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And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
Ephesians 2:6-7 (NIV)

On September 1, 2024, my husband, Kevin, our son, Jason, and I went to church together, and on September 30, 2024, Kevin went home to be with the Lord. In between these dates were tests, appointments, ER visits, hospitalizations, and hospice care.

As I near the second anniversary of his heavenly homegoing, I am reflecting on the beautiful and tangible ways God has shown His grace to me over the last two years.

I would like to share a few of these with you.

God’s Grace and Taxes

Kevin worked for a tax software company as a fraud specialist and had access to company software to do our taxes. We always filed by October 15. After his funeral on October 5, I suddenly realized I had to file our taxes! And I did not have access to the company software. Slight panic set in.

“Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know.”
Jeremiah 33:3 (NASB)

“I will not panic. I will pray instead.”

God led me to purchase and download a tax program. Everything was going great until it was time to submit the file.

REJECTED! I needed Kevin’s personal identification number (PIN), a safety measure, to file. My mind was absolutely blank, so I prayed again, and God guided me to the IRS website where I found Kevin’s PIN. Time to hit Submit. Again.

REJECTED! Apparently, Kevin signed me up for a PIN, too. Did I mention he was a fraud specialist? I prayed, God guided, and I found my PIN.

ACCEPTED! Success! Thank you, Lord!!

I am grateful for God’s grace, even for things like filing my taxes. He cares about every aspect of my life, and His grace was tangibly glorious that day.

God’s grace was also visible through the people He specifically selected and placed in my path.

God’s Grace Through People

So many people were instrumental in showing me the grace of God during the last two years, but I only have space to share a few stories here.

• Brenda, a retired U.S. Navy nurse, accompanied us to many appointments and explained things in ways we could understand. She was our liaison to our Sunday School Class and has remained a steadfast and faithful friend.
• Kristin, the nursing supervisor at the hospital, helped us through Kevin’s surgical procedures. After he passed away, Kristin sat with my mother-in-law and me and listened and comforted us.
• Laurie and Kriss are my Discipleship Group and are also in my Sunday School Class. God gave me wonderful friends in these two ladies. They walk with me through all the hard parts.
• Suzanne works for the funeral home. The morning Kevin passed away, I was so grateful to see a friend and fellow Sunday School Class member carefully prepare him to be transported.
• A Widow’s Might – By God’s grace, He led me to sign up for my first AWM Hope Conference in April 2025. Meeting wonderful ladies and making new friends is a blessing to my life.
• Wisters (Widow Sisters) – I have a lot of fun with these sweet ladies. God knew I needed some fun in my life. I am grateful He sent me their way.
• My Family and My Church – I can’t begin to count the ways these precious people have uplifted me and walked beside me! I’m grateful to God for the grace of their love and friendship.

God always knows exactly who to send for every circumstance in this challenging season of my life.

“A friend loves at all times …”
Proverbs 17:17 (NASB)

My last story is about one beautiful purple iris.

God’s Grace in Nature

One of my favorite graces from God involves my beautiful purple irises, which bloom exactly once a year, usually in April. But one month after Kevin passed away, a large, regal, dark purple iris—one single bloom—came up in my iris bed on October 31. The formerly green, lush leaves were brown and mostly eaten by grasshoppers, but this one stunningly beautiful bloom rose up amid the dry leaves. It was as if God said to me, “Not every month will end like September.”

I believe Him.

“… My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness. …”
2 Corinthians 12:9 (NASB)

God, thank You for the grace You give to each one of us. Thank You for the creative ways in which You show us Your grace. Your unmerited favor is a true treasure. We are so very grateful. Amen.