Every day for the last year and a half, my granddaughter and her Boppa have made coffee. It has become the morning ritual and no morning can begin until this has been done. This is not because my husband can’t begin the day without coffee but because Boo can’t begin her morning without helping Boppa. If he starts grinding the coffee without her and she hears him, she will succumb to tears or yell rather loudly “Wait, Boppa!!!” as she runs into the kitchen. He will apologize all over himself for such a mistake.
The ritual was repeated this morning. And, as has happened for the last year and a half, Boo jumps up and down like crazy when Boppa pours his coffee from two feet above his coffee cup. She always requests a ‘tall’ one, unlike a short one that is poured right over and into the cup. This intensifies the jumping up and down. Then she has to have a peek at the freshly made cup of coffee and of course, following that she is handed two jelly beans from Boppa. He now has his cup of coffee, she has her jelly beans and all is well.
Lamentations 3:21-23 says, “This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness.”
I asked my husband what he thought it was that caused Boo to jump up and down each morning like that. He said maybe it’s like God’s mercies being new every morning. For Boo, it’s making the cup of coffee that is ‘new’ every morning. I think she just likes making coffee with her Boppa.
However, it made me wonder what it would be like to live those verses found in Lamentation 3. To recall to my mind the promises of God – that His mercies are new each and every morning. His mercies for today are not leftovers from yesterday or the rations of tomorrow stolen for today. His mercies are the right amount that we will need to get through the day and the struggles that vie to consume us. Why? Because His compassions fail not. If He had no compassion, He’d have no concern over those things that try to bring us down. He’d have no mercy toward us because He just wouldn’t care. However, He has a brand new bunch of mercies ready and waiting for us each and every morning. His compassion never runs out, it is always in abundance and overflowing, and readily available.
I have a friend who is going through a major struggle in her life regarding her youngest son. He was diagnosed with major food allergies when he was about 3. He was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes this past year and now he’s at the age of seven and the family is awaiting the results of whether he has Celiac disease. As they wait, she is sitting at the throne of God begging the results are in her son’s favor.
How much more can a mother endure when it comes to her child(ren)? How much more can she bear? Great is His faithfulness. It is only because of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed and drowning in a sea of sorrow and pain. He is our lifeguard. He doesn’t just throw out the lifesaving ring – He comes after us with a fervency to pull us out and get us back on our feet. Why? His compassion never fails. Ever.
Here’s a perfect example… the friend I told you about? They got the results this afternoon. The diagnosis? Negative. No disease. He knows what we are able to bear. He knows my friend is having a hard time with all that’s on her plate right now. It is when we recall to mind the promise of God that saves us from not being consumed by the pain of this world. His mercies come to us new every morning and sustain us throughout each day. His compassions will never fail and in these promises we find our hope. And it is in our hope that we can say, Great is Your faithfulness Lord, unto me.
