Kelsey sat alone at lunch and watched her friends eat and talk and laugh together. Mckenzie was getting her vengeance. Mckenzie and Kelsey had been best friends, but after one fight in particular, Kelsey was done with the fruitless friendship and walked away. Now she watched as her friends sat and ate with her former friend, not moving seats or even making contact with her while Mckenzie was around.
She felt as if someone was piercing her heart with a sharp knife, cutting through her skin and completely tearing her apart. That used to be mine, she thought. Loneliness began to settle in and she felt a twinge of jealousy. She shook it away, telling herself that wasn't something she wanted, but as she stared at the table, her jealousy grew.
Why doesn't Jessica, or someone move over here to be with me? Why don't they show Mckenzie they're my friends too? She thought back to the text Jessica and Zoey had sent her one night. They both promised to be there for her when she needed them, but as it would seem, those were nothing more than hollow words. I need them now and they aren't here. A bitter sadness and jealousy built up inside Kelsey. Did I do something wrong God? Is that why this is happening? She sighed. Her answer came in a whisper that she heard deep within her soul. No.
Her eyes lit up. No? Then why is this happening? She prayed silently. The answer came in one word: Mercy. Kelsey's jaw gaped open. Mercy, she thought. When someone doesn't get what they deserve, it's called mercy. That's what Christians live by, isn't it? Mercy.
She looked at her old table again. Her friends still continued to talk with her enemy and act as if they were the happiest people in the world. Kelsey smiled. I understand now, they aren't getting what they deserve and neither am I. I'm taking the place that they should have as Jesus took the place that should've been mine. How can I be upset when knowing I'm trading my happiness for someone else's? That is what mercy is. She smiled bright, all jealousy leaving her. She wanted to show Mckenzie mercy, even if it meant taking the "punishment" she deserved.
Moral: Have you ever though about what mercy means exactly? A quick search for the definition and you'll find "compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one's power to punish or harm." Basically, mercy is when someone does not get what they deserve. In our Christian walk we have been shown a great deal of mercy, but have you ever thought about what mercy could mean if you're not getting what you deserve when it's a good thing? The way I see it, God keeps us from some things we see as good because it is less than His best and with that thinking you can see how that could be mercy. In the short above, not only is Kelsey showing mercy by not doing anything crazy (like demanding her friends sit by her, or even throwing some food at Mckenzie(it could happen!)), but Kelsey is being shown mercy. She's alone, yes, but God is giving her His best by having her sit alone. She doesn't get what she deserves, but it's because God has something better in store and she is being super selfless by doing it! It's a huge way to imitate Christ!
Hey there! This literally just came from God. It kind of blew my mind when He revealed it to me. I was thinking about a similar situation I was in and God just kind of showed me what mercy really is. It's incredible to me and I hope God speaks to you through this in some way. God bless! Maranatha!
