GROWING SEEDS: Compassion

"God is our merciful Father of compassion and God of all comfort.  

He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others."  

2 Corinthians 1:3-4

There's a line from a great Indian epic, that goes something like this: "What is the most wondrous thing in the world, Yudhisthira?"  And Yudhisthira replied, "The most wondrous thing in the world is that all around us people are dying and we don't realize it can happen to us." 

This past week, I was visiting with a dear friend whose only daughter has been struggling with cancer for many years.  She's young....early 50's....and the bulk of her adult life has been spent in the chemo-chair.  Over the years, about the time the doctors would feel they had the cancer beat, it would show up somewhere else.  My friend and her daughter are mighty Warriors.....they have fought this invasive evil in her body for longer than I've known her.  But as I looked into the face of my friend this past week, I saw the face of compassion looking straight into the eyes of her daughter.

com·pas·sion

The definition of compassion is a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is hurting, in pain, or has misfortune and is accompanied by a strong desire to help the suffering.  

It starts with the understanding that everyone we meet is fighting their own battle....a battle you and I know nothing of because they personally own it.  And compassion becomes easier to understand when we, ourselves, have been the recipient of someone having compassion on us.  My friend, she understands this thing called Compassion.  She's been a recipient of it first hand from others.....and she's chosen not to keep it to herself, but rather, to share this gift of compassion with those around her.  And wasn't that exactly what Jesus lovingly and compassionately instructed us to do?

"The parting words of Christ were calling his disciples to action. (Matt. 5:31)

When we feed the hungry, minister to the hurting, we are doing these acts of kindness TO HIM. 

Someday Jesus will place His pierced hand on your shoulder.

What will you do?" 

Max Lucado