When I reflect on God’s mercy, I find myself completely overwhelmed by how profoundly He has impacted my life through every single season. It is easy to rush through the busyness of our days without stopping to count the ways He has moved behind the scenes. But when I pause and look back, His fingerprints are everywhere—protecting, guiding, and sustaining me.
First and foremost, there is the incredible, unmerited gift of salvation. I certainly do not deserve it, nor could I ever do enough to earn it; it is simply a reflection of His immense and unconditional love for me. Ephesians 2:8–9 reminds us that it is by grace we have been saved through faith, not of our own doing, but as a gift from God. Knowing that the Creator of the universe loves me simply because He choses to love me changes everything about how I view my worth and my daily walk with Him.
Beyond spiritual salvation, I am constantly struck by the ways God has physically protected and preserved my life. My story started with a fight; when I was born, I was a very sick preemie whom doctors didn’t expect to survive. Yet, by His grace, I beat the odds right from the very beginning. Over the years, His protective hand has covered me through countless other moments—like walking away car accidents, or watching in awe as a tornado lifted into the sky just moments before it would have impacted our house. When you witness things like that, you realize that every extra day we are given is a gift of pure mercy.
God’s strength has also carried me through some of the steepest learning challenges life has thrown my way. Growing up, I faced severe learning disabilities, and the “experts” told my mom that I would likely never learn to read, write, or perhaps even talk. Learning to read in first grade was an absolute battle; I was one of the lowest readers in my entire class, and many nights ended in tears. But thanks to a fiercely dedicated mother and the strength God provided, everything shifted. By the third grade, I had not only caught up, but I was leaping three to four reading levels ahead.
Penmanship remains a frustrating challenge for me to this day, but God balanced that out by blessing me with amazing computer skills instead. And as for talking? Well, I am not entirely sure I have stopped talking since I learned how to speak as a toddler! While I did receive speech services in early elementary school to help with articulation, I haven’t lost my voice since. Looking back at what the specialists predicted versus where God brought me is a daily testament to His faithfulness.
Mercy isn’t just a theological concept—it is the very breath in our lungs, the protection in the storm, and the strength that bridges our deepest weaknesses. As I kick off this Thankful Challenge, my heart is overflowing with gratitude for a God who never gave up on me.
The entire thankfulness list is available here.
