Finding Mercy in Chaos

Yesterday was a good day at work. I’m sure the analogy that a bad day fishing is still better than a good day at work holds some truth. But today? Not so much. It started with my commute. The first part of the drive was fine, but as I got closer to some well-known areas of congestion, people started acting crazy. Like microbursts of insanity. In a two-mile stretch, there were three separate accidents. Had I been 10 to 15 seconds earlier, I could have been involved in one of them.

This madness continued at work. For the most part, it was a typical day, but like the earlier microbursts, it happened at work too. People were short-tempered and on edge. At each point, both while driving and at work, I mentally took a step back and refocused to deal with the insanity around me.

After the last incident of the day, I had a realization: I was participating in the chaos and had the opportunity to provide mercy—the same mercy we expect from each other and, more importantly, from God.

So, in your next heated moment, step back mentally and ask yourself, "Is it worth it? Can I instead provide mercy?" Fully realize that there is no merit badge, no gold star, no high five for this. In fact, God will most likely not recognize it either. Why? Because we should be doing this already.

You still get something out of it—a sense of peace, and no knots in your stomach.

Peace to you.