A quote I saw recently brought up an important “action point” for me. It was from James Clear, author of Atomic Habits. If you are not familiar with him, I recommend his weekly “3-2-1 newsletter” to you. It is true as he advertises it – “the most wisdom per word of any newsletter on the web.”
And yes, it is a “quick” read.
So, here is how he “set me up” for a great insightful journey I needed to take. He said “Many of our habits and beliefs are learned from those who raised us. Which family story are you unconsciously repeating and reenacting? How can you rewrite the script to liberate yourself and the next generation?”
Well, you know that punched my buttons making me smile so big! I am a constant advocate for folks to put their life stories in writing and preserve them for the benefit of future generations (and don’t tell me you don’t have anything exciting in your life worth sharing – just ask yourself if you would like to know how your great-grandfather lived his daily life, what got him excited and what words he would pass along to you).
But this also brought up a memory of my grandmother on my dad’s side – she was not a particularly educated woman (though she finished her “schooling” sufficiently to be asked to teach in a one-room schoolhouse). But oh, did she LOVE the Lord, for sure! And we knew she “loved” us as she made you feel like you were the apple of her eye (and there were 3 of us grandkids). She let her emotions be known – and we loved her for it.
What came to mind, though, as I pondered Clear’s quote, was how my grandmother so often breathed out the phrase “Lordamercy”. It would convey to me as a child either something dramatic had happened, good or bad, and it was her “exclamation point” to the event. Later in life, I can see it was probably a call upon the Lord to enter into the situation. And He definitely was the Lord of Mercy in her life.
Intrigued, I went a little deeper into the phrase “Lord have mercy” and I believe that is exactly what she was calling into play. Knowingly or not.
The Greek word for “mercy” is “eleos” and has the same root as the word for olive oil “elaio”. Oil has historically been used as a soothing agent for wounds. The oil was poured onto the wound and massaged in, gently soothing the injured part and making it whole again. This source stated that when we say ‘Lord have Mercy’ we mean to say, Lord, soothe, heal, comfort and make whole the injured part of my soul.
I think my grandmother was asking for healing and comfort for the situation or person on which she was commenting. That would be so fitting with her personality and the loving, dear soul I experienced in her.
It also fits Henry Blackaby’s direction upon us from Matthew 18:33 “Shouldn’t you also have had mercy on your fellow slave as I had mercy on you?”
Blackaby reminds us that “mercy is a gift. It is undeserved. If it were not for God’s mercy, we all would have faced His terrible judgment long ago. If not for his mercy, He would have condemned us after our first offense.”
I knew my grandmother would never have condemned me – for anything! She would show her mercy and care for me, and at times it was certainly undeserved by me. But when I think of the mercy God has shown to me, it is sooo much more undeserved!
I know how quickly I forget the mercy that God has graciously bestowed upon me, only to focus on the injustices I believe I have endured from others. That usually means I need to meditate, as Blackaby has reminded me, upon the mercy of God that prevents me from experiencing God’s justifiable wrath.
So grateful for the verse at Nehemiah 9:17 which says God is “a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in faithful love”. Only when I focus on that dear truth in the scripture am I in the right mindset to be able to show that same mercy to others.
Oh yeah – and there comes James Clear reminding me that I need to examine the habits and beliefs I learned from those who raised me – and how it has impacted me. That is for my benefit as well as writing it down is a benefit for my descendants. I challenge you to think this through – and then write it down for yourself as well. Just know I am right alongside you.
Oh, yes, you MUST put it in your permanent storage place that will keep it safe for generations to come. (And if you don’t know what that is, get in touch with me with a reply- we need to talk)
By the way, an interesting place called “Lordamercy Cove” popped up on my search. It is a steep and ruggedly landscaped valley in Georgia with incredible scenic overlooks. Lordamercy acquired its name back when the mountain folk were at the top of the Gap, they would tie logs to the back of their wagon to help them go slower down the steep road. It was such an ordeal they called it Lordamercy Cove. Would love to have a story from one of those mountain folks!
