"Mercy"

Well, I can’t really tell you,

Was all he had to say,

I couldn’t understand it,

Why would he act this way.

But there we were, he’s standing here,

His hat held in his hand,

As stone-faced as a sober judge,

And clear this was his stand.

Someone left a gate unlatched,

Some steers made an escape,

We had spent a solid week,

To get things back in shape.

I thought I knew the culprit,

A boy of recent hire,

Someone with a lot to learn,

And we might need to fire.

But no one ever said a word,

They seemed to let it go,

And it took many years to pass,

For me to really know.

Went to visit our old cow boss,

Who was sent home to die,

Knew he didn’t have too long,

I went to say good-bye.

We reminisced about old times,

Of cows and horses past,

Loops we threw and folks we knew,

The years had gone by fast.

And then he volunteered it,

About that unlatched gate,

It really did surprise me some,

‘Cause decades-long the wait.

He said you’re right it was that kid,

Who made that old mistake,

And let those cattle get away,

And all the blame he’d take.

But the boys knew he was honest,

His pa had died that year,

He took the job to help his ma,

We told him not to fear.

That we would get the cattle back,

And wouldn’t say a thing,

That boy went on to make a hand,

And ride the old rough string.

He said I should have told you,

But back in that old time,

If someone left a gate unlatched,

They’d have a hard, steep climb,

For anyone to give them trust,

Or get the chance to show,

That they could learn a lesson,

And a better way to go.

He squeezed my hand we prayed a prayer,

I stood to take my leave,

Said he was glad to have me there,

He was ready, I believe.

And soon enough he breathed his last,

We gathered up, you see,

They asked me if I’d say a word,

About my friend and me.

Of all the things I could have said,

I told about the time,

He gave a young man mercy,

And forgave his crime.

It’s mercy that we’ve all received,

And mercy that we need,

When we have the chance to give,

We should plant that seed.

“Forgive others, and your will be forgiven…” (Luke 6:37, NLT)

We are called to be merciful, just as God has been merciful with us. We do not earn our forgiveness by being good forgivers. We forgive because we’ve been forgiven. The grace of God heals our hurts and empowers us to give as freely as we have received. Still, it is not an easy proposition, especially if we’ve been terribly wounded. But the bottom line is that withholding mercy does not punish the one who has hurt us. We only punish ourselves. The healthiest people in the world are those who have learned to be merciful.

Lord, help us pass along the mercy You have so generously shown to us, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Tim Cox, timcox.com. Use by permission. Thanks, Tim, and God bless you.