“And as you wish that men would do to you, do so to them.”
Luke 6:31 (RSV)
The verse above is the golden rule, as recited by Jesus. It is a basic reminder to everyone, of any faith, to show the mercy to others that we would want to receive for ourselves.
Last month, I wrote a meditation titled, “Light of forgiveness and flavor of mercy,”
In it, I wrote about how I accidentally scratched a car parked next to me, while backing out of a church parking space, and how kind the owner was, in refusing my offer to pay for repairs.
In that meditation, I wrote “Some day it will be my turn, to pay it forward and show mercy to someone else who has wronged me, whether it’s something done deliberately or by mistake.”
Well, that day came, this week.
I went to an evening function at my church on Monday, and afterward, while walking back to my car, a lady came up to me to apologize for hitting my rear bumper as she parked behind me. Then she offered me her insurance information.
I immediately recalled that only a month ago, I was in that same position, apologizing to the owner of the car I scratched, who refused my offer of insurance information, saying it was a minor scratch, and nothing to worry about.
Now it was my turn to pay it forward, so I told the lady not to worry, that it was a minor scratch, and I have caused worse scratches on the car. I refused her insurance information, but thanked her for being honest enough to tell me about it.
During my drive home, I said, “Thank you, Lord, for giving me a chance to pay it forward.” The next day she emailed me and offered once more to repair the scratch at her local mechanic. I reassured her that it wasn’t necessary. Then she thanked me, and we both expressed looking forward to seeing each other at the next church meeting.
It seems that this whole event was meant to bring me and this lady together for some reason, which I will probably learn later. God works in amazing ways, and His blessings are usually beyond what we could ever ask or imagine. (Ephesians 3:20)
Good things happen when we pay it forward, showing mercy to others as we remember the mercy shown to us. What if everyone everywhere found the simple joy in doing what Jesus said?
“Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” (Matthew 5:7)
Lord, let others see you in us, as we abide in your golden rule, and remind us to always pay forward the grace and mercy that we have received. Amen
