Have you ever lost someone? Have you ever felt the weight of grief? I have.

Did you feel God in the midst of the hurt? I did.

He met me with two blessings.

I recently lost my mother and the grief I felt took me by surprise. Momma was just a shell of her former life in the last days and I thought I was prepared, even relieved because I saw the toll the last few years had taken on her.

But I wasn’t prepared for the heaviness that would follow her passing.

God used this grief and a timely Bible reading plan to show me how He had been providing the twin blessings of mercy and grace all along.

Two Blessings

We often talk about mercy and grace as a single concept, and while they do go hand-in-hand, they are two distinct sides of the same coin.

I commented on their difference at her funeral and in my mom’s death, God showed me how He granted me both mercy and grace in her life.

Mercy is when you don’t get what you deserve.

God made a way to spare us from hell, through the hope of Jesus Christ and the redemption of His blood.

We deserve hell, but He spared us.

That’s mercy.

Grace is when you get more than what you deserve.

Grace is that we get to be in heaven. Not only does God spare us the punishment for our sin, but He also grants us eternal life with Him.

That’s certainly more than I deserve.

God offered these blessings to me when He gave me a mom. Everyone has a mom, but not everyone has a mom.

He gave me a believer, a caretaker, a giver, a prayer warrior. A mom who exemplified Christ and showed me daily what it meant to look and act like Him.

Momma’s death may have hurt more than I had anticipated but if it hurts to grieve, that means you were blessed by a merciful and gracious Father.

Momma: The Picture of Mercy and Grace

Momma’s whole life was about showing this same kind of mercy and grace to everyone she met.

We lived in a parsonage when I was younger and people would knock on our door looking for food and money.

Momma never turned anyone away. Even when all we had was a loaf of bread and some peanut butter and jelly, she’d make them two sandwiches and send them away with a prayer.

She would tell me “God will provide.” And He did. And He still is.

Momma showed us God’s mercy and grace by offering prayer and money in our hardest times. Because of her willingness, God changed our family tree.

All those years later, He gave me the opportunity to return the same by taking care of her in her final days.

Are you walking the path of grief? God’s walking beside you showing you these twin blessings.

Grace in grief. Mercy in mourning.

Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16

If you need some hope in your grief or sorrow this week, check out the 7 Days of Hope Challenge.