Dabs of Mercy

 

I came across this quote the other day that really resonated deep within my spirit. It's from the movie "The Secret Life of Bees."

 

"The world will give you that once in awhile, a brief timeout; the boxing bell rings and you go to your corner, where somebody dabs mercy on your beat-up life.”
― Sue Monk Kidd, The Secret Life of Bees: 

 

Now I've not seen this movie in a very long time and I don't really remember what this quote is related to, but it surely spoke volumes to me just on the surface of it.

 

This is sad to say, but some of the meanest, harshest, most unforgiving, unloving, judgmental people I've ever met were at church! Shocking, I know, but so very true. You may ask me well, where in the world have you been going to church? The answer is I've been going to your average, ordinary Baptist church for at least 39 years now. 

 

And yes, I have also met some of the most beautiful, loving, forgiving, kindest, Godly people in those 39 years as well. The ones that "dab mercy" instead of misery if you will.

 

It's the "dab misery" ones that bother me though.  You know the ones that always seem to take some sick, self righteous pleasure in kicking "the least of these" when they are down.  If you live long enough your going to mess up. Make a very costly mistake. Get a divorce. Compromise your Christian witness. Miss a Wednesday night church service. Miss two Sundays in a row! And heaven help the Christian who against all odds has given in to the evil desire for an all you can eat crab leg buffet at the local casino! When you do mess up,  trust me when I say those that "dab misery" will be there in full force to make sure you feel guilty, insignificant, condemned and less of a Christian than they are.

 

People often come to church seeking a time out. The world has not been good to them. They need a place of refuge. They need nourishment, comfort, support. How disappointing it must be to sometimes be met  with judgment instead of love and kindness. I would remind my judgmental brothers and sisters( dabbers of misery) that where sin abounds grace should so much more abound. 

 

Oh! but those that "dab mercy"! Those blessed ones who dab out mercy as if there were oceans full of it. Those that are like healing streams found by a weary desert wanderer. Those who uplift the misfit and misunderstood. Those who mimic the Father of mercies and God of all comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3).

 

Oh! don't you just want to be a dabber of mercy?

God help me to be a more of a dabber of mercy and less of a dabber of misery! That is my prayer.


2 Corinthians 1 King James Version (KJV)

1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, unto the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints which are in all Achaia:

² Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
³ Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;
⁴ Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.
⁵ For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.

Blessings of peace and all that is good
Debra aka MeMaw