Devotionals for the Heart: On Mercy

The Mercy Seat
A devotional by Mirachelle Canada

“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” ~Hebrews 4:16 (NIV)

Everyone knows what it means to have a bad day. The kind you wish you could wake up again and start over. I was having a couple of days that seemed to be turning into a bad week.

It started on Sunday with a 24 hour fast accompanied by a cleanse for a colonoscopy on Monday to rule out cancer, then a return to work on Tuesday to find my substitute didn’t follow my lesson plans. Later, my pharmacy was not able to fill my pain prescription because of lack of authorization. On Wednesday, I showed a brief film to inspire students and several feel asleep. Then a student decided to fiddle with, then jam the entrance/exit doors. Shortly after, I discovered that a pouch of important video cards I needed had mysteriously vanished. I’d had enough. I hung my head and cried.

To my relief, my GI doctor offered to give me medicine samples to tide me over. After retrieving said samples, I drove passed the sign for Dunkin Donuts that shined like a beacon. Now, I know what you’re thinking. Why would I torture myself with a fat, glazy, carb-filled donut? Sometimes you just need to throw in the mercy towel and go for it. I dug into my purse, pulled out my wallet, and ordered the best-looking mint brownie donut on the menu. What followed was a glorious taste of satisfaction. If it helps you to judge me less, I did pray over my donut before I ate it.

Moments after my dessert escapade I was sitting at a traffic light imaging what Thursday would conjure. Starting with a viewing of security footage to find the culprit who snatch my valuable video cards, then the write ups of an incident report and a disciplinary referral and having to call home to give a parent bad news. It was a giant snowball of catastrophe that I couldn’t stop from plowing into me.

“This is crazy, Lord,” I said, picturing Jesus in my passenger seat. “I don’t need to put up with this continuous fight anymore. You are above all things, so I yield to you, Lord. I need your help!”

In the next instance, I looked into my pursue nestled in the passenger seat to retrieve some chewing gum to cleanse my donut laden pallet. That’s when I saw it and my mouth dropped open in wonder. There, directly in between some items near the top, and sticking straight up like a flag of surrender, was my video card pouch.

I have not earthly explanation for how it got there, and you’ll remember I had just dug through my purse for my wallet to purchase my donut. Even at work, my pursue is locked away in a cabinet. I believe how the pouch got into my pursue is an act of God’s mercy. My overworked guardian angel was more than happy to place such a token of God’s love and grace for me to find. 

It’s not the first time something like that has happened to me and I am sure it won’t be the last. God is faithful to us, even in the small things, and when we approach Him knowing He can help, we have only to throw up our hands in surrender, ask for His mercy, and wait for His answer. Oh, and in case you’re wondering, my results came back cancer free!

Are you in need of God’s mercy today? You can approach His throne with confidence and ask for it. Then, sit back and watch for His grace-filled answer.

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Author Bio:

Mirachelle Canada is a writer, playwright, screenwriter and theatre director/producer from Northern Virginia. She teaches television production at C.D. Hylton Senior High School. 

She earned her Master of Fine Arts in Script & Screenwriting from Regent University and is a member of Act One: Hollywood Film & Television Writing Program, American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), ACFW Virginia Chapter, The Jerry Jenkins Writers Guild, and Your Novel Blueprint.

Mirachelle is passionate about awakening creativity and the gifts of God in everyone. She is currently working on her first historical fiction novel set during WWII, inspired by her time studying theatre education in London, England.

In her spare time, she also writes and directs Christmas and Easter passion plays at Christ Chapel Assembly of God in Woodbridge, VA.

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Connect with Mirachelle:
Website: www.mirachellecanada.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mirachellecanada/
Instagram: https://instagram.com/mirachelle77/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/miracan