Wednesday, October 5, 2011

This One's Personal.....

Last week, I posted a new Sweet Diva music tote (and am not linking to it because that's not really what this post is about) and showed several other embroidery options.  I mentioned that I really liked them all and that it was hard to choose which one I would do first.  While there is some truth to that (I did mull over it for several minutes), it actually wasn't that hard.  The one I chose was this:


Have you ever taken a Spiritual Gifts test?  

"Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; 7 or ministry, let us use it in ourministering; he who teaches, in teaching; 8 he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness."
Romans 12: 6-8

We all have them, and if you don't know what yours is, I highly encourage you to do some exploration and find out!  

Mine is Mercy.  I have often joked that it sometimes feels like a curse {not really....I am thankful for who I am and how I am.....and how He will be faithful to continually shape and mold me when my heart is willing}.

Spiritual Gift of Mercy Defined
The gift of mercy is the capacity to feel and express unusual compassion and sympathy for those in difficult or crisis situations and provide them with the necessary help and support to see them through tough times.

People with the Gift of Mercy

They have the ability to "walk in another's shoes" and to feel the pain and burdens they carry. They desire to make a difference in the lives of hurting people without being judgmental. They may have a difficult time evaluating the intentions of others and at times appear naïve.

Mercy in Scripture

Jesus taught on mercy (Matt. 5:79:1323:23). He is repeatedly described as having compassion (Matt. 9:3615:3223:37Luke 7:13) and was so filled with mercy that He sometimes wept (John 11:35). Jesus' mercy included an attentiveness to and concern for children (Matt. 19:14). Dorcas "was always doing good and helping the poor" (Acts 9:36). Also, the good Samaritan is one of the most classic stories ever told on the subject of mercy (Luke 10:30-37).

Do You Have This Gift?

  • Do you find yourself being drawn to people who are needy, hurting, sick, disabled, or elderly?
  • Do you often think of ways to minister to those who are suffering?
  • Do you sense a great deal of compassion for people having personal and emotional problems?
  • Do you find that when you visit those who are suffering it brings you joy rather than depressing you?
  • Do you find yourself responding to people more out of compassion than judgment?


~borrowed from The Resurgence, because they describe it perfectly!


This gift of Mercy has me in it's grip right now, as I participate in the 40 Days for Life Campaign.  My heart literally aches, my soul hurts......and not just for the smallest lives that are at the mercy of choices made by others, but for the girls, the women, that are making choices that will place a burden on their own souls for the rest of their lives.

I know this is true, and although I know that I would care passionately about this issue anyway, I know that it grips me with a vice-like hold because it's not just an "issue" for me.....it's personal.

Someone that was once close to me made this choice long ago, or perhaps the choice was not really hers.  I was young, and although it's not talked about, I remember.  Because I was young, I think some think I have forgotten.

I have not forgotten, and I have watched from afar as this person that I love dearly has run from God, blamed God, and hurt daily.  Hurt from and for many things I am sure, but I know that this has to be one thing that has never let her go......and I literally ache for her.

As I stood last Friday watching girls walk into a clinic about to make that same choice, I could picture that someone and wanted to stop them, wanted to help them.....wanted to do something.  I wanted to whisk them away to another local clinic, one that could offer the support and help they really need, and find the One that they need the most.

And so I pray.  And I fast.  For 40 Days.  And as my heart aches, it aches for her.  The one that's close to me.  The one I love.  I pray for her, I ache for her.....I cry for her.  I cry and beg the Lord to reach her.......to show her that His Mercy forgives all, that His blood covers all, that His love heals all.

I beg Him to show her that He cares.  And forgives.  And that there's nothing that we can do that is beyond His realm of healing.


 I pray for her to experience this Truth.  This Truth that drowns out all of Satan's lies.  This Truth, this Gift that can reunite her with that precious life one day, if she will only take it.

And if the one I love, I hurt for,  I pray for, and can't stop thinking of  happens to read this...... I want you to know that His Healing is available to you.  I beg you to let go of all that hurts you from the past and take it.

