As soon as I saw the red and blue flashing lights, I knew what I had done…or rather what I had not done.  I had not come to a complete stop at the end of my street before making a right turn onto the busy road that greets our quiet neighborhood.  Intent on listening carefully to a voicemail from a girlfriend who was in the midst of a heartache, I had just slowed down and eased through the intersection after seeing that no traffic was coming.  I did not obey the stop sign and come to a complete stop.

Pulling over onto the shoulder of the road, I reached for my driver’s license and vehicle registration.  The police officer slowly and suspiciously approached my car…like I was a hardened criminal.  He noted my license plate registration tags and looked at my current inspection sticker before saying a word to this escaped convict…I mean this reputable driver.

Turning up the volume on my Christian radio station before the officer came to my window, I prayed God would miraculously change Pastor Raul Reis’ sermon subject to MERCY from whatever he was teaching on that day over the airwaves.  Maybe the police officer would hear Raul’s message and show me some mercy.  Didn’t happen.  Raul kept teaching on another topic.  Where was the mercy message?

Police Officer:  “Do you know why I pulled you over, ma’am?”

Ma’am (smiling pleasantly):  “I am not taking any guesses, officer.”

Police Officer:  “You didn’t come to a complete stop at the end of the street.  You kind of glided through it.”

Ma’am:  “I am sorry, officer.”

Police Officer:  “Have you ever received a ticket before?”

Ma’am:  “Not that I can remember.”

Police Officer:  “Well, you will be receiving one today.”

Ma’am:  “OK.  Thank you, officer.”

Thank you?  Desiring to be respectable and appropriately humble, I thanked the officer for giving me a ticket.  I really wanted to cry and beg for mercy.  Mercy! 

Police Officer: “Where are you headed, ma’am?”

Ma’am: “To my children’s school to serve Asian food for 75 6th graders for their Asian Day lunch.”

Police Officer: “Well you may just be a little late, ma’am.”

Tears bubbled over.  My kids…I never want my disobedience to touch their lives. 

Lord, where is Your mercy?  Can you please have this officer show me some mercy today so I don’t have to pay this fine.  It’s a terrible waste of money.  I’d like to get going, Lord,  Can you please move on this officer’s heart to show me mercy. He’s writing me up a ticket, Lord. Where is the mercy?

God’s answer blew me away.  Literally left breathless and humbled by His whispers, I hung my head in repentance as tears trickled down my face.

Sharon, My mercy was there the several times you have slowly rolled through that stop sign without coming to a complete stop before this.  My mercy was there with you each and every time.  And My mercy is with you right now with this officer ticketing you.  My mercy is unearthing your disobedience so you can repent.  My mercy is saving you.  That’s where My mercy is.

Mercy in unearthing my disobedience so I can confess and repent.  Gulp.  That was my mercy message. Thank you, Jesus!

He lovingly allowed me to feel the godly sorrow that leads to confession and repentance.

Oh the mercy in godly sorrow, in confession, in repentance.

“Though we don’t hear a lot about this gracious provision in most of our churches, confession — humbly, honestly acknowledging our sins to God and to others — is an essential ingredient for anyone who wants to live a holy life.  We cannot sin and just move on as if nothing has happened, without our spiritual growth being stymied.  Scripture makes this clear.” ~ Nancy Leigh Demoss (“Holiness” Bible study)

Mercy in the unearthing, the confessing, the repenting.

Mercy and red and blue flashing lights.

Mercy through a police officer. 

Mercy in a traffic ticket. 

Mercy in still getting to school in time to serve lunch.

Mercy in a consequence of disobedience. 

Mercy to share in His holiness.

Mercy to produce a harvest of righteousness and peace.

That’s where His mercy is.

God delights to show us mercy.  His mercy may be displayed in ways and places we would not want or expect.  But when His mercy unearths our sin, His grace brings us to confession and repentance, and His love allows us to share in His holiness and produce a beautiful harvest.

That’s where His mercy is.  That’s where I want to be.