Medals of Mercy

Mercy is at the heart of the Gospel—and understanding it can change a child's life. God does not love us because we perform perfectly, collect enough good deeds, or never make a wrong choice. He loves us because He made us. He meets us in our need and offers forgiveness through Jesus. Medals of Mercy gives children a gentle, memorable way to understand this life-changing truth and shows them how receiving mercy helps us extend it to others. This warm, hope-filled Christian children's book explores: • God's unconditional and unfailing love • Mercy, grace, repentance, and forgiveness through Jesus • The difference between mistakes and intentional wrongdoing • Freedom from guilt, shame, perfectionism, and fear • Honesty, kindness, compassion, and second chances • Identity in Christ and worth that cannot be earned • Receiving mercy and extending it to others Thirteen-year-old Roy believes medals are proof that someone is good, important, and worthy of love. After both an embarrassing mistake and a choice he knows is wrong, Roy becomes afraid that what he has done will change the way the people who love him see him. Has his failure changed his value? Is love something he must earn all over again? With loving guidance, Roy discovers what mercy truly means. He learns that accidents and intentional wrong choices are not the same, yet both can become opportunities for honesty and growth. Mistakes and sin matter, but they do not make God stop loving him. Because of Jesus, Roy can tell the truth, confess his wrong, receive forgiveness, accept loving correction, make things right, and begin again. As Roy's understanding changes, so does the way he sees other people. He creates "Always Loved" medals for children who need the same reassuring message: their worth is not measured by perfect behavior, achievements, or other people's approval. Receiving mercy helps Roy become honest, brave, compassionate, and ready to forgive. Set in an East African community, Roy's story also reveals that an African Christian family opened their home to him when he did not have a safe place to live. This part of the story introduces young readers to another expression of mercy: caring for orphans and vulnerable children who need safety, family, and love. The story's expressive, hand-drawn colored-pencil illustrations bring Roy's inner struggle and growing understanding to life. Their warm, childlike quality helps young readers enter Roy's experience, recognize their own need for mercy, and imagine practical ways to show mercy to someone else. Written for children ages 6–11, this faith-based story is ideal for Christian family read-alouds, bedtime conversations, Sunday school, homeschool, Christian classrooms, and church or school libraries. It can help begin important conversations with children who struggle with guilt, embarrassment, perfectionism, insecurity, or fear of disappointing the adults they love. Readers also receive access to a free original song download that reinforces the story's message. Its memorable words help children train their minds to understand mercy, receive God's forgiveness, remember that they are loved, and choose to extend mercy to others. "What a delight to read Medals of Mercy! All children will be able to connect with Roy's story and his insecurities. Recognizing that God is not keeping score of our rights and wrongs, and loves us because He made us is one of the most precious and important messages of this book. It is the perfect story to relay God's mercy in a relatable way while teaching kids how to extend God's mercy to others. Highly recommend!" —Andrea Crum, Genuine Family Ministries Mercy changes how children see God, themselves, and the people around them. Help the children—and favorite adults—you love to become honest, brave, and kind as they discover this unforgettable Gospel truth: they are already and always loved.