Grace and Mercy

My sister, who has been struggling with health issues for longer than I care to count, was recently admitted to the hospital.  Sigh.  She was not behaving as she should have and as God would have it, circumstances evolved into us calling an ambulance, which rushed her to the hospital. 


While we were waiting for some answers to come from the doctors, I felt at peace.  They were tossing out possible reasons for her symptoms and none of them were good.  Minutes and seconds passed and she was rushed to ICU.  This was more serious than we imagined it to be.  Still there was a peace among our group.


In ICU that day, her nurse was ever so patient and kind. She was attentive. She was Grace.


At 7:30pm, the nurses switched off and Kal had another nurse. I remember my Mom saying she didn't want to leave because she had not gotten a chance to know this nurse. She wanted to make sure that she would be empathetic.  She needed to know that this nurse would be like the day nurse.


We stayed in the room, watching my sister sleep.  She was really out of it as the bacteria in her blood was being fought by the antibiotics they had intravenously administered.  The hour grew late and we were beginning to wilt from lack of sleep.  It was time to leave or pass out ourselves. 


We went to the nurses station and my eyes caught the nurses' computer screen.  She had the bible online - the book of Isaiah.  Again, I was comforted.  Yes Lord, I thought, a fellow believer.  This was Mercy.


I went home and began to thank God for his presence in that hospital.  It was at that time that I realized the names of the nurses - Grace and Mercy.  I could hardly believe it as I processed this fact.  God had sent Grace and Mercy who followed each other in that order, to remind us of His word and presence.  My sister and I began excited chatter as we both took in the significance of this piece of information.


God literally sent us Grace and Mercy in the form of two nurses were he used as instruments in His hands to care for my sister. Only a God who loves us with no boundaries would do something like that. He knew we needed this and I believe that He was the invisible hand in that hospital last week.  He was our present help.  He was our divine healer. He was our comforter.  He was our Grace and Mercy that was there to bring us through.


Franklin Williams wrote the words of this song that is even now blessing my heart, may it bless yours also:


Your grace and mercy, brought me through
I'm living this moment because of You
I want to thank You, and praise You too
Your grace and mercy, brought me through