The Quality Of Mercy

"The quality of mercy is not strained
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven upon the place beneath
It is twice blessed
It blesses him that gives and him that takes"

I suppose, Mrs. Cooper, my high school English teacher, would be proud.  For some reason this popped into my head today.  One of those things we had to memorize years ago that seemed to have found it's way into a deep crevice somewhere in my brain, waiting patiently to rise up when the time was right.

The quality of mercy, one that goes hand in hand with humbleness, compassion, patience, love, forgiveness and a few other attributes that bring out the special beauty of humanity. It's a quality that we expect from our leaders, our preachers, our parents, our loved ones, and that list goes on as well. But in our day and time, Mercy, seems to be a forgotten art, a neglected trait. In a world where the act of giving and taking for oneself seems to be the norm, the quality of mercy has become much more difficult to find.

"The quality of mercy is not strained
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven upon the place beneath"

It's as though mercy has lost it's place in the world, overcome by anger, hatred, bigotry, judgement, greed and power. The Bible speaks of Hope, Faith and Love and the Greatest of these is Love. And out of love comes mercy.

The dictionary describes mercy as compassionate or kindly forbearance shown toward an offender, an enemy, or other person in one's power. The disposition to be compassionate.

Too many times the quality of mercy is not only strained, but it's seems to have been removed from our vocabulary all together.

"It is twice blessed
It blesses him that gives and him that takes"

It seems to have become easier to criticize, than show mercy, there for, no one is blessed.

As we strive to make the world a better place, maybe it's time to replace a lot of our actions and attitudes........with Mercy........
As we become who we wish the world would be.......let Mercy........become as falling, gentle rain........blessing the world around us......


and the Journey Continues.......

When We've Said It All

So what do we write when we've said it all.....or so it seems

We start from scratch and write a new chapter, a new perspective, a new story.......

When we've shared our opinions and desires, our pains and hurts.
When we've looked at the world with the reality of human nature and the simple faith of a child
When we've been torn apart from the inside out and found the need to live and love and hope again.......

When it's all been said....and done....
We must find a way to let go of the pain, the hurting inside
We must learn from our experiences
We must accept the fact that we are human, not perfect
We must endure what life throws our way, and seek out new and wondrous possibilities

When we've said it all, we'll learn, there are more verses to our song
We'll learn to let go of the deepest caverns of our soul and fill them with new light and life
We'll realize that each person is unique in their own way
And with that we'll learn to accept that they have their rights, opinions, beliefs.....
Just as we have ours
We'll realize that they are human as well and can be stubborn, biased and even heartless at times
But they can also bring us love, joy, friendship

When we've said it all......it's time to let go of it
It's time to lift our eyes to the Heavens  and see the Blessings that God has given
When we take our eyes off the turmoil
We can rekindle the things that brought us hope and happiness, fulfillment and peace of mind
When we realize that even though we are one, in a world full of millions
We can still make a difference
We can still give back
We can still be

When we've said it all, we must close the door to the past, and not let it pull us back
But let us take what we've learned and live for today, tomorrow, and the weeks and months ahead

To let go is one of the hardest thing we can do, but unless we do, there is no hope in growth, in change, and our pursuit of happiness

When we've said it all
We can begin a new

We must..........We must..........We must


and the Journey Continues

Sadness......

Sadness.....

The longing that digs deep....
The hurt that never finds relief....
The hopelessness that knows no comfort....
The sweat from a life of burdens.....

The tears that need to be shed
But are empty, a well that's gone dry

The struggle to find.....
To find something that will ease the pain....
That will heal the heart....
That will lighten the load....

The tears that need to be shed
But are empty, a well that's gone dry

Walking the streets of regret.....
Feeling the pain of choices.....
Corrupted by the multitudes around us.....
The loss that fills the depths of the soul....

The tears that need to be shed
But are empty, a well that's gone dry

Sadness.....

The frustration.....
The confusion....
The loneliness.....
The hopelessness.....

The tears that need to be shed
But are empty, a well that's gone dry


When will the tears come...
When will the dam break
When will we find relief...
When will the hurting stop...

When will the hurting stop...........

When will the hurting stop...........

Slow Down Life

I made the comment the other day....Slow Down Life.....this is supposed to be the Scenic Route, not the Express.......

Yep, it was on of those days when my mind and body were racing as fast as they could until they finally gave out. As I thought about that comment, it made me stop and think. Life is not speeding on the express train to no where. I AM.....

We are in control of life, to a certain extent.  We choose how we spend our days and what we do with our time. The time wasted.......that's on us.....not life. We've let our minds run a muck for so long, we've forgotten how to focus. Our minds have been so wired for speed, we've forgotten how to.....JUST STOP......and SAVOR THE MOMENT.


We've put our lives on the express train for so long, we can't seem to find our way back to the Scenic Route.

The first few years I lived in Nashville, I loved playing tourist, whether it was a walk downtown, or sitting by the Parthenon, or enjoying the sound of the waterfalls at Opryland Hotel. Even though I saw the same things over and over, the experiences and the people were always different and unique.

The last few years of dealing with family issues and the wear and tear on my body, seems to have changed my perspective, my attitude toward life, my enjoyment for the simple things. It's as though I need to shake off the layers of dust, just to remember who I am and what simple joy is.

It's my choice to stop the express, take a moment or two, or three, for me. I've got to remember, if I died today, the world would continue turning. The problems of the world that seem to weigh so heavy on my shoulders would be solved with out my need to fix them.  Life would go on.

It's always been easier for me to give advice, then take it, especially my own, as well as the advice of some very wise friends. But today, I need to let that wisdom sink into my heart and my soul, not just my head.

