Keys to the Kingdom
by Carolyn Tucker
Highway Turtle Mercy
I’ll just preface this story by stating that when driving I always try to avoid running over any kind of animal. If I can safely swerve (usually I can) to miss a squirrel, opossum, skunk, armadillo, turtle, dog, cat, etc., I will. I once witnessed an extreme example of animal mercy. I watched an oncoming car make a U-turn on a busy highway then pull over and stop on the shoulder. While trying to figure out what the driver was doing, I spotted a turtle crossing the highway. After I dodged it, I immediately looked in my rearview mirror and saw the woman driver running onto the highway to retrieve the turtle. I don’t know, maybe she was obsessed with collecting runaway turtles.
Mercy is described as compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one’s power to punish. American pastor, author, and spiritual mentor A.W. Tozer said, “Mercy is an attribute of God, an infinite and inexhaustible energy within the Divine nature which disposes God to be actively compassionate.”
God is the epitome of love. “Anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them” (1 John 4:8,16 NLT). Believers surely understand that God is love, but do we think enough about His mercy? Without God’s mercy, we’d just be a squashed turtle on the highway of life!
To say that I’m thankful for mercy is a huge understatement. It’s cringing to think about living without God’s daily blessing of compassion and forgiveness toward me. I don’t deserve His mercy — but it’s who God is. And believers are to follow His example.
“The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy” (Psalm 103:8 NKJV). “It is because of the Lord’s mercy and loving-kindness that we are not consumed, because His tender compassions fail not” (Lamentations 3:22-23 AMP).
I need God’s mercy every day and I should put myself in the other person’s shoes in order to have compassion for them. “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy” (Matthew 5:7 NASB). Elvis recorded an excellent Sunday-morning-message song entitled “Walk a Mile in My Shoes.” Written by Joe South, some of the lyrics are: “If I could be you, if you could be me for just one hour; If we could find a way to get inside each other’s mind. If you could see you through my eyes instead of your ego; I believe you’d be surprised to see that you’ve been blind. Walk a mile in my shoes, walk a mile in my shoes; Before you abuse, criticize and accuse, walk a mile in my shoes.” “There will be no mercy for those who have not shown mercy to others. But if you have been merciful, God will be merciful when He judges you” (James 2:13 NLT).
Are believers abounding in mercy toward others? That’s a rhetorical question that only you can answer about yourself. Here’s another verse to the song: “Now if we spend the day throwing stones at one another ‘cause I don’t think or wear my hair same way you do. Well I may be common people but I’m your brother; And when you strike out to try and hurt me it’s a hurtin’ you.”
The Key: What shall we do with God’s mercy? Pay it forward.