We discussed mercy Sunday as we waited at the bottleneck, the hallway leading out of the sanctuary where a couple of chatty people can delay lunch for the entire congregation.
The pastor admitted, according to one spiritual gift inventory, he has zero compassion. Of the six Byler children, according to another spiritual gift inventory, three have the gift of mercy.
One of my siblings proposed the theory that teachers fail to have mercy, or possibly that merciless people become teachers.
Sunday afternoon I searched for free online spiritual gift inventories. Then, since I've passed ten credits of psychology, I took not one but three such tests. Most of the scores were consistent across the tests, but not for the gift of mercy.
On the first test, mercy was in the middle of my score. On the second test, mercy ranked at the bottom of nearly thirty possible gifts. Mercy shower appeared the strongest gift on the last test I took.
The results for mercy were inconclusive. But my siblings declared that I should have scored high in the category of (over)analyzing your spiritual gift.
First test, second test, third test.
First test, second test, third test.
How about asking your siblings for their personal best example of seeing mercy in action....I would love to read their stories in your blog.
ReplyDeleteService, giving, mercy, discerning of Spirit, leadership and hospitality are mine.
ReplyDeleteAmy stayed with me in a hospital room for 30 some hours straight! She held my hand, prayed for me, and didn't leave me alone...even when the grumpy nurse made comments like "visiting hours end at eight."
ReplyDeleteAmy has always shown mercy to her siblings when we're sick with the stomach flu. One time, years ago, I remember her washing the sheets on my bed and remaking it for me when I was miserably sick.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was in the hospital, Amy spent almost every-other day and night with me for nearly 6 weeks. She showed her mercy and compassion by braiding my hair, or bringing me cranberry juice, or sitting on my bed to help relieve the pressure of lying in the same place, or playing Wii with me, or adjusting my socks, or praying with me when I was in pain, or calling me when she wasn't there with me, or arranging my cards on the wall, or...
But then there was the time I had hives (a long time ago) and she had NO compassion at all... She does have a mercy streak in her, though!
Thanks Betsy and 989Cookie for sharing those stories...you have a treasure in that sister of yourn.
ReplyDelete