It’s in the good book
The Unexpected
You know the moment. The one where someone holds the door, not because you’re blocking it but because they feel like doing something good. No spotlight. No fanfare. Small gestures have a way of sidling up next to us when we’re looking at something else. They happen in ignorance instead of knowledge. In tiny looks instead of great big staring eyeballs. Quiet is still real. It shows up in the way a friend lets you ramble without needing a point. In how a neighbor smiles as you pass by for the thousandth time. In how someone forgives you for being an ass—not just once, but every time you’re forget how lousy you feel. These aren’t transactions. They’re glances at who you are. Tucked quietly between one heartbeat and the next. And maybe mercy isn’t something we earn. Maybe it’s something we aspire to. Maybe it’s less about merit and more about being saintlike. So today, let your mercy flow sincerely. Give someone the benefit of the doubt. Respond with warmth where the cold shoulder would fit. Choose gentleness when everything begs you to be sharp. Because mercy doesn’t need a church. It just needs to be in the same spot you are.
Take Five
Each week this year, read through the suggestions and see how they call out to you.
- What felt merciful today?
- Do you give others the benefit of the doubt?
- When do you ramble?
- How can you be gentle with yourself?
- What gift do you want right now?
Come back each day to see if something changes about the effect of an activity. Repeat choices to identify different thoughts. You are not the same person every day. Your life shouldn’t be either.
Live Alive
