My Recent Sin of "Merciful-less-ness"

I blew it the other night.  I sinned very seriously.

Core to my walk with Jesus is the conviction that His statements, "Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy," and His reference to Hosea's, "I desire mercy not sacrifice," mean that a life of mercy is required for anyone who would be His disciple.  It is Jesus 101, intro level righteousness.

And, based on that conviction, I am ashamed of what I did/didn't do the other evening.

I had worked a long, tiring day.  At the end of my shift, my wife picked me up at the store so we could drive and meet friends for dinner.  We chatted longer than I would have liked.

After that, we drove back to the store to pick up the other car and, then, to head home.  I was physically and emotion whipped when I started out on the last leg of the journey to go home.

As I was pulling out of the parking lot, I saw a guy sitting on the curb with his head down hold up a sign that said,

"I am a war veteran.  Would like money for food."

And, I said, to myself, "Yeah right.  I know exactly where that money will go!"

I pulled into traffic and headed home.  And, as I drove, I couldn't find my wife's headlights in my rear view mirror.

You (especially those of you who know her) know what comes next.

I got home.  Took my phone out and saw I had three text from her saying, "I'm getting food for the guy."  "Do you want to come back?" And, "It's okay.  Don't bother."

I have to admit that there are more times than I'd like to admit that I don't walk what I talk.  And, I am ashamed.

I thank God that Jesus also said that we can pray, "Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors."