Mercy Is Underrated

The thought did cross my mind

A while back my wife and I flew to Europe and as we were taking our seats, we noticed an adorable little girl around the age of four. 

She was being doted on by the stewardess. You know the type, absolutely precious. 

I had recently listened to a medical lecture on child abuse and so I said to my wife, "How could anyone even think of hurting someone like her?"

Well let me tell you, by the end the flight I had my answer. This precious little girl, who sat directly behind us, and despite her mom's feeble attempts to stop her, kicked our chairs for the entire flight! 

And I am not talking about the gentle, "I'm fascinated by this strange thing in front of me" foot tap, I am talking about repeated MMA roundhouse kicks for 11 hours straight!

I tried my best to remain kind as I repeatedly asked the child to cease and desist, but neither the child nor her incompetent mother took any meaningful action to end the assault.  

It was everything in me not to handle the situation myself, as thoughts of delivering a roundhouse kick of my own to the pint sized monster floated through my head.

It's moments like those that remind me of this annoying line Jesus has, where he urges us to, "Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful." No thanks. I'm not interested. I would rather be critical and bitterly frustrated.

But I know that's not the better way. I know that all judgment is really self judgment and the faults I so easily see in others, are those with which I am all too familiar. 

As you start a new week, maybe take time to think on whether or not mercy permeates your life. And if it doesn't, should it?