I need to recapture that feeling of being a tourist, not just in Nashville, but a TOURIST OF LIFE. I need to quit blaming....LIFE.... for the speed on this journey. It's time, once again, to pick myself up, dust myself off, and start all over again, in a more simpler and enjoyable way.  Will I succeed, only time will tell, but it's time to live with no regrets, no looking back, no what ifs......and just...... LIVE.............


and the Journey Continues.....

The New Civil War

Two sides opposing each other
Full of conviction, passion, anger, even hatred
Families are split apart and neighbors and coworkers divided
A division that hasn't been this bad since America fought within itself decades ago

The New Civil War

You would think in our day and time, we could try to agree, we could make an effort to get a long
But the division runs too deep
There doesn't seem to be any hope of working things out
Love has become hatred, compliments have become criticism
Hearts and minds have been closed off from any view but their own

And yes, there are causalities
Maybe not in a body count, but in a country dying from the inside out.
The leaders have become granite statues
Solid, unmovable, heartless
No longer possessing the qualities of humanity
And because of their action and sometimes inaction
They've turned a country against itself


They take one or two words of the opposing side
Twist it, discolor it, making it a giant black banner for their cause
They crusade for the welfare of their country
While blaming the others for what is wrong
Building barriers that block any reconciliation

They cry for the needs of the people
But spend millions and millions and millions
To spread the lies, the half truths
Never realizing how they could use those millions to solve the woes of our country
The blame falls on both sides, in every rank
From civilians, to general, to leaders and want to be leaders
From the powerful, the wealthy and the weak

The elected are there to bring a balance
But they continue to tip the scales in their quest for power and greed
They feed hatred into the hearts of their followers
They ignite the fires of discord
All in the name of democracy

They lift their mascots to the sky
Donkeys and Elephants with pride
But so fitting, as the Donkey is Stubborn
And the Elephant's size allows it to barrel through any barriers that stand in the way

Where is the peace
Where is the compromise
Where is the brotherly love
When will we learn that hatred brings division
When will we learn that we are better than this
When will we see that the division makes us weak
When will it no longer be your side, or my side
But our side

Sometimes I feel there is no longer hope for America
Until this Civil War comes to an end
And sadly, the end seems so far away
As long as both sides of our elected leaders and leaders to come
Continue to divide, to spew their lies and half lies
Continue to widen the gap in their quest for power, for greed
Continue to let their arrogance make decisions for what is right for the people

Our New Civil War will continue to destroy our country
Continue......and Continue.......and Continue...............

A Caretaker's Saga

At an early age, one sees the anguish in the world. The pain of loved ones, the uncomfortable circumstances, the codependency and troubles of others. One tries to compensate, sometimes with laughter, other times with silence, trying to make the awkward situation more comfortable, the tension in the room less threatening. 

The emotions are turned off and the Caretaker begins a roll that starts much to early in life with more responsibility then one should have to endure so young.

The pattern begins. Now the life of me and my has been replaced with them and they. The needs of others takes center stage in life. The world revolves around others joy, others happiness, others help and understanding and the individuality of the Caretaker, disappears into the darkness.  Without realizing the pattern has taken shape, it's roots grow deep into the heart, the mind and the soul. 

They began to pick up the pieces of others shattered lives. They carry the weight of the needy on their shoulders. They loose the love, the joy, the peace of mind that they deserve, and long for a purpose in life that has more substance, more meaning, that brings back the me and the my.

The pattern continues with each turn in the road, each acquaintance, each special someone. They unwittingly seem to accept that this is their lot in life, not willingly, but just wanting to keep the peace, calm the anger, not hurt the ones that they seem to love so much. They continue to disappear into the darkness, looking for the light of their own existence, wondering why they've forgotten what joy is, what a smile feels like without worrying about the smile of others.

The Saga will continue on....and on.....and on............and on.....unless, they take a deeper look, they cry out a little louder. 

The longing in their hearts has to rise above the needy, the codependent, the others.

It has to shout....This Is My Life......Not Yours

It has to shout.....This Is The Only Life I Have....My Chance To Live For Me....To Find My Happiness and My Joy......

It has to want a Chance To Live Guilt Free.....Worry Free.....

and let go of the responsibility and burden of those who have taken so much of that life. 

They have to let others live their own life, make their own mistakes, solve their own problems and if need be, drown in their own struggles and sorrows....... 

The Saga of a Caretaker has a high price on life with little reward...... until.....

They Choose.......THEY CHOOSE to start living....start stretching their horizons.

There will always be a need to want to help because the Caretaker has a kind heart, a loving soul....

But.....

To really live life......

They have to take the first step and the next....and the next..... to find that beautiful and fulfilling happiness and joy......and meaning........and Life........ 

and the Journey Continues......

Lord I Give My Heart To You

Lord I give my heart to You,
Lord....will You mend the brokenness inside.
Will You take this heart of mine and fill it with Your love,
And Make it whole again.....

For the pain I feel inside....
Has taken all my life, has taken all my joy,
And only You......can make it right again.

Oh Lord......My Lord to You,
I give You all my hopes, I give You all my dreams,
I give them all....to You.......
Oh Lord......My Lord to You.....
Don't let me take it back......
Like I've done so many times....before.

Lord I give my heart to You,
Lord....so many times a heart that's been untrue.
For this road I've traveled down,
Has taken me so far.....away from you.....
So far away....

Lord I know that You alone....
Can mend my heart and make it Your own....
Only You Lord........Only You....

You alone can heal this broken heart,
You alone can forgive,
You alone can make my life.....
Shine.....for You......

Lord I give my heart to You.....
Lord.....My Lord......to You
I give You all my hopes I give You all my dreams,
I give them all... to You.
Oh Lord.....My Lord to You,
Don't ever give it back....

Lord I give my heart to You....
Lord I give my heart to You....
Lord I give my heart......
To You......


copyright1996 Wynn W.Flaming