Mercy Unexpected

“O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants who delight to fear your name, and give success to your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.”

—Nehemiah 1:11

Marlaina’s boss, Mrs. Henshaw, was unrelenting. Her expectations were unrealistically high and offered little room for mistakes. Even though she made mistakes herself, she seldom acknowledged them, much less accepted responsibility for them. It made the workplace stressful for everyone and employee turnover was high in her department as a result.

Marlaina loved her job and the opportunities it provided her to be involved in the community, so she stayed … and prayed. She specifically asked God to give her favor with her boss.

One afternoon Mrs. Henshaw rushed into Marlaina’s office in a panic, her arms overflowing with client files. “I’ve made a terrible mistake and I’m so, so sorry,” she exclaimed, somewhat out of breath. “It’s going to take a lot of work to turn this around – if that’s even possible.”

Marlaina knew the look of shock on her face in the middle of Mrs. Henshaw’s admission gave her away. Usually such an occurrence began with excuses and ended in blame on another employee. Frustrated, Mrs. Henshaw exclaimed, “Well, go ahead; get it over with; I deserve whatever it is you have to say.”

A big smile formed on Marlaina’s lips. “We all need mercy,” she replied. “I’m happy to extend some to you today, because I’m going to need it somewhere down the line from you.”

Tears formed in Mrs. Henshaw’s eyes. “I know I don’t deserve it from anyone here, but … thank you.”

Your Heavenly Father extended mercy to you long before you ever knew you needed it. How can you show thankfulness to God for the mercy He has shown you? 

Today’s One Thing

Who in your life needs mercy from you today and how can you demonstrate God’s mercy to them?

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