The ensemble I serve in sang this song this past Sunday.  I sang it for you.  There is nothing that can keep you from His love, if you will only receive it and seek His song of Salvation......there is little that would bring me more joy than to see you stand by His Grace.



 "Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
~ Romans 8:37-38





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14 comments:

Anonymous said...

mercy is a good one...
I am definitely more prophetic... I have been this way since before I knew what it meant...
I think the world needs more folk with mercy.
being prophetic sort of rubs people the wrong way, lol.
T

Susan said...

Oh this was just beautiful. I pray mercy is my gift.


I just can't get far from it, ever...

Thanks for sharing and I love that song.

Hope you're having a blessed day♥

Jamie said...

My heart aches for them too, Jill. Beautiful Post!! <3 When I was reading those questions to see if mercy was my gift, I immediately thought of the preborn. <3 I think of them and pray for them all the time!

Please stop by my blog!! I think we could be great friends. :o) I am a new follower of yours from the I <3 Blogging hop.

Jamie
For Love of Cupcakes

Jennifer said...

I'm praying for her too, Jill. Right now. So much hurt and trouble in the world. Sometimes I think it's just too much. If I didn't know how much bigger His love, grace, and mercy are, I wouldn't be able to stand it.

Rebecca said...

Sweet friend....you gift of mercy shines through your words! Thank you for sharing...continue to pray for your loved one...you have watched from a distance...I join you in tha tprayer!

Rebecca

The Wild Optimist said...

What a beautiful post! I'm visiting from the Faith Barista's place. I was enchanted by your post's title and how you wove the themes together- well done! I will certainly be thinking of you, your post and your prayers this month, during Respect Life month.

Thank you for writing!

Blue Cotton Memory said...

I have read Don and Katie Fortune's Spiritual Gifts books (their couples one focuses on how the gifts communicate) - Mercy is Compassion in their book. Supposedly there are more compassion gifts in the world than any other. The weakness, like too many words for the exhorter, for compassion people is often people take advantage of their compassion, so they need a gift of discernment. Sometimes they have to more "feel" something is write than follow the logic of the rightness - so trying to persuade a compassion teen on, say the need to study, is difficult because logic just won't work. My college writing students would do papers over their "gifts" - and the compassion people often talked about how people took advantage of them.

However, like T said - the world so needs mercy folks to respond like you did - and that was with discernment and wisdom! I was so blessed by your mercy post - and seeing this gift work in a healthy way!

Lisa notes... said...

Having the gift of mercy is a two-edged sword, I'm guessing. Because you feel compassion, you also feel pain.

I pray the Lord will keep you open and sensitive though; it is definitely a ministry of blessing to others.

Jill {Sweet Diva} said...

aseedinspired - I think prophecy could rub people the wrong way, depending on the delivery...and also the personality & maturity of the person receiving whatever it is you're prophesying! We need the prophesiers as much as we need the mercy givers! =)

Jill {Sweet Diva} said...

thank you all for the prayers...the more prayers offered up, the weaker the enemy gets. =)

Jill {Sweet Diva} said...

BlueCottonMemory, yes! I think a good dose of discernment is absolutely necessary to avoid not only being taken advantage of, but also to overextending yourself of your own accord!! It's something you learn (and the Lord gives) after a while in order to maintain your sanity! ;) I think it helps, too, when I have my own family to take care of who always come first. If I can't meet their needs, I have to pull the reigns on how much I want to help others! Thank you so much for your thoughtful comments!

Jill {Sweet Diva} said...

Lisa notes, Yes, it can be. I've often thought it would be kind of nice not to care so much....to be able to hear of other's needs without feeling the need to step in & get involved. The discernment of when to offer help & when not to is essential to trying to maintain balance, but even when I don't....I still feel for them, or I feel guilty because I want to help and know I can't for whatever reason!

HisFireFly said...

It is not easy to have a heart that beats in time with His... but He is pleased, well pleased when you allow yourself to be moved to prayer by His heartbeat.

loved this...

Bonnie Gray said...

Jill, I've been looking forward to reading your post since you put it in the jam. Your heart is so soft towards others, I'm sure it is also feeling the pain. Blessings, friend, you're God's beauty.