My husband has really contributed to the health of cats. One time he had twenty-three cats in his barn.  He fussed about so many cats, but I noticed he kept buying cat food.

            A car hit one mother cat. Emmitt tried desperately to feed her baby kittens with a doll bottle but they were too weak.

            One winter day Emmitt found a small kitten at our doorstep. He picked it up and it died in his hands. He brought it into the house, prayed over it and rubbed it back to life. That cat had the privilege of being a house cat. I smiled when they both catnapped despite his fussing about buying cat food.

            I will never understand my husband’s philosophy of cats, “fuss and feed.” Yet I do understand his mercy. His tender mercy and respect for life touches my heart. Whether it’s cats, dogs, horses or any kind of life he is their friend.

            I can’t help but appreciate all of God’s animals. I am overwhelmed at Adam’s knowledge in the Garden of Eden.  “And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof” (Genesis 2:19 KJV).

            I look back in the Old Testament and read about animals that were sacrificed for people’s sins. However, animal blood could not take sin away. Only the blood of Jesus can cleanse us from sin and he gave his life to save mankind once and for all.

            None of us are perfect but our God has mercy and it’s that mercy and grace that touches my heart. I also am thankful to others who have shown mercy to me. After a misunderstanding our youngest son, a teenager at the time said to me, “Mom there is nothing you can ever say or do that would make me not love you.” His words brought my tears and I learned a lesson in mercy that day. “The LORD is kind and shows mercy. He does not become angry quickly but is full of love” (Psalm 145:8 NCV).

            At one of our family gatherings, I asked this question: “What would you do tomorrow if you knew you could do anything?” Mark, our oldest son, gave this profound answer:

            “I would load us all up in Lane’s van and drive us all right up into heaven.” His love and mercy was projecting into the future where we could all be together forever.

“But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children’s children.” (Psalm 103:17 KJV).            God is always reaching out to us in mercy. He gives us mercy that we don’t even know about or even deserve. I wonder how quickly we forget His mercy. God’s mercy is what forgives us.

 Jonah was thankful when he was forgiven in the great fish but angry when God’s mercy saved Nineveh. Yet God’s mercy extends to all of us who repent and believe. The love of God for you is hard to fathom. It is deeper than the ocean and higher than the galaxies.

            “The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with loving-kindness have I drawn thee” (Jeremiah 31:3 KJV).

            That is mercy. Is there someone who you need to show mercy today?

God’s mercies are everlasting.