So I’m out here in Los Angeles, following in the footsteps of Alejandro and Amanda from my Plain Fame series which is being re-launched on September 29th by Waterfall Press (an imprint of Brilliance Audio). It’s an awful lot of fun to visit the places that I described in the books…and to find new places to add to future books!

But something happened while I was out here.

Someone I care about asked me to do something that I don’t care about.

Have you ever been in one of those situations?

Over the past year, I have followed God’s word about forgiving. I have apologized for wrongs I did not do (and the wrongs I did do), forgiven when wrongs were repeatedly done to me, and done my best to forget and move on. I have extended olive branch after olive branch to no avail. And, when I finally get permission to move on and live, while in the midst of fun vacation, I was reminded…once again…and asked to once again pull open my shirt so that my heart is exposed to the daggers of Roman soldiers?

It’s a little much to bear.

In Matthew 6:7, Jesus says “Blessed are the merciful for they shall receive mercy.”

Mercy is another word for compassion, grace, forgiveness, and kindness. We can be kind and we can show grace, but Jesus does not say that our act of extending mercy means that other people will respond likewise.

In situations where we show grace, kindness, forgiveness, or mercy, it can be misread by those who wear blinders and see only what they want to see.

But that’s OK. You see, Jesus does not say that the mercy received by merciful is from this earth. The compassion shown to us is undoubtedly from God, not mankind.

So, now that I have been asked to show compassion, I know that God will extend mercy to me. Sometimes we have to compromise our own principles to achieve the greatness that God wants from us.

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