Mercy

Mercy. How do you define that word. There are quite a few meanings of the word in the dictionary. Most of them have to do with compassion, pity, and pardon. We say "Lord have mercy on me." but we are asking for reprieve or relief from something. I have always thought that the true meaning of mercy was something else, something more.

After Janet called me Friday with the incredibly good news about my tumor marker, there were so many emotions I dealt with while trying to digest my good fortune. She had been so excited for me...we had just about been yelling at each other through the phone....I felt such gratitude and love for her. It was an another amazing phone call she made to me. Then to tell my husband and call everyone else who waits with me anxiously every 30 days for the number, well, let's just say it was a great mix of joy, relief, praise, tears, and happiness. As I lay in bed that night, turning the marker number over and over in my head, there was also that underlying feeling of "how did this happen to me." How can I be so fortunate, so blessed to have such a turn-around in the past 3 months?? The constant little feeling that has been this question has stayed with me until this morning.

This morning, I looked up the word mercy on Dictionary.com For some reason, I knew this was the one word that could sum up what I was feeling. Mercy was the word I could use to let all of you know what I felt when I got that phone call. I found the definition for mercy that confirmed what I felt, what I knew to be true. It was the fifth definition down:
"something that gives evidence of divine favor." Bingo. I was seeing evidence. It is so humbling. I have been covered with mercy.

My beloved, what we have here is mercy. I don't know why I am so blessed, but I am. The Lord has shown mercy to us all.

"In His great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope....." 1 Peter 1:3