When Mercy Shows up

Have you ever met Mercy? How does she look like? Just recently I watched Mercy on tv hugging a former drug addict named Fanny, who has been clean for the last six months and asking her, what she wanted. And Fanny replied amidst much sobbing and tears running down her face-"Prayers. I need lots of prayers to keep me off the street and drugs."

Fanny has been sober for the past six months, has a job to be proud of and wants to move out of her place so that she'd be away from her familiar, drug infected surrounding. She has applied to get a small apartment which she's confident that she could pay its rent of $65.00 out of her pay check and with government subsidies. She wants to turn a new leaf in her chapter of life and live with hope as others do. She couldn't have done without God and people like Mercy. That's why she needs prayers from you and me so that more Mercys will show up to help out more Fanny to get off the streets.

Mercy is not the real name of the woman, who looked into the eyes of the former drug addict with love. But mercy was what Fanny,the earlir drug user saw in her. No one else cared to look at Fanny or talk to her when she was loitering on the streets enslaved in drug addiction. All whom she knew or came in contact were men and women like her who smoked and smelled of drugs all day long.

No sane looking person ever walked her street or dared to talk to her or to any of fellow addicts until Mercy showed up.
Mercy knew the stories of many like Fanny who had been helped to go to the rehablitiation center to be cleaned up and how soon they get back to their addiction. Yet, she seemed determined to not to give up on them, but to love enough to feed, care and pray for them. That's Mercy spelled in kingdom love.

Mercy with another face shows up in another part of the country. Blessed with a husband to support her, Mercy opens up their humble home to shelter a woman released from prison. Unknowing where to go and what to do, the ex-convict just released from prison shades her eyes unable to face the glaring sun outside the prison gate. As she steps out crippled with guilt and fear of the unknown,Mercy meets her with open arms and beaming smile. That night,the woman who slept behind bars on a lice infected plank bed for six years slept like a baby under soft and clean blankets after a hot meal. Tears kept trickling down her face as the woman stirred in her sleep unbelieving the kindness she felt under Mercy's roof. breathe fresh air melt down in tears, when welcomed in love by Mercy and made to sleep in comfort with no judgement. at stretsteps into a car that takes her to in fear and guilt to face the world and

Mercy didn't stop with Jane. She went onto bring Mary, Tabitha,Stacey,Rita, Lucie and others into her home,after their release from prison.It didn't matter what crime each one did, Mercy gave the same welcome and comfort to everyone. Soon others joined hands to build a shelter to house these women, whom the world outside weren't prepared to accept, forgive or give a second chance. Because Mercy dwells, walks, talks, embraces and reaches out to those whom the outside world had forgotten, so many lives have been given a chance to hope, dream and build a better world as others do.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy," Jesus said.

"Mercy requires that we:
Keep short account of sin and injustice.
Have eyes to see beyond a circumstance and into the heart.
learn to desire the salve of mercy more than the satisfaction of punishment
Be willing to lay down our quick judgement and work on becoming compassionate."
(the above quote taken from Living life as a beautiful offering by Angela Thomas.)***