“Meek” was not in her element living in a place she had never been before. She was a star in the town of “Too Nice” where no one confronted anyone about anything and everyone lived by the rule of “Stuff It” when something unpleasant happened. All the people were sick either physically or emotionally including “Meek,” but they were, without exception, sweet and kind in their actions toward each other, and “Meek” especially was renowned for kindness. She genuinely loved people and always looked for the best in them, but she did carry resentments concerning some of the deep offenses in her life. However, because she prayed continually to the Lord, His grace made it so that the offenses were locked in a container within that would be opened in the time “Meek” would be ready to be delivered.

That time was almost near because “Too Nice” was no more since the hurricane “Destiny Changer” came. Most of the people were homeless with little or nothing left, and “Meek” was one of those. The neighboring city of “Hard Knocks” had rough people living in it, even many hard hearted, wicked ones and “Meek” had no choice but to live there.

“Oh my Father, lead me not into temptation, but deliver me from evil,” she cried from the depth of her soul as she entered the city realizing there was danger lurking everywhere. The angel called “Protector of the Weak” was with her, although she knew it not. He would elbow her when she was about to make a wrong turn, and she would feel it on her side thinking it was a spasm in her body, but inevitably its power caused her to go in the right direction. “Meek” had only a little money that had been hidden inside her home which she grabbed before the hurricane destroyed everything. Now she needed a place to stay and it was through the angel that she was led to what looked like a rundown shack, but the insides had been renovated and would provide living quarters that were more than adequate. The owner whose name was “Mercy” lived next door and had been waiting on the Lord to bring the right person to live in that home which silently voiced: “Look not at outer appearances, but look at the heart.” It was the “Lord’s house” and “Mercy” knew better than to publicly advertise it as He had instructed her that He would bring the perfect one that was meant to live there to her, and so He did.

The angel pushed “Meek” to the ground right in the front of the house just at the time “Mercy” was going out. “Meek” was sobbing profusely when “Mercy” got to her. “Are you alright, my dear?” she asked, grabbing her by the arm pulling her up, very concerned that the little one could be badly hurt.

“I,… I don’t know!” “Meek” bawled, not able to stop crying. She had been filled with so much fear and foreboding, the fall triggered an avalanche of tears. 

“There, there, little one. It’s going to be alright. The Lord is with you.”

“Mercy” mentioning the Lord shocked “Meek,” as she wasn’t expecting anyone in “Hard Knocks” to speak of Him so forthrightly. Just her mentioning the Lord immediately dried up her tears. “You… you know Him?” she quizzed, hardly able to believe it was true. Her heavy breathing stopped and as she looked into “Mercy”’s eyes, a calmness enveloped her, and she knew it was true. 

“Come inside my dear, and have a cup of tea with me. You look like you need some warmth and I can do what I need to do tomorrow.” “Meek”’s heart felt so light as she instinctively knew she could trust “Mercy.” It was the beginning of a friendship ordained by the Lord and of her training of how to deal with hard knocks and difficult people. “I have been waiting for you as I had a dream last night that a hurting one would be brought to me that I would help…. I, Mercy,” have been called by the Lord to teach people my secrets when they are ready to be taught. It is only in the city of “Hard knocks” that they can learn my ways, so know that you had to leave the town of “Too Nice” before you could come to know me and your destiny. No one can fulfill the destiny of the “High Calling” without knowing my secrets.”

“Meek” was wide-eyed with wonder as her grandmother “Prophecy” had told her long ago, that the prize of the “High Calling in Christ Jesus” could only be given to those who could extend mercy to others, but neither her grandmother nor anyone else she knew could tell her the secrets of mercy. The sound of clapping hands could be heard all throughout the house… They were the hands of just men made perfect who lived in the spirit realm, and how excited they were knowing that the promise they had long awaited was nigh. They knew that “Meek” and “Mercy” together, were the ones to bring it about along with one more to come called “Enduring Strength.” He was ordained to marry “Meek” after she learned “Mercy”’s secrets. The sound of rejoicing could be heard throughout the heavens in the realization that “The Expectation” would be fulfilled. 

After “Mercy” and “Meek” sat a while sipping their tea getting to know each other, a banging on “Mercy”’s door came so loud that their ears hurt. When “Mercy” opened the door, there stood a little child screaming: “Come, come quickly. Only you can help!”

“Mercy” recognized her as the grandchild of “Dark Foreboding” who had been such a dislikable person that even “Mercy” had a hard time being with her. The child called “Infirmed One” had lost her parents after they had been killed in an automobile accident, and it was when she came under the care of “Dark Foreboding” that she no longer carried her name “Cheer.”

“What is wrong, dear little one? Are you okay?” “Mercy” asked, troubled in her spirit. 

“It’s my grandmother… She, she… I don’t know what happened to her. I can’t get her up,” she wailed and started to cry profusely.

“We’re coming! This is “Meek” and she’ll help, too,” she told the distraught child patting her softly on the head. So off they went, not knowing what to expect, except that on their way “Mercy” knew by the Spirit that “Infirmed One”’s grandmother was no longer alive. It was a somber moment when they went into the house with the smell of death permeating it. “Mercy” instructed the child and “Meek” not to go into the grandmother’s room saying: “‘The Most High God’ has everything in His hands. On the way here, the Spirit let me know that your grandmother is now with your mommy and daddy in Heaven. Her body is in that room, but she’s no longer with us, little one. I know you know the Lord and even though you have lived with “Dark Foreboding” these past three years, you have known that one day, things were going to change, because He told you it would be. This is that day, and God has sent “Meek” as the one who will watch over you now.” “Meek” was startled, but she knew the words were true, because the Holy Spirit bore witness to them.

Some of you who are reading this story, know that this is YOUR story, too. Once you lived in a state of being “Too Nice,” but then hard knocks came. Not all of you were meek, but dark foreboding, infirmity of one sort or another, offenses, meekness and mercy would find a way into your being as well. Oh the child in you is going to come out after meekness, mercy and her secrets raise you up, and later, after you come into union with enduring strength, the box inside you containing all the resentments and offenses you stuffed into it will be gone.

Oh yes, the little child in you shall come out in sonshine happiness, and you shall not only be known as “Cheer,” you shall be “Love,” “Honor,” “Joy,” “Righteousness,” and “Everlasting Peace,” all rolled into one. And THEN you shall say: “It is the Lord’s doing!”

Isn’t God good?!