedtime with my Mom about similar struggles at this age. I love seeing the example my Mom set for me, just being available, is something I am now doing with my own children. It helps me feel somehow like I am getting this parenting thing down, you know? These were conversations in which I was immediately put at ease to know I am not abnormal, that this struggle is real and I am not alone in this, and that there is a way to work through it all somehow. The promises of God, the realization of how blessed we are, and the certainty that we are loved no matter what. These moments with my son are opportunities to help him find his center once again, not in his own strength and ability, but in the strength and power of our God.

I was reminded through a familiar song today of the beautiful mercy our Father God has for us-and how much He delights in showing us His mercy! He is a good Father, He is righteous, and just, and He is abundantly merciful too!

I encourage you today, whatever you are experiencing in this moment:

Clear your mind…

Take a breath in….

Speak the name of Jesus as you exhale….

Think of 3 things you are thankful for in your life and write them down…..

Thank Him, Praise Him, Sing to Him, Express your abundant gratitude to Him for simply giving you life for one more day!

He delights in you, and you are not alone in your struggle today! Release your burden and trust the One who created you!

“I will wake and spend my days
Loving the One who has raised me up
From death to life, from wrong to right
You're making all things beautiful

You delight in showing mercy
Mercy triumphs over judgement” (Mercy, Bethel Music)

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