Lord Have Mercy

I walked to school today in the pouring down rain, the type of deep rain that soaks everything. Beth had the car, so I had to walk. It's not a long walk, but it's surprising how long a 7 minute walk can seem in a bone-drenching rain. By the time I was at the end of the street I had water dripping off my hair and eyebrows. My sweatshirt was soaked through, and I knew that I had a long way to go before I finally got inside. I kept hoping that someone I knew might see me walking to school and stop and pick me up, but it didn't happen, so I walked in the rain. As I walked, I kept singing the words to the Michael W Smith song "Lord Have Mercy." It's a song that we're teaching our Youth Group during Lent, and I find it particularly meaningful. The chorus is simple:

Lord have mercy
Christ have mercy
Lord have mercy on me
Lord have mercy
Christ have Mercy
Lord have mercy on me.

As the water started to run down my face and drip off my nose, I kept singing "Lord have mercy on me." As I sang and contemplated my wetness, I kept coming up with one phrase

"Lord have mercy. Wash me clean. Lord have mercy and wash me clean."

May the Lord have mercy on my selfishness. May the Lord have mercy on my power-hungry attitudes that often seem like I've got it all figured out. May the Lord have mercy on my ignorance of those who are hurting. May the Lord have mercy on my oppression of the poor and hurting. May the Lord have mercy on us all. May the waters of baptism and redemption flow off our heads like raindrops. May we be clean.