Some Of The Sweetest Things Are Made Sweeter

What is mercy and grace?

Mercy is the compassionate treatment of a person greater than what is deserved. 
The Lord extends mercy when we fall short of our potential. Some things we can accomplish on our own but yet we don’t. Something interfered, time, patience, motivation, sin. We just stopped progressing. We show mercy when we help others to obtain when they fall short of obtaining the obtainable.

Grace is the help or strength given through the Atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Grace from the Lord is when no matter how strong, smart, fast, or sinless we are, there are tasks that are beyond our ability to perform or accomplish.  Grace on our part is when we give or help another with something that is beyond their capabilities.  

This winter I started sweet potatoes in water hoping to harvest some slips for planting. This was in Vernon, then life came blowing in and I was not able to return to care for them. By the time I returned they had run short of water, molded and died. It was now late in the spring pushing toward the heat. My only option was to order some from a seed company. 

I had decided to not worry about sweet potatoes this year. If I placed an order I would have to purchase more than I have room to plant and I felt it would be wasting too many. I could always start again next year. Heaven knows I tried. I fell short,  I’ve started them time and time before but it just didn’t workout this year.

As I was fixing supper for Tom and I in Mesa I reached for some sweet potatoes that I had purchased recently and low and behold they had started to sprout. I had them stored in a plastic sack in the top of the milk separator with a coat I had just thrown on top for easy access for morning walks.

I don’t know if this is mercy or grace. I have plenty of times started slips, You just have to poke tooth picks in them, place it in a jar of water in the sunlight and patiently wait for sprouts. Then break the spouts off and place them in a jar to sprout roots. All in all it takes hardly any work but plenty of time.

I took those spouted sweet potatoes and put them in a large bowl of water. I then left for Virden for two days. When I returned my sprouts that were still attached to the potatoes had grown roots. They are exactly were I needed them to be to plant before it gets to hot for such young shoots. Sweet potatoes love the heat but like most young and tender things they need a fighting chance before it gets too hot.

So answer me, was this mercy? I know how to accomplish this, I have many times but I fell short, they were neglected and died. Did the Lord provide something greater than what I deserve? 

Or was this grace? Did the Lord go beyond what I couldn’t do myself. Over the years I have tossed out many a potato that molded and spoiled from sitting in plastic bags. I don’t believe I could purposely start slips in this manner.

One thing I do know, I was blessed with sweet potato slips. A small gesture of One who knows my hearts desire and every now and again sees fit to send a helping hand.

Oh forget it, maybe it’s a miracle.