The Story of HIS Coin
by
Kevin H. Park
On Sunday the fifth of August 2001, we were on our way home from worship when my lovely wife, Ginny, insisted we stop in the park for a family meeting. “Right now, don’t even go home,” ‘cause the kids were making her crazy fighting over seats in the car. Now I have four kids, but I have a big van and the last one in has seven seats to choose from; and they still fight over the seats, and leave the door open to boot.
So we sat down at a picnic table, and I called the family meeting to order. There was an instant uproar from the kids: “It’s not fair! You didn’t tell us we were going to have a family meeting! I hate family meetings; we always get yelled at! I like family activity night better!”
I said “SHHH! Shush! This family is not a democracy! Nobody ever said it was going to be fair; life’s not fair. Everything we have is a gift from God anyway, and we have to be thankful for what we do have and not be complaining about what we don’t have. Karla, tell us what you know about Grace and Mercy.”
“Grace and Mercy are two sides of the same coin”, she continued.
So we sat down at a picnic table, and I called the family meeting to order. There was an instant uproar from the kids: “It’s not fair! You didn’t tell us we were going to have a family meeting! I hate family meetings; we always get yelled at! I like family activity night better!”
I said “SHHH! Shush! This family is not a democracy! Nobody ever said it was going to be fair; life’s not fair. Everything we have is a gift from God anyway, and we have to be thankful for what we do have and not be complaining about what we don’t have. Karla, tell us what you know about Grace and Mercy.”
“Grace and Mercy are two sides of the same coin”, she continued.
GRACE IS WHEN GOD GIVES YOU WHAT YOU DON’T DESERVE
MERCY IS WHEN GOD SPARES YOU WHAT YOU DO DESERVE
MERCY IS WHEN GOD SPARES YOU WHAT YOU DO DESERVE
I’d heard this concept on the radio: Grace and Mercy are two sides of the same coin, and had taught it to her at bedtime earlier that week. We went around the table, and everybody learned it. I said, “What would you draw for a picture of Grace?” (you know how kids are always drawing pictures of everything.) “A dove!” Karla said instantly. “Wow! Perfect!” I said back. (Her middle name is Grace, by the way.) I made a sketch and asked, “How about Mercy? What would you draw for a picture of Mercy?” “A cross,” said Kelly. “Wow! Perfect!” I said again. As I made another line drawing, writing out the saying underneath, I thought “Wouldn’t it be great if these kids had something to – hold on to – to help them remember this? Okay, I gotta make these things now."
Later that day, after a lot of tears and laughing and hyperventilation, I had a vision of glorifying God with a coin for every person on earth. The scriptures listed are my prayer for you and for me:
“Praise be to the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” (1 Peter 1:3 NIV) “May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.”(2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 NIV)
There are now coins on at least six continents.
Later that day, after a lot of tears and laughing and hyperventilation, I had a vision of glorifying God with a coin for every person on earth. The scriptures listed are my prayer for you and for me:
“Praise be to the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” (1 Peter 1:3 NIV) “May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.”(2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 NIV)
There are now coins on at least six continents.
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G.race A.nd M.ercy A.re T.wo S.ides O.f T.he S.ame Coin
G.A.M.A.T.S.O.T.S. Coin
G.race A.nd M.ercy A.re T.wo S.ides O.f T.he S.ame Coin
G.A.M.A.T.S.O.T.S. Coin
