The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is your faithfulness. – Lamentations 3:22-23 NASB

Unlike any previous year, 2018 has taught me to receive the new mercies of each day. Days 7 and 29 brought heartbreak and loss as I said goodbye to two loved ones. In the midst of mourning, thank you, Lord, for your new mercies every morning.

Days 41-43 weakened my body and stole my strength as I fought a stomach bug. In the midst of sickness, thank you, Lord, for your new mercies every morning.

And day 57 still carries the questions that I had hoped would be answered by now. In the midst of the unknown, thank you, Lord, for your new mercies every morning.

There are also days earmarked by joy and surprise — mainly days 5, 19, 45 and 24. In the midst of gladness, thank you, Lord, for your new mercies every morning.

While I’m thankful for the daily mercies, I’d, honestly, rather not need them at all. Daily mercies require us to live in a constant state of dependency upon the Lord, forcing us to admit that we cannot make it without his help. We cannot store and stockpile mercies for future days, we must daily open our hands to receive enough for just this day.

I’m learning that I so easily focus on my lack rather than the abundance of what I already have. I want to skip the tension in the middle and jump ahead to the end. I want the relief without the growing pains. The breakthrough without the need to actually break through. The victory without the battle.

Ultimately, I want the miracle without the faith.

But, the day to day moments are where the Lord meets us, strengthens our faith, produces our endurance, develops our character. The hard seasons are where we learn to depend and seek and trust in His goodness, it’s where we learn to be grateful for the blessings and mercies of each day.

Perhaps a happy ending is what we seek and for those of us who have placed our trust in the Lord we know how this ends. In victory and an everlasting abounding joy in perfect communion with our Maker. But, in the meantime we find ourselves in the messy middle.

Somewhere between the promise and the realization.

In the middle we find that it is less about obtaining the promises we desire and more about experiencing the fulness of his love, receiving the blessings of each new day, and being purified by the refining fire of his grace and mercy.

Day by day, mercy by mercy, he is revealing himself and inviting us to experience the depth of his love, might, power and goodness.

Through this process he is teaching us about our true identity as his people.