On being an Object of Mercy

Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a sinner.

I've prayed that prayer several times throughout the day for the past few weeks, but never as earnestly as today. A cycle of selfishness and indulgence come to an apex between yesterday and today, and it plunged me into shame. So I took a walk down to the river.

As I prayed, my words began to sound differently than what I had thought to say.
'In my moments of loneliness, send me to the lonely.
In my moments of hunger, send me to the hungry.
In my moments of thirst, send me to the thirsty.
In my moments of desperation, send me to the to the desperate'

'Have mercy on me, so that I may have mercy on others, and on myself'

'Allow me to embrace Your image in me and in others, and may I honor it in others and myself.'

By the time I'd gotten to the river, there was no shame. Only mercy.