For the LORD your God is a merciful God. He will not leave you or destroy you or forget the covenant with your fathers that he swore to them. Deuteronomy 4:31 (ESV)

 Do you have your act together? My friend thinks I do, but I know better. If you look like you have things under control, people often assume that you do.

Clothes, hair, and makeup create that first impression. The next step occurs when you invite people over for dinner. You are either chef extraordinaire or you reheat well. Your house is tidy or messy. Your children are well behaved or not.

We may be able to hide or disguise all that’s visible but it’s the personality quirks that get in the way of our “perfection.” Are we bossy, nosey, late, irritable, unfriendly, or gossipy?

I forgot an appointment with my friend (the one who thinks I never mess up.) And, to top it off, this was the third time I had forgotten a date with her. What’s up with that? Nothing irritates me more than irresponsibility and now I have to eat humble pie. With a grateful heart, my dear friend forgave me one more time.

Because I have accepted Christ as my Savior, I am a child of the new covenant and His mercy wipes away my imperfections. He forgives me, picks me up when I fall, and puts me back on the His path. How can we do less with each other?