MERCIFUL MOMENTS
By: Jennifer Nystrom
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
Colossians 3:12-13 NIV
One day, when my boys were about 5 and 2 years of age, we had been out running errands for most of the morning, so we stopped at a favorite café for a quick lunch. As we sat down and I was getting the boys settled with their lunch, I reached across the table and knocked my drink over and into the lap of my 5-year old. It all happened so quickly that I didn’t have time to react to prevent it. There sat my sweet 5-year old, soaked to the skin with my soda.
Very sweetly, he looked up at me and said, “It’s okay, Mommy. I know you didn’t mean to do it.”
Oh my. What a merciful reaction. I would hate to think what my reaction would have been had he just dumped his entire drink in my lap. Mercy and forgiveness would not have been the first thought on my mind or words out of my mouth!
All I could do was hug him, clean him up, and thank him for being so kind. He seemed bewildered at my reaction. I am so thankful God had given my little boy a heart of mercy, compassion, and forgiveness. His heart didn’t know how to react any other way. As he grew older, I would often catch myself when I wasn’t feeling exactly merciful, remembering his little face and those words . . . “It’s okay, Mommy. I know you didn’t mean to do it.”
Thankfully, we have a merciful Father in Heaven; it is our duty to clothe ourselves in that same mercy and show compassion and kindness to others.
Plan of action: Once a week, include in your dinner conversation specific times that past week that you were able to practice mercy. Have each person share at least one “Merciful Moment” and how they went about showing mercy.
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
Colossians 3:12-13 NIV
One day, when my boys were about 5 and 2 years of age, we had been out running errands for most of the morning, so we stopped at a favorite café for a quick lunch. As we sat down and I was getting the boys settled with their lunch, I reached across the table and knocked my drink over and into the lap of my 5-year old. It all happened so quickly that I didn’t have time to react to prevent it. There sat my sweet 5-year old, soaked to the skin with my soda.
Very sweetly, he looked up at me and said, “It’s okay, Mommy. I know you didn’t mean to do it.”
Oh my. What a merciful reaction. I would hate to think what my reaction would have been had he just dumped his entire drink in my lap. Mercy and forgiveness would not have been the first thought on my mind or words out of my mouth!
All I could do was hug him, clean him up, and thank him for being so kind. He seemed bewildered at my reaction. I am so thankful God had given my little boy a heart of mercy, compassion, and forgiveness. His heart didn’t know how to react any other way. As he grew older, I would often catch myself when I wasn’t feeling exactly merciful, remembering his little face and those words . . . “It’s okay, Mommy. I know you didn’t mean to do it.”
Thankfully, we have a merciful Father in Heaven; it is our duty to clothe ourselves in that same mercy and show compassion and kindness to others.
Plan of action: Once a week, include in your dinner conversation specific times that past week that you were able to practice mercy. Have each person share at least one “Merciful Moment” and how they went about showing mercy.