I expected backlash. I had messed up big time, but instead of receiving wrath, I was given mercy!

Sometimes You Mess Up (Even When You're Trying to Help).

Christmas Eve brought an early present this year. The snow covered ground was beautiful and made the holidays feel more like the holidays, but snow is not a welcomed treat on a farm.

The day before my wife, 5 kiddos, and I traveled north to visit my wife's mother. The night was tough (with 1 sick kid and everyone sleeping in a new place), but I was determined to get up and help my step father-in-law (my wife's mother's current husband).

Mr C. headed out to feed the cows, and within a few minutes I had bundled and chased him down. "I want to help, but I don't want to get in the way," I said.

"Put these buckets on the trailer," Mr C. said. The air was cold, and the wind was blistering. But I had offered to help, and I was determined to help.

After all of the buckets were loaded, Mr C. told me to hope on the 4-wheeler. I was surprised. That was a sign of trust, and I appreciated it. After dumping the buckets of grain into the feeding, I headed to the back gate to as Mr C. dropped off 6 round bales of hay.

Hoping to get out of the way, I took the 4-wheeler back to the front of the barn, grabbed the keys, then walked to the back of the barn to close the gate as the tractor pulled through for the last time.

And In A Moment's Notice, All My Effort Seemed To Vanish.

People from the city grab keys. For some reason, people in the country are more trusting. I am a creature of habit, and my habit ended up being the cause of my problems.

Mr C. was sitting on the 4-wheeler as I stepped around the corner. I had reached into my pocket to grab the key on the way back to the front of the barn. The key was in my hand, but something did not feel write. My mind had seen the problem, but my eyes had not.

All that was in my hand was a black ring that held the key. The key was gone. My mind was racing.

• What had happened?
• How was Mr C. going to respond?
• How could I make up for my mistake?

I Was The Recipient Of Mercy.

Mr C. can get angry fast. I was bracing for his reaction. I felt horrible. I felt STUPID! How in the world could I mess up like this? All I wanted to do was to serve, and I ended up hurting more than I helped.

"I am really sorry! I will do everything I can do to find the key," I said.

The problem?

• I dropped the key in at least 2-3 inches of snow.
• I did not know exactly where I dropped it. There was at least 4000 square feet of area that needed to be covered.
• The tractor, 4-wheeler, Mr. C and I had trampled on a lot of snow.

We spent hours outside looking for the key, and unfortunately never found it. "$H!T happens! We all make mistakes,"Mr. C said.

He showed mercy!

Mercy: compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one's power to punish or harm.

My mistake was forgiven. No payment was required.

And in the end, I hope that this unforgettable Christmas "needle in a haystack" will bring Mr. C and I closer together.

Your Turn

Let's continue the conversation in the comments. Feel free to answer any or all of the following.

1. Have you ever shown mercy to someone who accidentally made a mistake?
2. Have you ever shown mercy to someone who intentionally harmed you?
3. Have you ever received grace from someone even though you deserved to be punished or should have made some type of payment?
4. How can being merciful improve our Steemit community?

Thanks for stopping by!

@sumatranate

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Image Source): https://pixabay.com/en/needle-in-a-haystack-needle-haystack-1752846/